Seal Maiden: A Celtic Musical
Using such traditional Irish instruments as uilleann pipes, the low whistle, the concertina, and the violin, as well as some of the purest, sweetest voices to be heard on a children's recording in recent memory,Seal Maiden: A Celtic Musicalrelates a mystical tale. Despite her mother's warnings, a playful seal pup frolics too close to the shore, magically molts her sealskin, and turns into a human. The Seal Maiden's humanness leaves her heartsick and discontented; she misses her mother and can't shrug off an atavistic affinity for biting off eels' heads and devouring them whole, as well as other strictly-for-the-seals behavior. Eventually, though, she marries and has a son. When he discovers his own hidden sealskin, he becomes her gateway back to the sea and the slippery, song-filled life she left behind. If this Emerald Isle legend sounds familiar, that's probably because it was recently given silver-screen treatment in John Sayles'sThe Secret of Roan Inish. Narrator and lead singer Karan Casey (of the traditional Irish groupSolas) is enchanting, especially on "The Song of the Seal" and "Seoithin." MusiciansMartin Hayes(violin) andDennis Cahill(guitar) display near-magical heart-melting powers on "Port Na bPucal," which captures the Celtic spirit beautifully. And then there's this album's intended audience--kids--to consider. Children ages 6 and up will be left spellbound by the Seal Maiden's fantastic saga, and those under 6 will be lulled into sweet dreams by its gentle-voiced, exceptionally talented singers, whose far-off land of salty waves and endless possibilities they evoke so gracefully.--Tammy La Gorce