BROCELIANDE : WAY WORTH HEARING

Whistle
1

Okay, so I finally dragged my can out to a concert last Saturday night. It was the CD release party (their fourth disc, I think) for a group called Broceliande, which dubs itself as Early Music and Celtic (see Celtic thread). Didn’t know what to expect but hoped to hear a few trad tunes.

What I heard was one of the most talented four musicians I have ever seen, in terms of versatility, quality of arrangements, musical feel etc.

Two women, two men all wonderful singers, very much in tune. One of the women (Margaret Davis) plays harp, various recorders, a bit of bodhran and has a beautiful singing voice. The other woman sings and plays cello, viola de gamba, remanche (Persian gourd fiddle). One of the guys plays mostly guitar, but also melodeon and whistles (coupla Gens that could stand an upgrade). A really good whistler and he did that weird upside down thing (turning fipple upside down), which I still don’t get. The other guy sings, plays oboe, octave mandolin, guitars and used a low whistle once.

Their repertoire is fairly incredible. At times, they all stood up and sang a few a cappella madrigals, perfectly. Other tunes included Burgundian branles, Spanish Cantigas, old Gaelic tunes and just a wide variety of music from Medieval and Renaissance days and even an original tune. They have mastered the art of layering singing with instrumental accompaniments and ultra-subtle shifts of musical emphasis. They played a slip jig set and the notable inclusion was using a cello along with harp, whistle and guitar. I am still not sure I like cello with the trad but they way they did it was pretty convincing. Every tune they did had something about the arrangement that was unique, interesting and beautiful to hear.

They are hard to define but ultra artistic. If they come into your town, I urge you to hear them. They are masters of musical art and originality. I NEVER praise this way unless I mean it and I’m very critical. Further, when I saw their purple hippie YE OLDE clothes, I was all ready to dismiss ‘em as vegan, hemp-suckin’ cotton clad nutcases but damn they are good! (Yes, I have “issues”) :laughing:

Here is a website, though I don’t know if its current or not.
http://www.broceliande.org/

2

FINALLY someone recommends a desent site to view. The other ones lately either take forever to come up and then sound like modern jazz or
its too much flute.
I know this is earlier music than the others talked about, but
they sound great, are a lot easier to listen to, and their site actually
works well without having to figure out where the tunes are!
Thanks, its was a fun listen!
Lolly

3

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly. You can never have too much flute! :wink:

4

To much flute!! How can you have to much flute. There isnt even such a thing as to much flute. Im sure you ment not enough whistle. :slight_smile:

Tom

5

THANKS for the GREAT link!!!

This is my kinda tunes. They remind me a bit of the first Steeleye Span record. Especially GAUDETE, that’s one of my favorites.

You realize I am now going to have to buy this. :moreevil:

6

Well worth it cowtime! We bought their first cd and I was listening to it after making post. It has a few of the things we heard plus some very decent Trad tunes. They are really something. The other Weekender and I have been talking about how to make our band more effective with what we learned from observing them.

7

Refer to Alan Stivell’s first CD/LP “Reflets”, where there’s a track called “Broceliande”, a beautiful song with outstanding harp playing. Maybe that’s where they got their name from (“Broceliande” is the French form of the Breton “Brokilien” who was a prophet of long lost times. A little bit of trivia :slight_smile: )

8

There’s a forest of Broceliande in Brittany which is a focus of legend, new-agery and general French Celtic twilightery. Sounds like an appropriate name for the kind of group and repertoire described. Now where did I leave me pint?

9

Named after said prophet no less, apparently it’s where he’s supposed to come from. It’s a lovely place.