It's about time for a relaxing Celtic approach to music. Robin Bullock is famous across America for his Celtic instrumental playing on guitar, mandolin and other instruments, and his collaboration with other musicians. He lives in North Carolina, but travels the country almost every year on a music tour, or to work with other players, or to teach a masterclass to eager students.
I find his music pleasing to the ear and - because I like Celtic music in general - pleasantly relaxing. I listen to him primarily as background music when I write. I don't have to pay particular attention to what's playing, but it's a constant undertone that eases the work along and makes it less frustrating when I get stuck on something.
Here are five of his short pieces, selected in no particular order.
You'll find much more of his music on his YouTube channel, and at his Web site.
Peter
3 comments:
Great listening for Sunday morning!
I recently discovered a few things about Celtic culture: "Edward Lhuyd, (1660 – 30 June 1709) a Welsh naturalist, botanist, linguist, geographer and antiquarian first used the term Celtic. Lhuyd wrote 'Archaeologia Britannica (printed 1707): An Account of the Languages, Histories and Customs of Great Britain, from Travels through Wales, Cornwall, Bas-Bretagne, Ireland and Scotland'. It was Lhuyd who first introduced the theory that the languages of these islands were 'Celtic'. Within a short period of time after the publication, the term 'Celtic' was being given not just to these languages but to all things non English. Today everything from Newgrange (built 2500 years before the 'Celts' supposedly arrived in Ireland) to Enya is labelled under the term 'Celtic'. "
Celtic music has influenced many other cultures and musicians around the world, including Japan. Animator Miyazaki Hayao's movie of Ursula LeGuin's "Tales from Earthsea" (which she heartily disliked) includes a lot of Celtic and Celtic-influenced songs, some by Galician musician Carlos Nunez, who seems as talented as Robin Bullock (whom I'd never heard of, so thanks for the introduction).
https://youtu.be/P40YOU8ggJk
https://youtu.be/5uqcoeLR7TA
https://youtu.be/lMWvr5dhwxw (Last of the Mohican's theme song)
https://youtu.be/J0-UjGMpHA4 (Suo Gan, used in Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun")
https://youtu.be/zXczes9UhoU (British superstar Ed Sheeran singing "The Parting Glass")
https://youtu.be/ugpCCqr_I9s (Carlos Nunez)
and
https://amzn.to/3roUACB (song #5)
Look for videos of Celtic Connections. Magic.
Ditto Transatlantic Sessions.
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