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"Celtic Harps, Flutes, Recorder, Low D Pennywhistle, Bowed Psaltery and beautiful vocal harmonies will take you back in time!"
The Harper and the Minstrel are the husband and wife team of Jay and Abby Michaels. They have been performing Celtic and Renaissance music together since 2002.
Jay plays the both the nylon and wire-strung Celtic Harps, Guitar and he sings. Abby sings, plays Flutes, Recorders, Pennywhistles, Guitar, Harp and Bowed Psaltery. Together they perform traditional and popular music from the Celtic lands and beyond, Renaissance and Baroque tunes, and original compositions. Their songlist leans towards gentle aires and ballads.
Abby and Jay have spent their lives studying and performing Music. Both have BA's in that field. Both have been performing in various musical groups since High School.
"Jay & Abby Michaels are a breath of fresh air in the world of music. What's new about them is an ancient approach to songs, instrumented with a Celtic harp and flute. It's a lovely sound played by two very talented musicians. Their repertoire is wide, filled with songs you might expect... Celtic, traditional, olde English ballads, and delightful originals that feel like they've been sung for hundreds of years, by the Fairy Folk. Then equally accomplished, they turn their attention to something more modern, like a song by "Yes".
Spend time with them, and listen to their music... whether in person or on CD... and you will become a fan, too."
With lilting vocals, hypnotic harp, and occasional guitar and flute evoke the sensation of a warm spring day spent in an enchanted place, or perhaps a wooded glade conjured in fantasy. The lovely material is performed in traditional styles and keys, lending to an old-world feel to the arrangements. While many artists strive to appeal strictly to the modern ear, the Michaels adeptly create the feel of the ancient traveling minstrels with their simple and soulful sounds.
Of fifteen tracks on this compilation, five - including the title song -- are composed by the Michaels, and transport the listener to a land of faeries and fantasy. The remainder are traditional English and Irish folk songs, including such favorites as
"Once I Had a Sweetheart", "The Blacksmith", "Carrickfergus" and "The Wild Rover."
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