The latest music DVDs reviewed

JEFF HEALY

Legacy: Volume One Arbor Records ***

In 1966, when he was less than a year old, Jeff Healy developed eye cancer. That he went on to become one of the best white blues rock guitarists of the 1990s was testament to his ambition, skill and perserverance. Healy, the only guitarist ever to receive a platinum record with a Braille inscription, wasn't a prolific artist, but he was certainly a much-loved one, as can be gleaned from this documentary (which comes packaged with two other discs, a singles collection and an unreleased/live set). Healey died several years ago, and this sense of loss underlines the interviews and performances from the likes of Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Dave Edmonds. No extras, but a good rounded set for his many fans. TONY CLAYTON-LEA

VAUGHAN WILLIAM: RIDERS TO THE SEA

Soloists: Sarah Walker, Yvonne Brennan, Kathleen Tynan, Hugh Mackey. RTE Chamber Choir & Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Bryden Thompson Warner Music ****

Synge's great tragedy of Inis Meáin has been a staple of the Irish theatre for decades, but Ralph Vaughan William's opera – with an almost verbatim libretto – is rarely performed. This is partly because it is so short (about 40 minutes) that appropriate couplings are not obvious. This release of a production staged by RTÉ some 20 years ago coincides with a revival of interest in the work. The score is spare, with an elegiac chant-type quality, but it does convey the isolation and stoic acceptance of fate of the protagonists. There are not many operas set in an Irish context, so this release with fine singing and a realistic staging is welcome indeed. www.warner music.com COLMAN MORRISSEY