Máire Breatnach And Cormac De Barra

Tarraing Téad/Pulling StringsCladdagh Records ****

Máire Breatnach's second album inside a year is another deeply pensive collection. Although she's collaborated closely with Cormac de Barra on her last CD, Cranna Ceoil, this is the pair's first recording as a duo. A finely spun tribute to our rich harping tradition, from the finesse of the opener, Planxty Sudleyor Carolan's Dowry, to the pinprick precision of Miss Hamilton, composed by 18th-century Kerry composer Cornelius Lyons, Pulling Stringsis a celebration of the magic that can flow between harp and fiddle and viola, with ample space between the notes for the melodies to find full expression. There's a depth of interpretation here that will surely lure its share of new listeners to the music. Fionán de Barra contributes occasional subtle guitar accompaniment, but this album soars on the energy of harp and viola, richly arranged. See mairebreatnach.com