I Can See the Gates of Heaven..........  World Village***

Márta Sebestyén is an acclaimed singer and collector of folk music in Hungary. Her name may ring a bell from the film The English Patient, in which she sang a haunting eastern tune over the opening credits.

As befitting the time of year, this is a collection of Hungarian religious and secular songs, with the emphasis on the former. Sebestyén makes the point in the sleeve notes that Hungary lies between the East and West, and that both influences permeate the country's folk music. Certainly the dance tune, Flower Gathers, not unlike a gavotte to these untutored ears, harks from the West, while the opening Visionhas a more Eastern sense. Certainly the music is fascinating, but whether one would listen to it for pleasure is another matter, especially when Sebestyén hits the scratchy high register. www.Sebestyénmarta.hu

Download tracks: Flower Gathers, Vision