David Power and Willie Kelly: Apples in Winter album review

Apples In Winter
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Artist: David Power and Willie Kelly
Genre: Traditional
Label: Independent Release

Distilled to its essence, Apples in Winter is a glorious collection of tunes on pipes and fiddle from Waterford piper David Power and New Jersey fiddler Willie Kelly. At once stately and buoyant, the pair embark on their odyssey with equal measures of grace and danger.

Kelly's fiddle strikes a tone as old as the hills, richly evocative of Patrick O'Keeffe on the air Stór Mo Chroí. Power's piping reaches deep into the core of the tunes. His Ace and Deuce of Piping variation lends this majestic tune a renewed elegance, beautifully punctuated by his richly rhythmical pacing and wide-open tone.

Power's solo whistle on The Chicago Reel and The Ashplant perfectly captures the simple elegance at the heart of this collection, one that will bear fruit in all seasons, not just winter. davidpowerup.com

Siobhán Long

Siobhán Long

Siobhán Long, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about traditional music and the wider arts