Harvest Storm Explained

Harvest Storm
Type:	Album
Artist:	Altan
Cover:	Harvest Storm.jpg
Released:	15 April 1992
Recorded:	September – October 1991
Genre:	Celtic
Length:	45:42
Label:	Green Linnet
Producer:	P.J. Curtis
Prev Title:	The Red Crow
Prev Year:	1990
Next Title:	Island Angel
Next Year:	1993

Harvest Storm is the third studio album by Altan, released in April 1992 on the Green Linnet label.

Track listing

All titles arranged by Altan.

1. "Pretty Peg/New Ships A-Sailing/The Bird's Nest/The Man From Bundoran" (reels) – 3:37
2. "Dónal Agus Mórag/The New-Rigged Ship" (song and reel) – 4:27
3. "King of the Pipers" (jig) – 3:08
4. "Séamus O'Shanahan's/Walking in Liffey Street" (jigs) – 2:33
5. "Mo Choill" (song) – 4:10
6. "The Snowy Path" (slip jig) – 2:12
7. "Drowsy Maggie/Rakish Paddy/Harvest Storm" (reels) – 2:57
8. "Sí Do Mhaimeo Í" (song) – 2:50
9. "McFarley's/Mill Na Máidí" (reels) – 2:25
10. "The Rosses Highlands" (highlands) – 2:58
11. "A Nobleman's Wedding" (song) – 6:35
12. "Bog An Lochain/Margaree Reel/The Humours of Westport" (strathspey and reels) – 3:34
13. "Dobbin's Flowery Vale" (slow air and reel) – 4:20

All titles are traditional except the following:

• "Séamus O'Shanahan's/Walking in Liffey Street" composed by Paul O'Shaughnessy
• "The Snowy Path" composed by Mark Kelly
• "Harvest Storm" composed by Frankie Kennedy and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh

"Mo Choill" ("My Love") is a song from a lady called "Rose of the songs" who had so many songs that she was known all over Ireland by a lot of people. It's a sad song about a man who goes off to sea and leaves his beloved one behind.^[1]

Live recordings

A live recording of the medley "Drowsie Maggie" performed by Altan in 1999 at the Cambridge Folk Festival is available on the Cambridge Folk Festival - A Celebration of Roots Music 1998-99 1-CD collective album. Released in 2000, this compilation includes a total of 17 live recordings from the Cambridge Folk Festivals 1998 & 1999.^[2]

Personnel

Altan

• Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh – Fiddle, vocals
• Frankie Kennedy – Flute, whistle, backing vocals
• Ciarán Tourish – Fiddle, whistle, backing vocals
• Paul O'Shaughnessy – Fiddle
• Ciarán Curran – Bouzouki, bouzouki-guitar
• Mark Kelly – Guitar, backing vocals
• Dáithí Sproule – Guitar on "The Rosses Highlands", backing vocals

Guest musicians

• Frieda Gray – Dancing on "Mill na Máidí"
• Tommy Hayes – Bodhrán, bass bodhrán, percussion, jaw harp
• Dónal Lunny – Keyboards, bass bodhrán on "Dónal Agus Mórag"
• Liam Ó Maonlaí – Didgeridoo on "Sí Do Mhaimeo Í"

Production

• P.J. Curtis – Producer
• Brian Masterson – Engineer
• Aidan McGovern – Assistant Engineer
• Ciaran Byrne – Assistant Engineer
• Greenberg Kingsley – Design
• Ross Wilson – Artwork
• Colm Henry – Photography

Notes and References

1. According to Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh on stage during the Summer 2012 European tour
2. http://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/records/cambridgefolkfestival.html mainlynorfolk.info > Cool As Folk