On this CD, which was originally recorded in 2001 and just re-released, Ciaran gives a novel interpretation to three well-known songs among the 13 tracks. The Rare Ould Times, after a traditional first verse, switches to a fast upbeat tempo turning its usual wistfulness into an urgent protest against the changes the singer has seen. Danny Boy is sung with great restraint so that the emphasis shifts to the father’s death rather than Danny’s return. On Phil Coulter’s, The Town I Loved So Well, the vocal and specifically the instrumentation underscores a frantic feeling of dislocation, rather than the melancholy recollection usually associated with this song. On other tracks, Ciaran stays closer to the usual interpretations, but the power of his voice and his expressive performance of the lyrics makes them all seem fresh. These include: The Minstrel Boy, Red Roses For Me, Red is The Rose, Wild Mountain Thyme and The Bard of Armagh. For the old bar room favorite, My Wild Irish Rose, he performs the seldom heard full verse, which gives the song new meaning. Joannie Madden, tin whistle, flute and Jerry O’Sullivan, uilleann pipes lead a group of outstanding support musicians.

CS 002 CD $16