Near crossroads in lands once inhabited by ancient Celtic populations archeologists have discovered statures that looked three ways, guarding and surveying the approach from all sides. Like these figures at the crossroads there are several faces of Celtic music being played today. The mad reels fuel wild folk-rock frenzies, and influences as disparate as African percussion and electronica are creating vibrant hybrids that pulse insistently. But there's another, equally satisfying face of Celtic music where folk traditions meet with a more refined treatment, and that's what we find on the three CDs reviewed here. The medieval comes alive on some tracks, the devotion of believers on others, while classical and folk styles come together around traditional melodies in others.

The Road from Erin is a pleasing sampler of Dorian artists playing Celtic music, and makes a good introduction to their roster, and to the quality of music this label consistently turns out. The lineup includes several albums already reviewed here at Green Man Review, including Baltimore Consort's The Mad Buckgoat, Roger Landes' Dragon Reels, Ensemble Gallilei, the incomparable Chatham Baroque, and Altramar. Subtitled, "Ireland's Musical Legacy" this is music influenced by the Irish traditions, as well as a variety of sources across Europe and North America, and through time as well, played by accomplished musicians and sung with classically trained voices. It is easy to miss the blend of classical training on the instrumentals, but impossible to mistake in the vocals, so those who prefer rough hewn vocals are advised to skip this CD. But for all it's egalitarian appeal today, much of the music that forms Irish traditional music has its roots in privilege, and belongs to the classical world as much as it does to the world where tunes are passed from player to player. The compositions of Carolan, taken from Carolan's Welcome and Chatham Baroque's Reel of Tulloch, seem right at home alongside works in Latin, pulled from manuscripts at Trinity College, Dublin.

Several tunes deserve special mention. I particularly enjoyed the Baltimore Consort's selections, like "Yonder, Westwards is the Road She Went" taken from J& W. Neal, Celebrated Irish Tunes, published in 1724. The Baltimore Consort invariably makes music from the renaissance period seem fresh and immediate, and this song, sung by soprano Custer La Rue in Gaelic is no exception. I also enjoyed Ensemble Gallilie's set of "Cuimhne an Phiobaire / The Misty Maids of Galway / The Absent Minded Woman" from their album The Mystic and the Muse.

With 26 tracks, and around an hour and a quarter's listening time, Road is a good choice for those unwilling to commit to an unfamiliar artist. Those already familiar with this roster will need little coaxing. Dorian's sound quality is consistently superb, as are their liner notes and other materials.

Greenfire are Ken Kolodner on hammered dulcimer, and Laura Risk on fiddle join on this album by Keith Murphy on guitar and Joseph Sobel on a variety of stringed instruments. Both have impressive resumes, and according to the liner notes, met at the 1996 Winnipeg Folk Festival, deciding to record together after playing together at an all night session. A Roof for the Rain is an instrumental CD that sparkles through excellent musicianship, a great selection of tunes, and superb production. Greenfire produce a pristine sound reminiscent of water on stones, or a gentle but insistent rain. Roof is neither so instrusive that it can't work as a soundscape, nor does it fade into the background -- it lies somewhere in between these two extremes; assertive but not overbearing, a delight to the ears. The music draws on Celtic sources far and wide, both old world and new.

Original tunes written in the tradition are paired with a great selection of traditional tunes. I particularly liked the contemplative set "Summer's End (written by Kolodner )/ The March of the King of Laois." Apparently, I'm a fan of Kolodner's tunes because "The Galway / Stan Ransom's (Kolodner)" impressed me with it's easy, breezy style. And the final set of reels also does a great job of showcasing Greenfire's musicianship, with "Sandy's Dilemma (by Risk) / Coalminer's / Monaghan Twig." There are some great pieces on Roof, these are simply the ones I liked best.

This is a first rate instrumental Celtic album whose strength lies in the superb musicianship, fine arrangements, and some fine material. It doesn't stand apart with creative fusion or break new ground in creating links between disparate traditions. It stands out by blending original and traditional material in a way that others could hope to emulate. As one expects with Dorian, the liner notes are really a well documented 15 page booklet, with high production values.

Altramar is a medieval music ensemble consisting of Jann Cosart (crwth, vielle), Angela Mariani (voice, medieval Celtic harp, cruit, percussion), Chris Smith (cruit, gittern), David Stattelman (voice), who play on period instruments made specifically for this project. Celtic Wanderers is the second album in a Celtic trilogy celebrating the Celtic music of the middle ages, when isolated Ireland sent many "peregrini" or religious pilgrims to Europe. Many founded monasteries on the continent, many perished on the road, but their influence on continental life is undeniable. Big Earl Sellar was just as impressed by the first installment in this project, Crossroads of the Celts, as I am by Celtic Wanderers. As he points out, the form music we know today as Celtic has developed in the past 500 years; before that, the sound and delivery of the music is difficult to decipher without a great deal of scholarship, dedication, and -- in Altramar's case -- talent. If your exposure to medieval music comes from the Renaissance Festivals, where pomp and circumstance triumph, Altramar may be a surprise. With its emphasis on contemplative, monastic sources, this album is a far cry from much of what passes for medieval music.

This is a lovely album, filled with spare, dramatic arrangements that seems to owe as much to stillness as to melody. All songs are sung in Latin -- the common language of educated Europeans -- although pronunciations vary to reflect the different origins of the songs. Many of the melodies sung here are derived from the structure of Irish devotional chants, giving the melodies sense of quiet power. Altramar have put together four such devotional chants together in a set called "Antiphones for St. Killian." Mariani's vocals evoke the chapel, and the minimal instrumental accompaniment heighten the power and beauty of the words. The tale of the biblical Samson's downfall, "Samson du fortissime" is also notable. Apparently one of the more popular pilgrim's songs of the medieval period, it is associated with the Irish St. Columbanus, who was told to remember Samson's fate when tempted by the pleasures of the flesh. Stattelman delivers a fine performance, backed by slightly dissonant strings that create a dramatic background for the story. Several of the instrumental pieces were created by Altramar, based on fragments of msuic found in medieval manuscripts. "Ducta Angloram" is my favorite -- lively yet haunting, it is easy to imagine pilgrims warming a cold night with this music -- but only if they have devoted a lifetime to musical pursuits as part of their cloistered lifestyle!

The liner notes for Celtic Wanderers are actually a 25 page booklet describing the music, the instruments, and even pointing the way to scholarly sources on everything from the traditions of pilgrimage to the making of the instruments. I can't recommend this album highly enough for anyone seeking serenity without overproduction; beauty without artifice, and a sense of the quiet, but intense spirituality.

If you have a yearning for the more refined face of the Celtic traditions, these three albums are a great choice. Or perhaps, like the figures at the crossroads you can see down many paths. I'd still recommend these discs for the times when beauty and simplicity are a must. If you can't commit to one artist but are intrigued, begin with The Road from Erin. I suspect you may rest awhile with this CD, but won't be able to resist returning for the others.

[Kim Bates]