Features:
Description:
Throughout their four decades of championing traditional Irish music, the Chieftains have had to suffer their share of the peculiar Irish snubbing known as begrudgery. Precisely because they became so successful abroad, the Chieftains have always seemed to have to fight for recognition and validation on their home turf. So this concert video, filmed in 1991 at the Grand Opera House in Belfast, is gratifying as a splendid performance on its own and as a sweet homecoming. The program (also available on CD), which features several ensemble reels and hornpipes, guest appearances by Nanci Griffith and Roger Daltrey, notable solos, and a brief Irish dance segment, thoroughly engages the audience, a feeling palpable on the video. Highlights include an a cappella solo by Kevin Conneff on the ballad "North Americay," a riotous flute solo on "The Mason's Apron" by Matt Molloy, and Griffith's lovely, lilting "Little Love Affairs" and "Red Is the Rose." Daltrey's bombast never really blends with the rest of the ensemble (there's a reason you've never heard a Celtic band take on "Behind Blue Eyes"), though his earnestness is appealing. All in all, fans of Irish music (and Griffith) will find this an enjoyable evening. --Anne Hurley
| 
