Hanz Araki and Kathryn Claire
Album: A Winter Solstice Celebration
Label: Copperplate
Tracks: 11
Website: http://thecelticconspiracy.com/

This is the first of four albums by Hanz Araki and Kathryn Claire celebrating the different seasons. In case you don't know, Hanz and Kathryn are a violin and flute duo from the Pacific Northwest of the USA with a penchant for Celtic music.

Hanz [short for Hanzaburo] followed in the tradition of his Japanese father's family in learning to play the shakuhachi [ Japanese bamboo flute]. Indeed, Hanz is the world's only sixth generation shakuhachi player. Having taught the instrument in Japan, Hanz returned to his hometown of Seattle where he started to play Celtic music, influenced by his mother's Gaelic roots.

Claire is a classically trained musician who plays guitar and violin and who has a great love and respect for traditional Celtic music.

This album consists of winter songs, tunes and ancient carols, many of which were Kathryn's favourites from her childhood and which her family sang and played to brighten up the long,dark winter nights.

As well as Hanz and Kathryn, the album features Joe Trump on percussion, Cary Novotny on guitar and Suzanne Taylor on piano.

It really is a delightful album, if somewhat short in length at 32 minutes.The musicianship is superb, with Hanz's flute and Kathryn's violin combining beautifully, as do their singing voices.

The album is bookended by poetry readings by Finn MacGinty, the first of which leads into a pair of tunes [ "Jeanette Isabella" and" The Sussex Carol"] that were learned by Kathryn from a book of old carols and she used to play them at Christmas with her grandfather, who inspired her to play the violin. "The Sussex Carol", in particular, is achingly beautiful. These tunes are followed by another carol "The Seven Joys of Mary ", on which Hans takes lead vocals and into which the duo skilfully weave the jig "Coppers and Brass". The latter features some great percussion by Joe Trump.

Hanz also sings lead on "Remember O Thou Man", which he learned from a video of it being sung by Richard Thompson in the back of a taxi cab! This version features lovely violin playing by Kathryn.

Hanz's mellifluous flute playing takes centre stage on "Christmas Eve", which is a real delight.

"In Dulci Jubilo" is a rather familiar tune, thanks to Mike Oldfield but the version on this album is taken a lot slower with Kathryn's fiddle taking the lead. This was one of Kathryn's favourite childhood tunes and it segues into the slip-jig, "Drops of Brandy".

As well as being superb musicians, Hanz and Kathryn are both excellent singers, as demonstrated on the unaccompanied "The Coventry Carol ", which Kathryn used to sing as a member of a choir, having been taught it by her mother. This is a gorgeous, haunting track, beautifully sung.

Another childhood favourite of Kathryn's is "Pat-a- Pan" which receives a distinctly medieval treatment here, to good effect.

"Apples in Winter/The Frost Is All Over"is a great set of winter tunes, featuring a seamless duet between violin and flute which will appeal to all lovers of good Celtic music.

The final song is "The Wexford Carol", sung by Hanz, with Suzanne Taylor on piano,which is followed by Finn MacGinty's reading of "Ring Out Wild Bells" by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

As a Winter/Christmas album, this one is a real cracker [!]. It really does capture the atmosphere and mood of the season and, because of its timeless beauty, is one that I will listen to repeatedly both this year and in future years.

Peter Cowley