Island Suite - A Solo Harp Odyssey
"vibrant, evocative solo harp music celebrating Canada’s West Coast"
Alison Vardy is inspired by the rhythmic and melodic diversity of music from many cultures to create original compositions and arrangements that showcase her beloved instruments. Island Suite is a colourful tapestry of sound and mood that is both exciting and relaxing.
This solo CD features two harps - Alison's Sandpiper Celtic harp and her self-built Paraguayan harp. The tunes include a mixture of Canadian, Quebecois, Celtic, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), and World Ethnic music plus eight of Alison's own original compositions. With only nine seconds of blank space left on this CD the listener can journey deeply into Alison's world of rhythm and musical intrigue in a single listening. Enjoy!
This solo CD features two harps - Alison's Sandpiper Celtic harp and her self-built Paraguayan harp. The tunes include a mixture of Canadian, Quebecois, Celtic, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), and World Ethnic music plus eight of Alison's own original compositions. With only nine seconds of blank space left on this CD the listener can journey deeply into Alison's world of rhythm and musical intrigue in a single listening. Enjoy!
![]() A Review from Rambles Online
With deft and magical fingers, Vancouver Island, Canada, native Alison Vardy conjures the sounds of Canada's Western Shores and more in Island Suite. This well-paced compilation of 18 well-positioned harp songs features original compositions by Vardy, as well as arrangements of traditional pieces and rhythmic adaptations. During this whimsical musical journey, Vardy visits and pays tribute to Vancouver's resurrected E&N Railway; the four southern gulf islands of Mayne, Pender, Saturna and Galiano; Horby Island; and Cape Breton with light, tender melodies. Then it's onward and eastward where Vardy captures multi-cultural essences from Africa, England, France, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and other exotic locales in flavourful listening feasts. Alison Vardy's masterful strokes on Celtic and Paraguayan harps provide the listener with more than 70 minutes of spirited relaxation and refreshment -- music by which you can rejuvenate, soak in the tub or lull yourself to sleep. It's a wonderful alternative (or accompaniment) to massage therapy! Vardy performs live at concerts and conducts workshops in British Columbia, but for those who are not Canadian nationals, you don't have to go that far to hear these soothing sounds -- just pick them up on any of her three therapeutic disks, also including Harping On and Apasionada. Rambles Online written by Lynne Remick |