A solo and simple piano opens "Be Thou My Vision," the first track on this, Michael Card's 17th album. This opening is both appropriate and telling, as it gives us a foretaste of the rest of the project. Unlike Card's other albums, there are no choirs or orchestras here; merely simple, but poignant arrangements - back-to-basics and quite enjoyable.
Subtitled "A Celtic Conversation Across Time," the album consists primarily of remakes of timeless hymns such as "Be Thou My Vision," "Let All Things Now Living," "The King Of Love My Shepherd Is," and a couple of newer songs, such as "Morning Has Broken" and Card's original "Starkindler." Considering that there is only one original tune, what is there to compel you to listen to this album over any other hymn compilation?
Well, for starters, the Celtic influence in the arrangements that Card has been hinting at for his past several albums is finally given full fruition here. To make the arrangements work, there is what amounts to an all-star cast of players of the Celtic-style instruments such as the bodhran, the Irish whistle, the Uillean pipes, the fiddle, and the wooden flute. Even without the texts of the classic hymns, the resultant sound gives a vitality to the overall album which makes it eminently enjoyable. And, as on his last album, Card features Darwin Hobbs' auxiliary lead vocals on two tracks, providing a strong baritone counterpoint to Card's own clear tenor.
To be perfectly honest, I generally find that Celtic-styled music wears thin on me after a few listens. But the way that Card and company handle the combination of Celtic backdrop and classic hymn texts, it is appealing enough to keep drawing me back to the CD again and again.
About the only reservation I have with regards to this disc is that it is a little on the short side. Considering that the final track is a reprise of the first one, there are really only 9 songs (and 2 or 3 additional melodies tacked on to the ends of the hymns) on the disc, and the whole package isn't quite 35 minutes. But I suppose by keeping it short, it does keep the album crisp and moving ahead.
If you've never heard Card before, he's in top form on this album, and if you have, it's the sort of album we've come to expect from him - high-quality production teamed with meaningful, scriptural lyrics. I'd recommend it to all Card fans and fans of Celtic-styled music.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Shari LloydOne almost gets the impression that Celtic music started with Riverdance, but interest in the Celtic form of musical expression has been sustained through many centuries through well-loved hymns based on ancient Celtic melodies. Singer/songwriter Michael Card brings this wonderful ancient music to a new generation of Christians through this project, a series of "covers" of music from the eighth…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Janet FriesenToday we are in the middle of a Celtic renaissance of sorts. Everywhere you look--in books, art, and music--there seems to be a newfound love of all things Irish. In the midst of this, Michael Card has released Starkindler: A Celtic Conversation Across Time. Using traditional instruments and ancient melodies, Card has made an attempt to frame our 20th century faith with the music of believers of…Similar sounding releases
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