Deanta - Ready for the Storm

(1994) 13 tracks: The Mighty Clansmen, The Landsdowne Lass, The Lakes Of Pontchartrain, An Raibh Tú Ag An Gcarraig, Hammy's Jigs, Culloden's Harvest, Let The Hair Sit, The Maid That Sold Her Barley, Eleanor Plunkett, The Party, Ready For The Storm, The Rocky Reels, The Benedy Glen.

In 1990, Deanta recorded their self-titled album debut, and since then this acclaimed Northern Irish traditional band have steadily built an international reputation for music both pristine and pulsating.

On this second album, the lead vocals of Mary Dillon, an All-Ireland champion singer, are more impressive than ever. Able to get inside the lyrics of a song and draw out its innate beauty, Mary lends her crystalline voice to standout renditions of The Lakes of Pontchartrain, Culloden's Harvest, The Benedy Glen, and Ready For The Storm, the latter written by renowned Scots singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean.

Exceptionally tight, inventively arranged instrumentals are also a hallmark of Deanta. The gossamer-delicate weaving of harp, fiddle, and flute on Turlough O'Carolan's Eleanor Plunkett is beautiful, while the hard-charging Rocky Reels medley shows a go-for-broke intensity that would be the envy of any other Irish traditional band.

Equally remarkable are the sextet's growing compositional skills, producing such fresh, memorable tunes as Larmor Plage, The Wee Rabbit, The Fort Of The Daft Woman, Spike And The Looney and The Magic Potion.

Alternately searing and serene, Ready For The Storm captures one of Ireland's youngest and most highly talented traditional bands in peak performance.

Featuring Mary Dillon, Dierdre Havlin, Rosie Mulholland, Eoghan O'Brien, Kate O'Brien, Clodagh Warnock, Neil Martin and Dave Early.