Panta Rhei
Celtic and Mediterranean Music for the Harp
Diana Rowan www.sirenharp.com

Lezlie Kinyon

Music clips: http://www.sirenharp.com/pantarhei.html

Beautiful arrangements of meditative works from the Celtic and Mediterranean world.  Diana plays a levered Cithara Nova harp. It is both smaller and more sturdy than a pedal classical style harp.   For a century, harpers have played a certain style evocative of the Baroque period: heavily ornamented, classical pieces associated with the symphony and ballet.  The harp is, in fact, an ancient instrument thought to be the decedent of the bows and arrows used in ancient Mesopotamia. A harp or harp-like instrument can be found in almost every culture the world over, and each culture has developed a unique style.  From the jigs and reels of an Irish wedding, to melodic rhythms of a kora,  to the ethereal beauty of the Welsh triple-stringed harp, to the riffs behind a Celtic-rock band, the harp is a versatile instrument capable of captivating the listener.  Diana Rowan does not disappoint in her debut solo CD, Panta Rhei, she provides the listener with a rich and varied tapestry of music from  the spirited Celtic set Fig for a Kiss / The Butterfly / Drowsy Maggie to the haunting song, When I Open My Eyes, dedicated to "Michael", a friend lost too soon.

-Stay tuned for a review of the Spiral Dance's 30th year, by Lynn Orlando.-