Robin Huw Bowen
Old Hearth
Marquis, 2000 (Originally released on Sain, 1999)

Robin Huw Bowen is one of the stars of the Welsh traditional music scene, both within Wales and beyond. Bowen has devoted the past 20 years to studying the Welsh triple harp and its repertoire, then disseminating this knowledge through concerts, recordings and publications. He has worked as both a solo musician and as a member of a parade of influential bands including Mabsant, Cusan Tân and Crasdant.

The harp is the most important instrument in the Welsh tradition (apart from the voice, of course). While the tradition goes back about a millenium, triple harps became prominent only in the 17th century (the "triple" refers to the three rows of strings, two parallel rows of similar pitch with a row of accidentals between them).

Old Hearth, Bowen's fifth solo album, is a collection designed "to banish the damp, and smooth away stress." It features the calm precision of fine harp playing with 10 tracks of pastoral beauty. Old Hearth combines traditional material with some contemporary pieces and an original set. Bowen's technical prowess emphasizes the strength of the tunes. Traditional Welsh music survived the ravages of Henry VIII's Act of Union (1536) and the rise of stern Nonconformist religion (18th century onward). With releases like Old Hearth, the tradition should weather quite a few more storms. - Ivan Emke

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