Joy Shannon
In The Forest Singing Sorrowless
Royal Tea and Fiadh Productions
The harp is a wonderful instrument that conjures up images of serenity in the minds eye. In the hands of Joy Shannon it takes on almost magical properties. And given that this album is tied closely to the work of JRR Tolkien makes it even more spell binding. The title ‘In The Forest Singing Sorrowless’ is a quote from Tolkien’s poem “Beren and Lúthien”. The lyrics throughout are from Tolkien poetry set to Shannon’s deeply moving music. We even get a guest appearance from the creator of The Lord Of The Rings great grand daughter Ruth Tolkien, herself an accomplished song writer – how cool is that? Also features are Maria Franz (Heilung) and Leila Abdul-Rauf. The album comprises version of songs both with singing and as instrumentals, at all times both work stunningly well. Shannon has captured the mood of the words perfectly with her accompaniment. This is an ethereal, delicate record that lets your mind be at peace with the world. It gives you space to reflect. It is music at its most powerful.
Review by Gary Trueman