Sue Aston review of the Celtic inspired CD Sacred Landscapes

Genius Loci - Cornish composer Sue Aston

Sue Aston CD Reviews White Dragon

Review from 'White Dragon'

by Rowan

"As soon as I began listening to this CD two things were immediately apparent. Firstly, Sue Aston is a classically trained musician. Without wishing to deni-grate the skills of less formally trained musicians, especially many of those in the folk world, in any way, there is a tautness and a discipline which one quickly recognises in a classically trained musicians approach both to the music itself and playing it.

Sue's technical mastery of the violin is absolute and she gives the impression of being able to play with it, as well as simply play it. She teases the listener as much as the instrument itself, there is a relaxed but absolute control in every note, every nuance she draws from it. Secondly, if your idea of Celtic music is the usual (generic) tinkly-tinkly chimes-harp-n-bodhran stuff which usually passes for Celtic music, you won't find it here. On the other hand, readers familiar with the Wycliffe TV series (detective series set in Devon and Cornwall with regular use of megalithic landscapes as settings and employing new-agey or sort-of-paganish characters in its stories from time to time) and its theme and background music are likely to find many of the tracks on this album strangely familiar.

copyright www.geniusloci.co.uk by Phil Aston 1999

As both an occasional visitor to Cornwall and a devotee of the Wycliffe series, I had found the music which accompanied the series to be 'right' and 'true' to my own experiences of the Cornish landscape and had assumed that the series composer had enjoyed similar experiences of it to my own. When I spoke to Sue on the phone about 'Sacred Landscapes', she expressed surprise at the parallels I detected and assured me that she was unaware of the series, let alone familiar with it. She had simply sought to express the landscape of Cornwall and her experience of it and its energies in her own music.

There is something evocatively 'Cornish' about the inspiration in these tracks which transcends by far the usual New Age attempts at creating 'Celtic' music. The tracks range in style and atmosphere from the rollicking folk-rock of 'Beltane Fantasy' to the more lilting and lyrical, if not heart-achingly beautiful, 'Song of the Sun' and 'Bound in Gossamer Threads'. Although devotees of generic 'Celtic' music may disagree, I feel that his album is a real step forward. It's time that paganism was able to generate music more substantial and significant than the aural valium which is churned out as 'Celtic' music for the undemanding masses. I would hope to see them being booked for regional conferences and events up and down the country, if they are, go and see them. You won't be disappointed, and in the mean time buy the CD. It's excellent!"Rowan (Editor)

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