Gaelic Spirit

Gaelic Spirit offers 52 minutes worth of mostly Irish music filmed at Dublin's Temple Bar in 1996 (with the exception of Sinéad O'Connor's performance at London's Barbican Centre). Program director Dónal Lunny, a musician and record producer himself, introduces the 13 selections here, explaining that the first word in the show's title, “Sult: Spirit of the Music,” means “enjoyment, pleasure, joy, fun.” Lunny, who has played with Planxty, the Bothy Band, and the Moving Hearts, also accompanies a few of the acts on bouzouki and bodhran. Van Morrison starts the proceedings with a country-jazz version of “St. Dominic's Preview” (as he sings in his soulful style, Lunny joins forces with a horn section). While a few numbers don't seem to have much to do with Irish music—such as Emmylou Harris' “Waltz Across Texas Tonight”—they compliment the overall vibe of the other songs that stick closer to the island's roots, including Altan's Gaelic-language “A Stór, a stór, a ghrá.” Arguably, the simplest performances make the biggest impact: O'Connor's stately “She Moved Through the Fair” and Elvis Costello's elegiac “Little Palaces” are both presented with carefully controlled vocals and sparse guitar accompaniment. Other participants include Sinéad Lohan, Mark Knopfler, Christy Moore, Eddi Reader, Sharon Shannon, and violinist Nollaig Casey. Presented in LPCM stereo, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)