The Chieftains
The Chieftains 4
Album · Worldwide · 1973
On this early gem, The Chieftains combine the spirit of a great pub session with the impeccable technique of a small orchestra. The familiar reel "Drowsy Maggie" becomes a showcase for virtuoso fiddle and whistle solos, and "Women of Ireland" (later the theme for Kubrick's Barry Lyndon) is the sweetest of airs. This album marks the arrival of Derek Bell's lilting harp and a more ambitious sense of arrangement: "The Battle of Aughrim" is their first instrumental suite, stringing traditional pieces together to tell a larger story.