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I Can See the Gates of Heaven...: Hungarian Religious And Secular Songs

Mrta Sebestyn
1 disc

1. Vision: I Have Walked on Mountains and Valleys/Mary's Lullaby
2. Heritage: Overtone Chanting/Sola Wujestet/A Lovely Hill Turns Blue/The Clouds Are Blowing
3. Flower Gatherers
4. Driving Away Sorrow: If You Too, Laci.../'Goat-like' Dance
5. Invocation: Oh Saint Stephen/Don't Let Me Fall, Almighty God
6. Valiant Knights: Rare Hungarian Dance Melody/Farewell to the Reigning Prince/Jumping Dance/Hey Rkczi, Bercsnyi, Bezerdi/The Nationalist Soldier Is Pure, His Wife a Pearl/Heyduck Dance/Jumping Dance
7. Good King Matthias: Good King Matthias/Troubadour Melody/Couple Dance
8. Evening Prayer: Kyrie/The Shining Sun Has Already Gone to Rest/Gloria
9. [CD-ROM Track]
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 50009
Credits

Producer Lszl Nagy
Engineer Jnos Horvth
Personnel: Mrta Sebestyn (vocals, tin whistle, drums); Mtys Bolya (zither); Szokolay Dong Balzs (bagpipe, tarogato, saxophone).
Audio Mixer: Jnos Horvth.
Liner Note Authors: Ferenc Sebo; Mrta Sebestyn.
Photographers: Zoltn Vancs; Gyrgy Szomjas; Rbert Lszl Bcsi; Lszl Perger.
Translator: Laurence Quinnell.
Mrta Sebestyn is best known for her work with Muzsiks as well as for her contribution to the soundtrack of The English Patient, but the Hungarian singer has released a number of solo discs. This is a very worthy addition to her canon. With Sebestyn accompanied by two multi-instrumentalists on a range of instruments (eight of them) as well as her own whistle and drum playing, this is far less stripped-down than it might seem. There's a fullness to her singing and to the arrangements that makes these songs leap out of the speakers. The music is a mix of secular and religious songs from Sebestyn's homeland, all traditional and largely kept alive by the oral tradition. These versions do offer a reinvention of sorts, taking them out of their old, largely a cappella context, but they keep close to the raw heart of the material, finding the sharp beauty of the songs. It's been too long since Mrta Sebestyn issued a disc, so that makes this glittering return doubly welcome. ~ Chris Nickson