Mist & Stone is definitely a good choice for the hammered dulcimer lover. Most of the tunes feature the dulcimer prominently, but it is rarely a solo instrument and the arrangements are what you would normally expect from Sansone -- absolutely outstanding. The Celtophile will probably love the selection of tunes, which are all strictly traditional. Although Sansone's most recent recordings often have been labeled "new age," this one isn't. While it may be boring for the Irish or Scottish traditionalist, it's relaxing and engaging without being ethereal and supernatural.

The CD starts out with a deliberate rendition of a relatively slow but driving tune called "Spancil Hill." The listener hears only hammered dulcimer -- other instrumentation is added gradually, but always behind the dulcimer. The second tune, also a slow air called "Foggy Dew," begins with the harp as lead instrument, later joined by the dulcimer in a more supporting role, and then moves on to feature pennywhistle as lead instrument. Moving along, the third cut is "The Halting March/Knocknagow Jig," a medley starting with spare melody on hammered dulcimer on the first tune, and finally picking up the pace in the second tune, adding cittern, violin and bodhran.

Back to a slow, melodic haunting air with O'Carolan's "Captain O'Kane." Again, the piece starts of with harp to set the tone and is accented marvelously with viola da gamba, and the violin taking a melody turn as well. Sansone has paired this tune with the stately march "Down the Brae," and I have to wonder why. There's no bridge, no smooth transition between the two. She completely stops one and starts the other. Other than being in the same key, there's nothing that speaks to why these songs belong together on the same cut -- one is an Irish air and the other a Scottish march. "Captain O'Kane" by itself is almost five minutes long. "Down the Brae" would have been better paired with another tune or left as a single cut.

Although the majority of the first cuts on the CD are slow tunes, there are several livelier tunes later on, such as "Killarney Boys of Pleasure," a reel of moderate tempo, which picks up in the next tune of the medley, "Bag of Spuds" and finishes with an energetic "The Sailor's Return." "Maid at the Spinning Wheel/The Ballykeal Jig" is a pair of jigs that, along with "New Rigged Ship/Shelder Geo/Sleep Soond Ida Moarnin'," a set of three reels, display the highest level of energy on the whole recording. Although mandolin, cittern and bass join in the jigs, the dulcimer always leads. In the reels, concertina and violin share the honor while dulcimer takes a back seat.

The cover of this CD is somewhat misleading. It says, "Mist & Stone, Maggie Sansone, hammered dulcimer." However, all the selections feature quite talented accompanying musicians on many other instruments, including Sue Richards on Celtic harp, Robin Bullock on guitar, cittern, violin, mandolin, bass and synthesizer, Wendy Morrison on pennywhistle, concertina and accordion, Myron Bretholz on bodhran and Carolyn Surrick on viola da gamba.

- Rambles
written by Alanna Berger
published 17 May 2003

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