Powerful songs inspired by the life and fate of Georg Elser (1904-1945): a musical memorial to the man who almost stopped Hitler. In 1939, Georg Elser failed in his assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler and was murdered for it on April 9, 1945, in the Dachau concentration camp. More than eight decades later, Michael Moravek (one of the most poetic representatives of English-language Americana songwriting from Germany) has dedicated an extraordinary work to him: GEORG - Songs of Courage and Humanity, and the question of attitude in dark times. Moravek, together with his band Electric Traveling Show, succeeds in giving Elser a voice and, at the same time, making the songs shine with a drastic topicality that could not be more contemporary. Together with his virtuoso band, he creates sparkling Americana folk rock with jazzy nuances and poetic, sober lyrics.
Reaching number one on both the Billboard and Amazon charts, The Wexford Carols stars celebrated Irish singer Caitriona O'Leary alongside Grammy winners Sir Tom Jones, Rosanne Cash, and Rhiannon Giddens, backed by an all-star band. Produced by four-time Grammy winner Joe Henry, the album presents Ireland's greatest Christmas music-much of it recorded for the very first time-through a magical blend of traditional Irish, Americana, Blues, and Gospel. With lyrics by Luke Waddinge and William Devereux set to popular 17th- and 18th-century tunes, these musically sublime, spiritually rich, and emotionally powerful carols offer listeners a fresh and compelling way to experience the story of Christmas. Reaching number one on both the Billboard and Amazon charts, The Wexford Carols stars celebrated Irish singer Caitriona O'Leary alongside Grammy winners Sir Tom Jones, Rosanne Cash, and Rhiannon Giddens, backed by an all-star band. Produced by four-time Grammy winner Joe Henry, the album presents Ireland's greatest Christmas music-much of it recorded for the very first time-through a magical blend of traditional Irish, Americana, Blues, and Gospel. With lyrics by Luke Waddinge and William Devereux set to popular 17th- and 18th-century tunes, these musically sublime, spiritually rich, and emotionally powerful carols offer listeners a fresh and compelling way to experience the story of Christmas.
Ménestrel-the Canadian early music ensemble of soprano-violinist Janelle Lucyk and tenor-lutenist Kerry Bursey-mix ancient repertoire with Canadian oral folk traditions. In an age defined by acceleration and artifice, their debut album, Ménestrel, reaches backward, not to escape the modern world, but to examine it's emotional roots. They gather songs drawn from several centuries and traditions, from the luminous melancholy of John Dowland to the ardent intimacy of Barbara Strozzi, from the refined contours of French Renaissance chanson to the rugged sincerity of Celtic and English folk ballads. The name ménestrel refers to the medieval minstrel, a musician who moved between written and oral traditions and carried songs across regions and generations. Janelle and Kerry draw on that lineage as they bring early music and folk repertoire into close conversation. Their approach highlights the continuity between these traditions, focusing on clarity, text, and the shared expressiveness that links courtly song with vernacular melody. Formed in 2019, Ménestrel bridges historical performance and Canadian oral folk traditions, and the ensemble has given performances and collaborated with singers and choirs in all of Canada's 13 provinces and territories. Janelle Lucyk is a singer and producer among an emerging generation of Canadian artists specializing in early music and historically informed performance, taking ideas from conception to the stage. Kerry Bursey is a tenor and plucked string instrumentalist whose voice is appreciated for it's luminous quality, and as a sought-after lutenist, he is also invested in the rare practice of self-accompaniment in early and folk music of northwestern traditions. Their concerts aim to demystify early music, juxtaposing it next to folk songs, which are songs of the people.
In this recording, Brú explores repertoire from the folk dance and song heritage of Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Traditional tunes are blended with musical elements as diverse as baroque, contemporary, and a pinch of heavy metal. Tales about magical beings, spells, hope, and deceit unfold against the alluring backdrop of Nordic nature. The contrast between life and death, love and despair, is sometimes resolved tragically, but at other times with a more humorous, down-to-earth outlook.
Strange Wonders, The Wexford Carols, Vol. II is the follow-up to the #1 Billboard and Amazon charting The Wexford Carols (2014), hailed by The Irish Times as "The Wexford Carols as they have never been heard before." Produced by celebrated Grammy-winning producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon, Ray LaMontagne) and led by renowned Irish singer/arranger Caitriona O'Leary, this new recording offers an intimate, spiritual, and mystical journey through eleven rarely-heard carols from Ireland's cherished Christmas tradition. The album features a world-class ensemble, including Alison Balsom (trumpet), Stile Antico (choir), Seth Lakeman, Clara Sanabras, John Smith, Olov Johansson, Simone Collavechi, Deirdre O'Leary, Mel Mercier, John Hearne, and Ethan Johns himself. Drawing on 17th-18th century Wexford carol traditions and blending early music, folk, and classical styles, Strange Wonders illuminates familiar moments of the Christmas story alongside rarely sung carols to saints of the Twelve Days. This moving collection brings Ireland's greatest Christmas music to life for today's audiences in a timeless new way.
