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TORETH "Toreth" Fflach Trad CD265H

Toreth are Gareth Westacott (Fiddle) and Guto Dafis (Button Accordion) who hail from Cardiff where they are well known for their work with various Welsh bands over the years. They have taken a number of the old Welsh tunes that were plundered by the hymn writers of the 19th Century and have re-interpreted them as Folk Dance Melodies. If that sounds a little 'dry'. you are in for a surprise. I approached this CD with similar reservations but perseverance was rewarded with a selection of terrific music and song, with evidence of musical influences from all over Europe. The Breton, Gypsy and Eastern European influences are clear and strong. One tune (enigmatically entitled 'Dol') even has, to my ear, a Klezmer feel to it. These tunes are a delight and the musicianship is superb! Guto's vocals have real depth and quality in the three songs included here. The packaging of this CD is almost entirely in Welsh. As an Englishman living in Wales for the last twenty years I have some understanding of Welsh language issues, but I do feel that a little more English language content would have helped make this CD accessible to the wider audience that it richly deserves to reach. Toreth are much too good for the Welsh to keep to themselves. Seek out this CD if you can.

Phil Thomas

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This album was reviewed in Issue 54 of The Living Tradition magazine.