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After being spanked by an irate publicist recently for apparently knowing nothing about the autoharp--criticism which was remarkably accurate--I'll come clean and admit to consulting a dictionary to learn about two of the instruments used by this wonderful folk duo. I'm not sure too many people will fault me for not knowing a bodhran is an Irish goatskin drum. But maybe I should have known a hurdy gurdy is a lutelike instrument played by turning a crank attached to a rosined wheel that scrapes the strings. And now I'd like to see one.

I'll invite William Pint & Felicia Dale to Austin, Texas, if I may see them play bodhran and hurdy gurdy, and guitar and mandolin and tinwhistle. They play in an unusually romantic style. Their vocal harmonies are earthy and appealing.

The eleven songs that comprise When I See Winter Return were refreshingly unfamiliar to me, but for two. I enjoyed the opening number, The January Man. On the surface a lyrical tribute to the cycle of the seasons, it also seemed an apt metaphor for life and aging.

Another highlight of the record was the wistful Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, where Ms. Dale introduced me to the hurdy gurdy. Pint & Dale's rich vocal and instrumental harmonies, their use of ancient instruments, and their warm, medieval style put me in mind of the Irish-inspired Faerie kingdoms of Emma Bull.

The duo capped the record with an inspiring (I want to say haunting, too, but in a good way) rendition of Auld Lang Syne, by the great Scottish poet Robert Burns.

I enjoyed the sweet, peaceful feel of their music, and I appreciated its unique midwinter appeal.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 1999)

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William Pint and Felicia Dale

When I See Winter Return

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Track List