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Our Review

Stonecircle bills itself as a "vibrant, five-piece, Celtic-fusion band," and that is a fair description of what Stonecircle delivers on Winter Sky, an album that is more about the winter solstice than is about the Christmas holiday. The music is intimate, uplifting, and distinctly Celtic at its core.

With only 11 tracks spanning nearly an hour, each cut is generous in length and content. One woman (Mary Johnston-Coursey) is the primary vocalist, and her pipes are sparkling clear, warm, and emotive. The numbers are largely traditional Celtic pieces with a few Stonecircle originals. The album mixes magical vocals with intoxicating instrumentals; the music maintains a nice intensity, remaining richly contemplative throughout.

There is much to admire on Winter Sky. My favorite numbers include George Schoemaker's well-crafted Persephone's Dream, the album's longest track. The song centers on an ancient child custody battle that describes the changing seasons; the lovely lyrics (presented in fragile fahion by Johnston-Coursey) and ethereal music are uniformly excellent.

Do not open the Winter Sky CD hoping to find the familiar carols that haunted your youth (and every modern shopping mall). Instead, Stonecircle will let you revel in Celtic discoveries that sooth and sweeten your existence. Stretch out under this sky, and relax.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Stonecircle is:
Krista Baker (violin, flute)
Nina Cooley (flute, percussion, background vocals)
Brian Dobson (Irish whistle, low whistle, Uilleann pipes, bodhran, duck calls)
Mary Johnston-Coursey (vocals, whistle, percussion)
George Schoemaker (12-string guitars, background vocals)

Special Guest Musicians:
Irminsul (Celtic harp, keyboards)
Clive Romney (percussion)
Cyrus Gardner (keyboards on "Persephone's Dream")

Produced by George Schoemaker and Cyrus Gardner

Stonecircle

Winter Sky

Artist link

Track List