Track Listing

1. Reel Around The Sun - Maire Breatnach, David Spillane, Mairtin O'Connor, Kenneth Edge, Nikola Parov, Eoghan O'Neill, Tommy Hayes, Des Reynolds, Noel Eccles, Des Moore
2. The Heart's Cry - Anúna, Michael McGlynn, Sara Clancy
3. The Countess Cathleen / Women Of The Sidhe - Maire Breatnach, David Spillane, Mairtin O'Connor, Kenneth Edge, Nikola Parov, Eoghan O'Neill, Tommy Hayes, Des Reynolds, Noel Eccles, Des Moore
4. Caoineadh Cu Chulainn - Davey Spillane
5. Shivna - Davey Spillane, Anúna, Michael McGlynn, Tommy Hayes, Des Reynolds
6. Firedance - Maire Breatnach, David Spillane, Mairtin O'Connor, Kenneth Edge, Nikola Parov, Eoghan O'Neill, Tommy Hayes, Des Reynolds, Noel Eccles, Des Moore, Rafael Riqueni
7. Slip Into The Spring - Maire Breatnach, David Spillane, Mairtin O'Connor, Kenneth Edge, Des Reynolds, Noel Eccles, Des Moore
8. Riverdance - Bill Whelan
9. American Wake (The Nova Scotia Set) - David Spillane, Mairtin O'Connor, Kenneth Edge, Nikola Parov, Eoghan O'Neill, Des Reynolds, Noel Eccles, Des Moore, Eileen Ivers
10. Lift The Wings - Aine Ui Cheallaigh, Davey Spillane
11. Macedonian Morning - Nikola Parov, Kenneth Edge
12. Marta's Dance / The Russian Dervish - Maire Breatnach, David Spillane, Mairtin O'Connor, Kenneth Edge, Nikola Parov, Tommy Hayes, Noel Eccles, Des Moore
13. Andalucia - Kenneth Edge, Nikola Parov, Eoghan O'Neill, Des Moore, Rafael Riqueni, Juan Reina Gonzalez, Bill Whelan
14. Home And The Heartland - Anúna, Michael McGlynn, Katie McMahon
15. The Harvest - David Spillane, Mairtin O'Connor, Kenneth Edge, Nikola Parov, Eoghan O'Neill, Des Reynolds, Noel Eccles, Des Moore, Eileen Ivers, David Hayes
16. Riverdance Remix - The Riverdance Orchestra

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10267 in Music
• Released on: 1999-06-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Special Edition, Soundtrack
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .22 pounds
• Running time: 72 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Based on Irish folk dancing styles, Riverdance was originally devised as a 20-minute intermission entertainment for the Eurovision Song Contest. There, its phenomenal reception inspired composer Bill Whelan to expand the piece into a full-length stage show, still centred around Irish music, but now telling a loose story of many different peoples who in the twentieth century have found themselves émigrés. The paradoxically formal yet expressive, sensual and exhilarating energy of traditional Irish dance and Irish folk music is only the beginning. A work full of strong melodies, excitement, romantic dreams and nostalgic longing, the full Riverdance show is a spellbinding spectacle. Complete with orchestra, Bill Whelan brings influences from Irish classical music, incorporates the haunting sound of vocal group Anuna, and adds the diverse folk sounds of Nova Scotia, Macedonia, Russia and Andalucia to his rich cultural melting pot. Playing on the album are some of the finest folk musicians around, including piper Davy Spillane and Eileen Ivers on fiddle. The result is not just a tuneful souvenir of a great stage show, but a most enjoyable release in its own right. Bill Whelan has also worked on the soundtrack for Rob Roy, and composed The Seville Suite and The Spirit of Mayo. --Gary S. Dalkin

Customer Reviews

Music can't get any better than this
Riverdance, is one of the greatest CDs I am proud to have. There is something for everyone on it. It's beats and melodies are amazing. The title theme which doesn;t appear until track 8 is breathtaking with the haunting voice before the rythmic furore of the show's climax.

Bill Whelan has surpassed himself the use of Irish traditional music and other styles including Spanish gives the album such definition it represents the best of Ireland, and best of the music establishment.

Pure Genius!

Highly recommended!
[One CD, with a running time of 73:06 minutes.] This CD is the soundtrack of the fabulous show, Riverdance, which alone makes it a must-have. But even outside of that, the music is superb, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys listening to Irish music. The paperwork included with the CD has a list of the tunes, along with the credits, as well as the words to all of the songs (including the one in Gaelic!).

I really enjoyed this CD and highly recommend it!

This is what Irish music should be like.
The show redefined Irish dance - gone were the straight backed, prim and proper styles which came into force with the prudish 20th century. This was dancing filled with passion, a celebration of life. The album, too, captures this feeling exquisitely. Let it play, and you'll physically feel your heart thumping and the hairs standing on the back of your neck. It is vibrant and radiating, a testament to the culture which gave birth to this music in its truest form. If you've seen the show, you'll know what I'm talking about and won't be able to resist this album. If you haven't, do yourself a favour and buy this album NOW. It's not quite the same as seeing the show live, but it's an excellent start.