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Editorial Reviews

Ever since the glorious bass-baritone Bryn Terfel burst upon the opera scene -- his 1994 Met debut was such big news The New York Times gave it front-page coverage -- music lovers have been wondering where such a truly magnificent voice came from. Well, here's the answer. Terfel's Welsh album is that rare thing, a completely satisfying and uncorny crossover effort by a great artist, paying genuine tribute to his roots. For the Welsh, singing is more than just an art -- it's their national heritage, perhaps the only thing the English left them besides slag heaps. As the liner notes by Brian Davies state, not much remains of Welsh music from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The saving grace of the nation's lyric muse was a men's choral tradition that blossomed in the green hills of Wales. (One thing about singing in your native tongue: Your oppressors are not likely to realize you're talking about them. Check out the lyrics to "Men of Harlech"!) We'll Keep a Welcome is a collection of chiefly traditional songs of the 19th and 20th centuries, ranging from the stirring national anthem to the luscious lullaby "Suo-Gân" to the irresistible "Cwm Rhondda." Accompanied by two fine male choruses and the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera, Terfel has chosen songs near to his heart, and it shows. The two great virtues in Welsh music are hwyl and hiraeth -- fervor and longing -- and Terfel is clearly a master of both of these. Emily King, Barnes & Noble

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