AVALON by Stephanie Bennett

Traditional Welsh, Scots and Irish arrangements and original songs composed and performed by Stephanie Bennett on wire strung Celtic harp, nylon strung Celtic harp, pedal harp and keyboards, accompanied by musicians playing Uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes), pennywhistle, tenor recorder, soprano recorder, flute and cello.

FROM THE MUSICIAN:
"I played lots of different Celtic tunes till I found the ones that really inspired and
moved me and seemed to have something really beautiful and nurturing to say.
When you're working with music that's been played hundreds of times, you want to
honor its timelessness and history yet still give it your own unique, creative stamp.
My original compositions were actually created in and inspired by a trip to Ireland.
I'd taken my tiny harp with me to Ireland so that I could play along with the musicians
in the pubs in Dublin and so that I could use it for spontaneous composing. One day
I climbed up to the top of this 2500 year old stone castle called Steig Fort, in the Ring
of Kerry and wrote Ancient Fortress while contemplating the mystery and timelessness
of this beautiful place and wondering about the kinds of people who had been here before me."

"I want my music to help people shed their everyday worries and frustrations and
connect with a feeling of spiritual, emotional and physical well-being and harmony."
--Stephanie Bennett


NEWS/REVIEWS
"What an awesome album! I run a chiropractic office, and we are constantly looking
for music that will calm our patients, since most are in pain, under stress, or both.
Stephanie's compositions are delightful, and a sedative to our staff on hectic days."
- Russell Ellis, D.C., Northridge, CA

"Gentle waves of music bathe and buoy your being. An excellent tool for the release
of stress and tension.
- Lance Steinberg, M.D., Psychiatrist

"The CD Avalon is intoxicating, it goes without saying that Stephanie Bennett takes
her rightful place with the best with this effort. Her sounds are beautifully plucked,
Eric Rigler, as always, compliments with that rare sensitivity coupled with a flawless
technique and Susan Winsberg rounds out the melody players with her haunting
whistles, the combination leaving me totally relaxed. A real gem."
- Ken O'Malley, Irish singer and Musical Director of the Celtic Arts Center

"Stress kills! This is why it is important to take time out from your busy day and spend
a few moments in relaxation. And listening to good music is a popular way to do this.
Of course, some music works better at helping us to relaxation than others. Avalon,
by Stephanie Bennett, is one such album.
There is something about the harp and the instrumentation in this album that is not
only calming, but opens up a deeper emotional place. The pieces, based upon
traditional Celtic songs, are often hauntingly beautiful. Together, the openness of
the form, the lyrical melodies and the choice of instruments work to bring about a
calm, relaxed, meditative feeling.
Whenever I have this album playing, people spontaneously comment and ask who
it's by. I now have an instrumental relaxation tape that I can recommend to our clients.
- Marc Wilmes-Reitz, Ph.D, Director, Wilmes-Reitz Psychological Group,
Calabasas, CA

"AVALON soothes the heart and inspires the soul with the pure tones of harp played
by an inspired musician. We've recommended this CD by Stephanie Bennett many,
many times for our customers and clients looking for stress relief. As a harp teacher,
I also recommend it to my students as an example of the heartfelt music one can
create with this noble instrument."
-- Kate Mucci, Co-Host and producer Out There Television

Avalon, Celtic Music for Relaxation, consists of seven slow-paced traditional melodies
from Irish, Scottish, and Welsh sources, and two compositions written by Stephanie
Bennett. Her compositions are written in a traditional style, and fit well with the
traditional tunes. I particularly liked The Mossy Bower, which had a Scottish feel to it.
Stephanie Bennett played the tunes on a variety of harps: nylon-strung Celtic harp,
wire-strung Celtic harp and pedal harp. Ms. Bennett’s arrangements are creative and
interesting. Most of the tunes are played in classical pedal style harp arrangements
with rolled chords in the melody and full bass chords or slow arpeggios.
Although harp is prominent on nearly every tune, the accompanying instruments
add a complimentary balance to the harp. I particularly enjoyed the combination of
the wire-strung harp and Uilleann (Irish) pipes on the first tune, The Boatman. Other
tracks add cello, electronic keyboard, whistle, recorders, and flutes, which provide a
soothing accompaniment to harp.

Listening to Avalon did have a relaxing effect on me. I tested it by listening to it
several times at work when I was feeling stressed. I found that I relaxed physically,
and my thinking slowed down. Stephanie Bennett’s harp playing was impeccable,
and the recording quality of the CD was excellent. Avalon was very enjoyable to listen
to, and would make an excellent addition to the relaxation section of a CD collection.
-- Folk Harp Journal,   Winter 2002 “Harpsounds”   by Mary Ann Fricko

ABOUT THE MUSICIAN:
Award-winning musician and composer Stephanie Bennett has been called “one of our country’s top harpists” (Hollywood Reporter). Avalon, inspired by Stephanie’s travels to Ireland, includes the original composition, “The Ancient Fortress” which she composed at the top of 2500 year old Steig Fort in the Ring of Kerry with one of her harps while “contemplating the mystery and timelessness of this beautiful place and wondering about the kinds of people who had been here before me.” A native of the Midwest, Stephanie’s passion for the harp and composing music dates back to her childhood. She has been invited to collaborate with many musicians and has performed throughout the world including at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland as well as in France, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Argentina, Ecuador and Costa Rica. An advocate of animal rights, she has rescued many cats from the animal pound. According to Bennett, “nature is where I sense the divine and infinite.”

< back to CD Collection