 |
||
|
||
|
Every once in a great while a project comes along that is a perfect embodiment of the sprit of Maine. This CD is one of those rare projects. It combines the voice and music of Maine's master singer/songwriter David Mallett with excerpts from Henry David Thoreau's collection of essays THE MAINE WOODS. Mallett's original compositions to accompany and frame the readings are so perfectly matched to the text that once heard, it's hard to imagine the text without the music. In three trips to the Maine wilderness in the mid-eighteen hundreds, Thoreau traveled up the Penobscot River to Greenville, down the West Branch of the Penobscot, and climbed Mr. Katahdin. His essays about the wild land, the lives of the people who inhabited it, and the value of this remote and inspiring vastness are credited by many with inspiring the environmental movement that continues to this day. He was a keen observer and a gifted writer, making THE MAINE WOODS a true classic. David Mallet was born in Dover-Foxcroft. He grew up exploring the same wilderness area that Thoreau visited and he often brought that experience to his music over 30 years as a singer and songwriter. This project let him go even more deeply into that love of place. The acoustic pieces he composed for this work are sprightly and dramatic, subtle and serene by turns, much like the waters that flow through the wilderness itself. And like those waters the music flows around the words, perfectly partnering the flow of the narrative journey. Part history lesson, part travelogue, part social commentary, this CD gives a unique view of Maine's great north woods. And as that wilderness area faces the possibility of unprecedented development that unique view is more welcome than ever. Here's a list of the tracks. The tracks go in roughly
chronological order so the listener gets a sense of the rewards and
difficulties of the trip as it progresses. About one hour running time. $17.95
|
|
|
|
||
