Press Reviews

The Hot Press, May 05

This excellent debut album by London-based singer Helen Roche actually came out at the end of last year, but is too good to bypass for reasons of timeliness alone.

Roche inherited her love of Irish traditional singing from her Liverpudlian father and grandfather, and has a fine dark reedy voice that comes across beautifully on spare arrangements like those here.

A variety of guest musicians feature, from harpist Harriet Earis to Colman Connolly on uilleann pipes and low whistle, guitarists Michael Lempelius and Andy Metcalfe, cellist Richard Bolton, and Conán McDonnell on bodhrán and piano accordion but never more than two at a time, and several tracks are left unaccompanied.

Standouts include The Lisburn Lass, with McDonnell playing a haunting harmonium-like drone on piano accordion, and a lovely harp and cello setting of The Verdant Braes Of Skreen. Sarah McQuaid Eight/Ten

Taplas, The Welsh Folk Magazine

London Irish singer Helen Roche, on the other hand, is a bit of a find and one of the stirs of 2004's Return to Camden Town Festival.

Accompanied simply, but effectively, by west Wales harpist Harriet Earis and piper Coleman Connolly, among others, her repertoire comes mainly from northern singers like Paddy Tunny, Joe Holmes and Geordie Hanna, as well as the Keane sisters of Caherlistrane and her father.

With a voice of similar pitch to Dolores Keane and Niamh Parsons, but sounding like neither of them, her quietly confident delivery reveals that she has already mastered that elusive knack of becoming the conduit of the song, letting if live and breathe unhindered by elaborate ornamentation or syrupy arrangements. She breathes new life into the more well-known in this selection of love songs, like As I Raved Out and The Irish Maid, while Willie-0, the Donegal version of The Lover's Ghost, which she sings unaccompanied, is simply sublime.

I can recommend this CD wholeheartedly! Nick Passmore

www.netrhythms.com

Helen comes from a Liverpool-Irish background; her formative musical years embraced eclectic tastes (including interest in Eastern European singing traditions) and spells as singer-songwriter and rock bassist, but has more recently returned to her roots, spending the past three years gaining an

increasing reputation on the London Irish music scene.

Shake The Blossom Early may well be her debut release, but you wouldn't think it from its level of accomplishment and sheer good taste. It's a collection of love songs from the Irish tradition, many from the north of the country, performed with minimal - yet undeniably effective - accompaniment that allows for a sensible degree of concentration on Helen's considered interpretations of the texts.

The opening Green Grows The Laurel is probably the exception, in that it utilises (juxtaposes) a mazurka in counterpoint to the verses of the song itself; elsewhere, the sparse instrumentation provides just the right amount of complementary aural interest or embellishment where necessary, whether just bodhrán (The Dark-eyed Gypsy) or deft guitar and cello (As I Roved Out) or harp and uilleann pipes (The Irish Maid). Her supporting musicians (Colman Connolly, Harriet Earis, Conán McDonnell, Michael Lempelius, Richard Bolton, and the CD's producer Andy Metcalfe) do a grand job, admirably restrained yet abundantly sympathetic.

Within the context of the simplicity of the arrangements, there are some unusual ideas too, like the use of piano accordion as a drone on The Lisburn Lass. Though there's an attractive lilt to Helen's singing, she never sounds twee or "pretty", for the timbre she achieves is satisfyingly full-bodied.

It may seem a contradiction in terms to say so, but Helen's mastery of unobtrusive decoration within a fairly direct vocal delivery is a notable feature of her singing style - of the three unaccompanied tracks here, her rendition of Lovely Annie (learnt from the singing of Paddy Tunney) perhaps provides best evidence of this.

Helen's a singer with genuine responsiveness to the texts; hers is an enchanting presence, and your 50 minutes will be well spent in her company.

This is a very lovely album, one of whose selling-points could well be its quality as an antidote for those who prefer to avoid the prettified tones of the "Mike Harding babes". David Kidman

The Irish World 3.12.04

For the past three years, Helen Roche has been lighting up the London Irish music scene and now following much persuasion from her fellow

musicians has recorded this album of 13 tracks. Why did it take her so long?

This is a collection of love songs from the Irish tradition, Roche's voice is incredible- emotive and stirring. The collection of songs are very traditional yet given arranged thoughtfully by Roche.

'Shake the Blossoms Early' is obviously a very personal album for Roche as it is her first and she explains each song in the cover and where she first came across each song, highlighting the beauty behind traditional music in that it is a constant chain. As she explains the fourth song on the album 'As I Roved Out,'" This I learned from my father. He learned it from Planxty, who learned it from Paddy Tunnery, who learned it from his mother Brigid."

Helen grew up in England and Mid Wales, and inherited her singing from her father, Jules and grandfather Bill, both of Liverpool.

She has already had a broad musical career delving into other music cultures before returning firmly to her Irish roots.

Including a number of different musicians and instruments with the harp, low whistle, piano accordion, cello and guitar this is varied album yet very true to traditional Irish ballad singing.

Roche has already garnered interest from her live performances at the Ennis Trad festival, Willie Clancy Week in Miltown Malbay, and the Liverpool Irish Festival, as well as sessions around London, so now this album will continue and grow on that.

A hugely promising recording start for an already popular live musician. Tara McWeeney

www.irishmusicreview.com

this thoroughly gorgeous, fulfilling and utterly essential album. Shake the Blossom Early is a consummate delight. Geoff Wallis

Pay The Reckoning 26.10.04

We've known Roche for some time, our paths crossing at this and that session where, when the ebb and flow of the nights' proceedings have

reached an appropriate spell, Helen has regaled the assembled musicians and punters with her beautifully intense songs of love lost and love

gained, of hearts lifted and broken by love. Few singers have Roche's ability to demand a gathering's complete attention; to quieten even the

most rowdy of pubs and then to fill the space with a swell of sound.

The launch of Helen's album is a gear-shift; time to bring her voice and her vision to a wider audience. They won't be disappointed. Helen's exceptional way with song may be well-known to a select few at the time of writing, but Pay The Reckoning predicts that by this time next year, there'll be few afficionados of traditional song who won't have been charmed by Helen's CD.

There is a delicacy about Helen's singing which underscores the often savage emotion of the songs which she favours. An inspired collector,

Helen has zeroed in on songs which suit her perfectly, from Dobbin's Flowery Vale where raw feelings are masked in an outpouring of euphemisms

as florid as Dobbin's Vale itself to Willie O, whose unflinching directness is heart-scalding. Along the way, Helen treats us to some of the top-drawer standards of the Irish tradition - The Verdant Braes of Skreen, Green Grows The Laurel, When A Man's In Love and I Wish My Love amongst others.

Equally top-drawer are Helen's backing musicians, Harriet Earis (harp), Colman Connolly (pipes), Conan McDonnell (bodhran, accordion), Michael Lempelius (guitar, bouzouki), Richard Bolton (cello) and Andy Metcalfe ( the album's producer on guitar). The arrangements are subtle and sympathetic, always adding to and never distracting from Helen's central role in the endeavour.

We've watched this CD develop from the sidelines - at times, here and there, receiving snippets about progress.

Many of Helen's friends in London and,indeed, across the world have fretted with Helen during the gestation. Well, we're pleased to report that the wait's been well worth it!

But the waiting's over and the end result is a credit to all concerned but particularly to Helen. Well done, girl ... now, let's see what happens!

Helen grew up in England and Mid Wales, and inherited her singing from her father Jules and grandfather Bill, both of Liverpool. Eclectic musical tastes led to a spell performing as a singer-songwriter, and as bass player in a rock band. She also pursued an interest in the Bosnian, Sephardic and Yiddish song traditions, before returning to her roots in the Irish tradition. Her performances have enthralled session audiences, including those at the Ennis Trad Festival, Willie Clancy Week in Miltown Malbay, and the Liverpool Irish Festival, as well as sessions around London, where she now lives.

Helen performs next at the Liverpool Irish Festival on October 30th & 31st, and the Ennis Trad Festival, Co. Clare,11th - 15th November

The musicians: Harriet Earis (harp) and Colman Connolly (uilleann pipes & low whistle) are members of the band Siansa, and also perform as a duo, Luasca. Colman teaches at the London Piper's Club.

Michael Lempelius (Guitar and bouzouki) has played in numerous bands in Germany and the UK, and has toured with harmonica player Brendan Power.

Conán McDonnell (piano accordion & bodhrán) is a well-known and dynamic player in sessions in Belfast, London, and festivals everywhere, from County Clare to the Catskills.

Andy Metcalfe (guitar) is an accomplished professional musician and producer, who has performed

and recorded with a huge variety of artists including David Gray, Glenn Tilbrook, Sandy Shaw, Nick Harper and Debbie Harry - more recently turning to flatpick bluegrass guitar and swing.

Renowned as a jazz, blues and folk guitarist and cellist, Richard Bolton (cello) has worked with a

broad range of performers, including June Tabor, Maddy Prior, Pete Cooper, Willard White, and bluesman Billy Jenkins, and has also been involved in numerous film scores and theatre projects.