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Chieftains on Film: Galway's Celtic Folk

MOST NORTH AMERICANS were introduced to the Chieftains by Stanley Kubrick's 1975 film, "Barry Lyndon." The liveliest aspect of this slow-moving look at 18th-century Ireland was the Oscar-winning soundtrack, which was dominated by the Irish folk band's exuberant dance tunes. That initial success led to many more movie offers for the Chieftains, and those opportunities prompted some of the band's best work. Now 18 selections of the Chieftains' movie music have been collected into the new anthology, "Film Cuts."

Most of it has not been available on audio recordings before. Even "Love Theme," a lovely fiddle air and the lone selection from "Barry Lyndon," was not included on the original soundtrack album. "Rob Roy" is represented by a traditional march; "Circle of Friends" by two Michael Kamen compositions performed by the Chieftains; "Far and Away" by a John Williams composition also played by the Chieftains. At the heart of the collection, though, are eight tunes composed and arranged by Moloney for the 1990 Charlton Heston TV movie, "Treasure Island." Recorded by the Chieftains with a full orchestra, these short pieces combine sea-shanty motifs with the band's usual Celtic folk forms and the symphonic sweep of most soundtracks. Also represented is music from "Tristan and Isolde," "The Grey Fox" and "Ireland Moving," all of it composed by Moloney.

When the Chieftains play with the classical flutist James Galway, he brings out the chamber-music qualities in their playing and they bring out the Celtic folk strains in his. "The Celtic Minstrel," a new anthology of Galway's Irish folk playing features five collaborations with the Chieftains, most of them from their 1990 album together, "Over the Sea to Skye." On these the interplay between Matt Molloy's wooden flute and Galway's metal instrument creates a fascinating dialogue. This retrospective also features Galway playing folk melodies solo, and with keyboardist Tom Kochan, harpist Emily Mitchell, guitarist Joe Taylor and various chamber groups.

THE CHIEFTAINS -- "Film Cuts" (RCA Victor).

JAMES GALWAY -- "The Celtic Minstrel" (RCA Victor).