Dancer produced by Donal Lunny (1994)

Dancer  was produced by the legendary Irish producer Donal Lunny - former Planxty and Bothy Band musician, who came to Australia to produce this, his first Australian recording.
We were joined in the recording studio by Planxty colleague Andy Irvine.

The music was recorded and mixed by Doug Brady who has twice won the Australian Recording Industry Award (ARIA) "Australian Engineer of the Year" award.

Reviews

"Dancer , produced by the redoubtable Donal Lunny, adroitly balances tunes ancient and modern, filling the new with past cadences and the old with contemporary cues...a formidable ensemble that moves easily between folk, contemporary and classical genres ...irresistible...enchanting."
Mike Daly - The AGE, (Melbourne) Australia

"A new disc which has haunted the CD player for the past couple of weeks is Dancer from Melbourne band Maireid. The band, put together by singer Maireid Sullivan, combines traditional Celtic music with a contemporary approach. The recording is a mix of traditional songs and those written by Sullivan, which also have a Celtic flavour.

"It is a recording with moments of utter beauty and layers of understated instrumentation. Maireid's distinctive voice weaves through the textures. The band is basically violin, guitar, keyboards and percussion, augmented for the recording session by several others, including piper Dicky Deegan, Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny, who also handled the production. His sensitivity to contemporary Irish music can be heard throughout, although it is the band which provides the bulk of he ideas and arrangements.

"Two tracks which stand out are Feeling Wings and The Sally Gardens. Feeling Wings sets words to a traditional tune that has had me humming for more than a week. The Sally Gardens is a well-known song, but this arrangement combines the song and the reel of the same name, with a feel like that of Planksty. Bouzoukis and mandolas set a rhythmic foundation through the song for the fiddle and the whistle to take over for the reel.
The CD is distributed by Mushroom Distribution, and it is well worth a listen."
Graham McDonald - Canberra Times, 15 Sept. 1994

"Yet another remarkable Australian-made record is Dancer  by Maireid Sullivan...the musicians include some of Australia's best....But it's Maireid Sullivan who takes center stage, with one of those gloriously sweet voices that reminds you of Enya until you realize that Sullivan doesn't need fleets of multi-track recorders to get her effects....To achieve that extra touch of greatness Dancer  makes full use of the accompanying musicians....Congratulations to everybody who contributed to Dancer.
Bruce Gillespie - The Melburnian

"Her originals make her something different. Sullivan happily admits a pop sensibility, so her songs have a lighter touch...a contemporary side with an acceptance, even an affection for an urban life. Sullivan...manages to cross some musically fascist boundaries....It is definitely music of sincerity and quality."
Ross Clelland - Drum Media, (Sydney) Australia

"There is something hypnotic about this disc. Perhaps it's my Celtic ancestry....Music that dances."
Kim Lockwood - Herald Sun, (Melbourne) Australia

"...a woman to be reckoned with,...one name you will be hearing again and again when people talk about upbeat, innovative and stylistic Celtic music... Empowerment blended with sensuality, Mairéid fulfills the need for just enough traditional Celtic music in Dancer, while adding her more contemporary compositions, all with a considerable pop sensibility. A treasure."
Sirona Knight, Magical Blend, California

"Mairéid is capable of translating her music into a joyous musical adventure which speaks simultaneously of Ireland's past, it's hope for the new millennium and the artist's own belief in the promise of love and our right to be worthy of happiness"
Ben Kettlewell, Alternate Music Press

"One of the aspects that comes across clearly when listening to the entire collection of her music is how talented and original Mairéid is as a songwriter. Enchanting and fascinating songs....How thrilled I was to hear them so perfectly sung here. I play this CD softly as I'm falling into sleep...then I know myself to be loved eternally."
Maureen Williams, Keltic Fringe, Pennsylvania

 "She can sound sultry. - sweet - playful - wistful, or etheric... the listener can feel why some songs still have the power to pull on your heartstrings hundreds of years after they were first sung...."
Dan Liss, Aquarius Magazine, Georgia

"First there was Enya, then Loreena McKennit, and now Maireid Sullivan brings it on home with her debut solo CD....Sullivan bravely and with delicate sensitivity presents her contemporary Celtic pop-fusion originals alongside fresh arrangements of traditional Celtic repertoire. With the poise of an elder and the delight of a maiden, this sparkling singer mesmerizes us."
GH, Napra Review, Washington

"Singer/Songwriter Maireid Sullivan spreads her light to the world through the medium of Celtic Music. In her first album, Dancer , she blends a combination of traditional and original tunes in a seamless flow....The lyrics are infused with a Celtic spirit and the universal philosophies of love and freedom. At a time of re-emerging Celtic culture, we are reminded that "the roots of history and memory are buried deep in song." She sings with a voice filled with passion, mystery and wisdom. She sings of creating a better world, shaping our tomorrow. Reaching for the music of the spheres, with nature as an anchor, she reminds us that life is a dance and we are the dancer."
Kevin Maxwell - Music Manager, The Bodhi Tree Bookstore, Los Angeles

"...a collection worth hearing. Elegantly crafted ethnic Celtic folk par excellence."
John O'Regan - Rock 'N' Reel, Limerick Ireland, 4 Oct. 1995

"...I feel in a way that I know you better by reading your Personal Thoughts and reflections, and it gives the music more depth. Music is such a powerful medium of communication. Just saying I loved the Cd was just not enough. There is so much more to it. There in lies the true feeling. The music and song were not just words and notes but a space in time.
That is how I feel about your music. The song Colour Me exemplifies that feeling all too well. We must have within us the energy of the ages, those ancient ideas and images. The song Time shares that thought. So my love for Celticism continues to grow, the seed that has so long been within me has been nurtured by your music. I dearly am fond of She Moves Through the Fair, Waly Waly, Connamara Cradle Song, Sally Gardens and Dancer. Thank you for your music. It has found me at a moment in time where I was both moved and excited by its offering and its energy."
- Lindsey Fisher, Fayetteville, North Carolina, February 5, 1996

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