Celtic Wedding

Brittany, in western France, is an ancient Celtic homeland whose language and music are closely related to those of Wales and Cornwall. And although Breton folklorist Polig Monjarret only jokingly suggested that the Chieftains do a Breton album, they did just that. Celtic Wedding remains one of their finest outings. Breton music is subtle when compared to Irish, Scottish, and Welsh music, with complex rhythms, rich harmonies, and spin-on-a-dime call-and-response refrains. The venerable Irish sextet seems refreshed and exhilarated by the cross-pollination. Local musicians sit in, playing the bombarde (a notoriously bad-tempered oboe) and biniou (Breton bagpipes), and singing in the Breton language, which is making a strong comeback after long years of repression. --Christina Roden