Stonecircle

Stonecircle bills itself as a "vibrant, five-piece, Celtic-fusion band," and that is a fair description of what Stonecircle delivers on Winter Sky, an album that is more about the winter solstice than is about the Christmas holiday. The music is intimate, uplifting, and distinctly Celtic at its core.

With only 11 tracks spanning nearly an hour, each cut is generous in length and content. One woman (Mary Johnston-Coursey) is the primary vocalist, and her pipes are sparkling clear, warm, and emotive. The numbers are largely traditional Celtic pieces with a few Stonecircle originals. The album mixes magical vocals with intoxicating instrumentals; the music maintains a nice intensity, remaining richly contemplative throughout.

There is much to admire on Winter Sky. My favorite numbers include George Schoemaker's well-crafted Persephone's Dream, the album's longest track. The song centers on an ancient child custody battle that describes the changing seasons; the lovely lyrics (presented in fragile fahion by Johnston-Coursey) and ethereal music are uniformly excellent.

Do not open the Winter Sky CD hoping to find the familiar carols that haunted your youth (and every modern shopping mall). Instead, Stonecircle will let you revel in Celtic discoveries that sooth and sweeten your existence. Stretch out under this sky, and relax.

--Carol Swanson
(Wisconson, Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Stonecircle is:
Krista Baker (violin, flute)
Nina Cooley (flute, percussion, background vocals)
Brian Dobson (Irish whistle, low whistle, Uilleann pipes, bodhran, duck calls)
Mary Johnston-Coursey (vocals, whistle, percussion)
George Schoemaker (12-string guitars, background vocals)

Special Guest Musicians:
Irminsul (Celtic harp, keyboards)
Clive Romney (percussion)
Cyrus Gardner (keyboards on "Persephone's Dream")

Produced by George Schoemaker and Cyrus Gardner
- Christmasreviews.com

Five stars out of Five
With crying whistle and the rounded drive of guitar, the wail of the fiddle and moving vocals, Stonecircle casts a gorgeous melodic light over the holidays with an integrated mix of Celtic style, new age, folk and easy listening. When you're ready to put those Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby albums away for a bit, cleanse your palate with an album which is both sweet and earthy while being vital and energizing at the same time. A truly beautiful holiday disc that will be highly compatible with most musical tastes. - Reviewer: CD Baby

Deseret Morning News, Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Stonecircle enchants crowd

By Rebecca C. Howard

"WINTER SOLSTICE," STONECIRCLE, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Friday.
For most, December means Christmas, but it also means winter solstice — and that's what was celebrated last Friday at a Music in the Box concert.
The concert got off to a terrific start with vocalist Mary Johnston-Coursey and Brian Dobson on bodhran performing a rendition of Mouth Music.
The unusual instrument combination (normally vocals have some sort of harmonic backup rather than just a drum) was both compelling and wonderful.
Johnston-Coursey's vocals remained strong for "Do You Love an Apple?" as the rest of the band joined in, but the two new numbers in the first half weakened, both in terms of energy and quality of performance.
They rallied, however, at the end of the first set for an "Oh, wow" arrangement of "Seven Sleepers/All Souls Night," which included a Fleetwood Mac tune at the end, woven in for good measure.
The second half of the concert was a "Winter Solstice Suite," selections from Stonecircle's recent CD ("Winter Sky"), put together without pauses so that it was one continuous piece. On this, the performers were consistently strong, varying the number and members of the group on each of the pieces so that it flowed nicely and held the listeners' attention.
There were some particularly nice moments with the colorful, textured "Shady Grove" (which featured the entire band), some of Nina Cooley's jazz-flavored solos, and the several numbers that featured Dobson playing the Uilleann pipes.
Dobson also shone on a bodhran solo during an encore, "The Blacksmith."
Stonecircle is made up of Dobson on the Irish whistle, low whistle, Uilleann pipes and bodhran; Johnston-Coursey on vocals, whistle and percussion; George Schoemaker on guitar and background vocals; Krista Baker on the fiddle; and Nina Cooley on the flute, percussion and background vocals.
- Deseret News

I'm often surprised -- in good and bad ways -- with some of the CDs I pick up to review by bands I've never heard before. When Stonecircle's package arrived in my mail, I almost passed it along to another reviewer unheard. Thankfully I stopped long enough for a quick listen first -- Alchemy is by far one of the best albums I've received in a while.

The first track slowly builds through an atmospheric introduction which blends a synthesized background with a dramatic fiddle line. As the other instruments join in and the music builds, I expected something new agey, perhaps ... but no, Stonecircle surprised me by bursting into vigorous, lively music. And then when Lauren Buffington-Jones added her gorgeous voice to the mix ... well, this album was clearly going to be exceptional.

And it doesn't disappoint. Stonecircle lilts and pounds its way through 11 tracks (more than 70 minutes of music) with excellent musicality. And all five members of this Utah-based band are good at what they do. Very, very good.

Buffington-Jones provides incredible crystal clear vocals throughout the CD, with a strong, but delicate voice stylistically reminiscent of singers such as Loreena McKennitt and Kate Price. As good as the musicians are on this album, I might almost expect to resent the intrusion of words over their music, but a voice this good is too rare to ignore.

The two lead instrumentalists are both amazingly adept at their jobs. Nina Cooley handles flute and whistles with exceptional talent, borrowing techniques from traditional and jazz schools of music ... and even shades, at times, of Jethro Tull's flute master Ian Anderson. Cooley also adds percussion and vocals to the overall sound. Krista Baker plays great fiddle, sweeping and wild. My only quibble here is the fiddle on some tracks is mixed down so much it sounds like the fiddle is playing in some room down the hall. Perhaps it was an intentional effect, but it doesn't work.

George Schoemaker, whose guitars are a solid foundation for the music, also adds harmonica and vocals. His step into the spotlight for the French song "Pierre de Grenoble" is a bit startling at first, but is not at all out of place. The final member is Irminsul, whose keyboards provide additional and necessary support. He also plays a lovely Celtic harp, although it's rarely in the forefront. Both Schoemaker and Irminsul flex their music-writing muscles, too, for tracks including the songs "The Stone Tower" and "The Homecoming" and the instrumental "My Tapestry," which (along with Turlough O'Carolan's "Planxty Irwin") shines the brightest light on Irminsul's harp. The original pieces stand up well against the many traditional numbers on this album.

Accolades also to the band for its clever arrangements. They're not striving for straightforward Celtic tunes here; they're making them uniquely their own. Touches of classical, baroque, jazz and folk music appear here and there, all to great effect.

Tom Knapp, Editor - Rambles:A Cultural Arts Magazine

Stonecircle is a five piece Celtic band who is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They have been performing contemporary arrangements of Celtic music, along with original compositions since 1993. Their first CD, 'Serendipity' which received many thumbs up reviews, was released in 1997.

Stonecircle's newest CD 'Alchemy' is just what the named implies. It is the chemical blend from the heart and souls of its musicals that produces an essence of life unique to this band. The resulting sound can be ethereal and ancient, as well a danceable, lively and modern. The band consists of George Schoemaker-12 string guitar, harmonica, vocals; Lauren Buffington-Jones-vocals; Nina Cooley-flute, whistles, percussion, vocals; Krista Baker-fiddle; and Irminsul-celtic harp, keyboards. Over the years there have been several personnel changes, and original members George Schoemaker and vocalist Lauren Buffington-Jones seem to be the guiding forces within the band. Many of the so called 'New Celtic' bands fail in the attempt to merge the old traditional forms with the new. Stonecircle seems to merge these styles effortlessly, producing an eclectic blend of quality New Age/Celtic music. All of the musicians add their touch: George Schoemaker's 12-string guitar is mesmerizing, as well as Lauren Buffington-Jones's magical vocals, which have been compared to the voice of Loreena McKennitt. Nina Cooley's flutes and whistles are pan-like and can transport you to the land of the fairies in no time at all. Krista Baker's fiddle can be elegant on the airs and quite pieces, but also pagan and wild on the dance tunes. The beautiful Celtic harp and droning keyboards sounds from Irminsul will also transport you to other worlds and can build to massive Cinema-quality soundscapes.

I can only the describe 'Alchemy' as a magical listening experience from beginning to end. All of its tracks are excellent. Highlights to note include the set called 'Bachlava', which merges a classical Bach piece with several Irish dance tunes successfully. Also excellent is the original Irminsul air called 'My Tapestry'. The George Schoemaker original 'The Homecoming' is turned to magic by the stunning voice of Lauren Buffington-Jones. Mr. Schoemaker takes his turn with lead vocals in French on 'Pierre de Grenoble', the source of this song coming from the legendary French folk-rock group 'Malicorne'. The song closes with a traditional Breton-Celtic dance tune 'Sclarazzula/Marazzula'. The cd lists eleven tracks in total, but there are actually twelve. The surprise track is a beautiful rendition of the Peter Jung air 'Far Away', performed in recent years by many Celtic bands, but seldom as good as this version.

Along with the surprise in the quality of this musical effort is the beautifully artistic CD cover and interior liner. The famous Irish Broadcaster and Journalist John O'Regan also includes an extensive article about the band within the liner notes.

Stonecircle's 'Alchemy' is the resulting gem from this outstanding group, obviously an important, and as yet fairly unknown group in the American Celtic music scene, and an energy force that should be recognized and reckoned with. Highly recommended.

Dennis Stone
(Los Angeles, CA)

- FolkWorks Magazine

Cheryl Herman - Presenter - Music in the Box - Salt Lake City
"Stonecircle enchants every audience. Always a sell out. Always a standing ovation. Always a pleasure."

John O’Regan,
Music Critic, Limerick, Ireland
“Here are five pieces that sound like an orchestra exploring the narrative fabric of Celtic Folk traditions in way no U.S. band has ever done before them”

Kim Stone, presenter,
Durango Celtic Festival
“Stonecircle was awesome! They far exceeded my expectations at the Durango Celtic Festival”

Velvet Johnson,
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
"Stonecircle's music is beautiful, magical, and timeless." —

John McCallum
Ogden, Utah
I have seen Stonecircle twice at The Daily Grind here in Ogden. You guys are really quite incredible! I have the video tape of the first time you played there (I live with the Manager), and everyone in my household watches the tape, probably once a week or so, I always hear it playing. Besides the fact that I have every note memorized!!!, I still love hearing it, and I must say that your music has very intense feeling put into it, which hits something deep within me and everyone else who listens to it. Being a musician, I also greatly admire the instrumentation, arrangements and original songs. All in all you guys are very excellent!!!! Thank you for creating some wonderful music for me to enjoy.

N. LeDuc
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
Just saw your show at Mayfest. I was very impressed. I like your blending of traditional and modern styles. Lauren has a WONDERFUL voice!! Absolutely top-notch, professional, especially on the British number you did. Overall, my favorite song was the last one you did -- from Brittany, sung in French. But let me say once again, I thoroughly enjoyed your music. Keep up the great work and best wishes for continued success. Thanks!
- Concert Reviews

Zepplin, Traffic, and Chris Norman swhished together, March 3, 2004
Reviewer: C. Butler "Uber Geek wannabe" (Linthicum, MD USA) -

Very cool cover of a Zepplin song (Battle of Evermore) - great playing! Reminiscent of Traffic crossed with Chris Norman and Helicon plus It's a Beautiful Day.

The singing is inspired (Maddy Prior'd be proud), and who would have thought a harp (or a hammer dulcimer?) would sound so cool in this context? Not to mention the cool jazzy fiddling - I have no idea how it all comes out so celtic, but somehow it all works!

Great stuff -

- Amazon Reviews