It has been said that James Galway's appeal crosses all musical boundaries.
In this album, the Belfast-born Galway successfully crosses into Japanese music.
But while Galway's talent with his flute is evident, like some others of Galway's non-classical albums, this music lacks technical challenges that might make one sit up and listen.
These compositions are best described as peaceful, relaxing, and serene.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with serenity.
The title track, "Song of the Seashore," is typical of the entire album.
It is beautiful yet pacific.
Still, some tracks deserve special mention.
"Red Dragonfly" is quite romantic and nostalgic and even, at times, Celtic sounding.
The traditional "Lullaby" hovers between sweet and bittersweet.
And the "Cherry Blossom" track composed by Hagoromo Takeshima and Rentaro Taki (confusingly, there are two other tracks with the same name) is by far the liveliest of the tunes.
Harpist Ayako Shinozaki and the Tokyo String Orchestra conducted by Hiroyuki Iwaki accompany Galway in this album that is best appreciated with a candlelit dinner, someone special, and, if you like, a little sake.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Song of the Seashore | James Galway | Play | 02:53 | 6 MB | 10 MB |
| 2 | Sunlight Shining Through the Trees (Coda) | James Galway | Play | 00:57 | 2 MB | 2 MB |
| 3 | Cherry Blossom TimeRentaro Taki | James Galway | Play | 02:32 | 5 MB | 9 MB |
| 4 | The Evening Primrose | James Galway | Play | 02:54 | 6 MB | 9 MB |
| 5 | Song of the Seashell | James Galway | Play | 02:47 | 6 MB | 9 MB |
| 6 | My Homeland | James Galway | Play | 02:54 | 6 MB | 10 MB |
| 7 | Cherry Blossoms (Introduction) | James Galway | Play | 00:54 | 2 MB | 2 MB |
| 8 | The Port of Habu | James Galway | Play | 03:46 | 8 MB | 12 MB |
| 9 | The Coconut ShellToson Shimazaki | James Galway | Play | 02:23 | 5 MB | 7 MB |
| 10 | Misty Moon Night | James Galway | Play | 03:13 | 7 MB | 11 MB |
| 11 | Cherry BlossomsRentaro Taki | James Galway | Play | 06:22 | 14 MB | 21 MB |
| 12 | Sunlight Shining Through The Trees/ The Moon On The ... | James Galway | Play | 04:31 | 10 MB | 16 MB |
| 13 | Lullaby Traditional | James Galway | Play | 03:41 | 8 MB | 13 MB |
| 14 | Red Dragonf | James Galway | Play | 02:32 | 5 MB | 9 MB |
| 42 mins | 98 MB | |||||
| 42 mins | 146 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Galway | Arranger, Flute, Primary Artist |
| 2 | Hiroyuki Iwaki | Conductor |
| 3 | Ralph Mace | Producer |
| 4 | Toson Shimazaki | Composer |
| 5 | Ayako Shinozaki | Harp |
| 6 | Rentaro Taki | Composer |
| 7 | Tokyo String Orchestra | Orchestra |
| 8 | Traditional | Composer |
| 9 | Kosaku Yamada | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |