This page is for published Pern music, currently limited
to the MasterHarper of Pern CD and Songbook. All
reviews are done by Roedin, and all opinions on book content is that of me
alone, and may not necessarily be consistant with yours! If you disagree
with me, please email me and tell me
what you think!
The MasterHarper of Pern
CD by Anne McCaffrey with Tania Opland and Mike Freeman
The MasterHarper of Pern CD is written as if
done by MasterHarper Robinton himself, with songs such as 'Robinton's First
Whistle Tune' and 'Robinton's Dream' following through his life, as we know
through the novel, The MasterHarper
Of Pern, for which the CD is meant as a companion - and in this it
succeeds.
On the CD, there are eighteen songs from the world of
Pern, many of them, such as the 'Duty Song', the 'Question Song', and 'Lessa's
Ride' taken pretty much straight from the novels. The songs are very well
performed, both vocally and musically, by Mike Freeman and Tania Opland.
The style is much as I would have expected of Pern, with its varied cultural
backgrounds and two thousand years worth of isolation. The CD is full of
music which reflects this cultural diversity, but with enough similarity
between the songs to let them seem cohesive.
Pretty much the sole criticism which I have of this
CD is the use of keyboards in the music, as, as anyone who has read
Red Star Rising/Dragonseye will know,
the last piano on Pern played its last note in the Second Pass, nearly two
thousand years before Robinton was born. Whilst this may not be obvious by
simply listening to the CD, I think that it would have been more authentic
had only instruments available to the Harpers had been used. One addition
I wish had been made to the CD is the words to the songs, just to make singing
along that bit easier!
However, despite those rather petty faults with the
MasterHarper CD, it is spectacularly well written and played. It may not
sounds how you had visualised the music in your head, it is a very nice thing
to have!
The CD is available from Mike Freeman
and Tania Opland's website.
Verdict: A well written and played music CD,
and a lovely addition to any Pern readers collection.
The MasterHarper of Pern
Songbook by Anne McCaffrey with Tania Opland and Mike Freeman
(Action Printing, 2004)
Unfortunately, unlike most purchasers of the
MasterHarper of Pern Songbook, I do not play an instrument, or can
even read notes! However, this books contains the notes for seventeen of
the eighteen songs on the MasterHarper CD and is well presented. The
songs with words includes them with the notes. It is illustrated in the empty
spaces, and when I either learn to play an instrument (I am trying to learn)
or find someone who can, this reviews will be
expanded.
The
Songbook is available from Mike Freeman
and Tania Opland's website.
Verdict: A basic songbook including the notes
for songs on the CD. A more useful purchase for those who play an instrument,
but nice for all!
