Beneath the Cherry Tree

Beneath the Cherry Tree. Performed by Kare Strong and Josh Goforth. CD. Approx. 48 min. Humming Bear Music. 2019. CD: $14.99; Digital: $9.99.

Gr 1 and up

Gorgeous vocals and harmonies are the hallmarks of this fine album. Featuring folk, bluegrass, and Celtic musical styles, Kare’s voice soars in rich and melodious tones on these 11 original compositions. Instrumental accompaniments by Josh Goforth and others on guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, mountain dulcimer, piano, bass, tuba and percussion are stellar. The narrator looks for faeries beneath “The Cherry Tree.”

The whistle pig, or “The Happy Groundhog,” could dance a jig. “The Little Tree” is unhappy with her plain appearance. “Little Bluebird” brings joy when she sings. Violet, Bluebell, Primrose, and Poppy are just a few of “The Flower Faeries.” A family builds a chicken coop for five chickens “Down on Blackberry Lane.” In “The Daffodil & the Faery Child,” a faery rescues a daffodil by holding it up through a blustery storm. “The Merry Band” are squirrels who found gold faery dust in their acorns. Picking apples and swinging on the porch swing are only two of the fun activities “On Our Carolina Farm.” In “The Bluebell & the Boy,” a young lad is amazed to hear a bluebell speaking to him. The “Autumn Jewels” the faeries gather end up as freckles on the faces of sleeping children. Mole and several other animals plan “A Party for Pig” to welcome him to the neighborhood. “To the Country We Will Go” tells of a family planning a move. “Song of the Wind” expresses the wind’s many moods. One of Goforth’s main career goals is to get young people interested in traditional music. This excellent album will go a long way in helping accomplish that goal.

Website: www.karestrongmusic.com