The Flax in Bloom is a three-disc collection of field recordings made in Northern Ireland in 1952 and 1953. London's Peter Kennedy was a contemporary of well-known American field recordist and folklorist Alan Lomax, and spent nearly four decades documenting the rural traditional folk music of the British Isles. Although traditional Irish music was flourishing in the country's small villages and communities in the early 1950s, it had almost no presence in the recording industry. Along with Irishman Sean O'Boyle, Kennedy explored the province of Ulster, recording local residences in their homes, in pubs, and in any other natural settings where this music was being played. The songs, airs, and dance music on this collection are simple, rustic, and usually unaccompanied, featuring solo voice, accordion, and fiddle. They are at times spirited, playful, sad, and haunting. Prior to this 2014 release, most of these recordings hadn't been commercially released. ~ Timothy Monger
