Product Description

Song list:

1. Danny Boy
2. Carrickfergus
3. Meeting of the Waters/Rose of Mooncoin
4. My Lagan Love
5. From Clare to Here (with Ralph McTell)
6. The Green Glens of Antrim
7. Raglan Road
8. The Town I Loved So Well
9. I'll Tell Me Ma
10. Love Thee Dearest
11. The Sally Gardens
12. The Water Is Wide (with Maura O'Connell)
13. Spinning Wheel
14. The Fields of Athenry
15. The Emigrants Letter
16. Steal Away

A Touch of Tranquility was filmed live at a series of concerts by Phil Coulter and his young orchestra in one of Ireland's most magical theatres, the Grand Opera House Belfast. Guesting on the shows were Ralph McTell, world renowned for his song "The Streets of London," and leading Irish chanteuse and Grammy Award nominee Maura O'Connell. Listen to Phil's unmistakable versions of some of your favorite songs as you follow the cameras in a journey through Ireland to the places they recall. Travel by land, sea, and air from the Green Glens of Antrim to the coast of Clare, from the banks of the Liffey to the hills of Donegal, from the lakes of Killarney to the streets of Derry. This really is the trip of a lifetime, so don't miss it. 61 minutes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #111259 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-07-20
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Color, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 61 minutes

Amazon.com
Popular Irish musician Phil Coulter, who is perhaps best known for writing the song "The Town I Loved So Well," appears onstage to perform a mostly instrumental program with his own small orchestra in performances filmed at Belfast's Grand Opera House. Coulter is a capable pianist, and the individual songs, which include such Irish folk standards as "Danny Boy," "I'll Tell Me Ma," and "Carrickfergus," often sound quite beautiful when performed along with the string section of the orchestra. And the stunning scenes of the Irish countryside that accompany the musical selections do live up to the "touch of tranquility" in the title. Yet instrumental versions of some of this material can seem puzzling, especially for songs such as "Fields of Athenry," the lyrics of which tell an evocative story from the famine, or "Raglan Road," which boasts lyrics written by the great Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh. In fairness, Coulter does bring out songwriter Ralph McTell to sing "From Clare to Here," and Maura O'Connell sings a stirring version of the old folksong "The Water Is Wide." And Coulter himself sings "The Town I Loved So Well," which is presented as something of a music video, with scenes of a young boy kicking a soccer ball in Derry intercut with scenes of Coulter walking through the city at the peak of the sectarian troubles referred to in the song. This is a very professional production, but the familiar folksongs performed without vocals may well be a disappointment to some viewers. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful Step Back In Time
I was hesitant about getting this DVD for two reasons. First off, I was afraid it would be mostly of scenery, and I wanted to see live performances. Secondly, the Editorial Review at Amazon is not exactly glowing.

I took the plunge and purchased it anyway, and was not disappointed. This is a wonderful step back into the life of Phil Coulter. I read somewhere that it was filmed in 1985. The hair and clothing styles, as well as song selection would confirm that.

All but "The Town I Loved So Well" are from concerts, and while there is beautiful scenery from Ireland shown throughout, it does not overwhelm the concert experience.

"The Town I Loved So Well" is produced like a video. He is in a home, dressed casually, playing a piano, and it is combined with scenes of the song/his life story throughout. At the end he takes the hand of the little boy that had played ball at the beginning of the song, and shows him the town from atop a hill.... You cannot help but wonder if it is his son. The pure emotion Phil shows throughout this song makes it my favorite version of all his recordings.

If you enjoy Phil Coulter's early recordings, you will enjoy this video, as it accurately represents them. The reason for four instead of five stars is because the sound is not digital quality.

New Find!
iam sure there are many coulter fans out there but I found this by accident. The best acident I ever had. I enjoyed this so much that i shared it with friends and they too brought it. Thank you for aiding our Tranquility.

Phil Coulter
As always, I love just about anything that Phil Coulter has done. He is now touring with Celtic Thunder as conductor and song writer. Be sure to see them when they come to a town near you.