Based on Irish folk dancing styles, Riverdance was originally devised as a 20-minute intermission entertainment for the Eurovision Song Contest. There, its phenomenal reception inspired composer Bill Whelan to expand the piece into a full-length stage show, still centred around Irish music, but now telling a loose story of many different peoples who in the twentieth century have found themselves 駑igr駸. The paradoxically formal yet expressive, sensual and exhilarating energy of traditional Irish dance and Irish folk music is only the beginning. A work full of strong melodies, excitement, romantic dreams and nostalgic longing, the full Riverdance show is a spellbinding spectacle. Complete with orchestra, Bill Whelan brings influences from Irish classical music, incorporates the haunting sound of vocal group Anuna, and adds the diverse folk sounds of Nova Scotia, Macedonia, Russia and Andalucia to his rich cultural melting pot. Playing on the album are some of the finest folk musicians around, including piper Davy Spillane and Eileen Ivers on fiddle. The result is not just a tuneful souvenir of a great stage show, but a most enjoyable release in its own right. Bill Whelan has also worked on the soundtrack for Rob Roy, and composed The Seville Suite and The Spirit of Mayo. --Gary S. Dalkin