Ressources

Alan Irvine Audio Recordings

Midnight Visions (Originally audio-cassette) by Alan Irvine. Self-produced, 1993. Now available as a special order CD only for $6.00 US

Out of the Mist; Tales of Ireland and Scotland (audio cassette) by Alan Irvine. Self-produced, 1998 . Now seems to be available as a CD

It’s clear that Irvine is doing material he loves on this tape. Side one includes his own versions of two well-known tales, The Hitchhiker, and I've Got the Keys. The other tale on side one is an original story about a western ghost town-Side two is Irvine's adaptation of MacBeth. Irvine's voice, on side one, is sombre, almost a monotone, but suited to a ghostly sensation of impending horror. His pacing is slow, sometimes almost halting, but again is no doubt used to achieve effect.

In MacBeth,on side two, Irvine demonstrates his ability with voices and high drama. I can see middle school and high scltool students enjoying this introduction to the Scottish Play. The salient parts are all there, and Irtine's telling, when he gets caught up in the bard's words, or in his characterizations, is compelling.

The Second Story Review, Vol 1, No. 2, Sep 1996

Out of the Mist; Tales of Ireland and Scotland (audio cassette) by Alan Irvine. Self-produced, 1998.

The tales of Ireland range from simple folktales of the peasantry to myths of warriors, lovers, and the otherworld. Irvine tells three Irish selections on this tape. The first is the familiar humorous tale of the man who catches a leprechaun but, despite his best efforts, fails to retrieve the fairy's gold. The other two are tales from cycles of Celtic mythology.

In The Return of Ossian, Irvine recounts the story of Ossian, son of Fiann Mac Cumhail, and warrior of the Fianna. His love for Niamh draws him to the magical land of the ever young, Tir-na-nag, but his love for his country and friends eventually draws him back to Ireland. He goes, promising Niamh not to set foot upon the land, and discovers that what was three years in the land of the sidhe, has been three centuries in the land of men.

The final Irish story, Midher and Etain, is one that I was loathe to listen to, for I have heard it told a number of times, but only by Canada's beloved Alice Kane. Alice's telling of her native Irish myths, wonder tales and folktales is itself legendary, and it didn't seem fair to listen to Alan with her words in my heart. But I did listen, and I am so pleased that the story once again swept me up and the credit goes to both story and teller. Irvine tells the story with passion and control recreating the loves and tragedies of an ancient time and place.

I am relieved that the Ossian story, and that of Etain and Midhir are told in Irvine's own voice rather than the Irish brogue he used in the folktale. Unless carefully done, accents can distract from the story, and I would not want these two stories to have been weakened in any way. The tales of Scotland were ones I had not heard before. Lachlan Mar is the legend of the overthrow of a Viking lord, undertaken for the love of a woman. The Legend of Inverawe is a ghost story which begins in Scotland and ends in North America. It is a true Celtic tragedy which finds an honest man caught between an oath, and the loyalty he owes blood kin.

The Second Story Review, Vol 3, No. 4, March 1998

All CDs can be ordered from Alan Irvine, 2704 Tilbury Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15217

Prices:  CDs $13.00  - except Midnight Visions,  $6.00 which appears to be 2nd version of the cassette upon demand. A number of other stories are available as single-story downloads from CD baby.

Order from Irvine at http://www.alanirvine.com/record.htm#Visions

Alan can be reached at alanirvine@aol.com  

or 412-508-2077