Notes to Self

Personal triumphs, joys and setbacks feature in this profoundly moving sequence of musical letters from harpist Catrin Finch to her 13-year-old self. The Welsh harpist’s Notes to Self—honest, open, deeply rooted in home, family and love—leap from the heart. While her booklet letters contain beautiful autobiographical words and images, each track alone communicates its meaning with crystal clarity, touching universal emotions with the confessional honesty and grace of the finest folk music. Listen, for instance, to Clear Sky, where Finch’s solo harp transforms lingering melancholy shadows with radiant harmonies and a soaring central melody, or to There’s Always Time, a pulsating reminder to defy the tyranny of the ticking clock and allow things—in this case, a tender, affecting melody—room to develop and mature.