This CD has been about two years in the creation, and is really our second full-length studio CD ("Bending Tradition" being our first, in 2000).

Our intent was to focus on original songs, pulling in mythic themes and a variety of moods. We find that each song has its own life and its own speed of development, no matter what we may WANT to happen. Dagger of the Moon has been evolving since before 1998, and Three More Drops since 2001, while For Blodeuwedd came together in less than a week, and in about three months.

We feel that Emerald Rose is changing its style from a Celtic folk style into more of an art rock sound with Celtic roots. Listeners may find this compilation to be a bit more in line with groups like Great Big Sea, and you may hear some classic rock influences from Jethro Tull to ZZ Top here and there.

We have had several instrumentation changes in the last couple of years as well: Logan has introduced the mandola in more tracks and experimented on guitar with Nashville and other tunings, Larry has been developing on low whistle and Uilleann pipes, and we are using more percussion based around the Roland HandSonic, often with a more of a drumkit rock feel.

In 2004, when we had the good fortune to play for the Return of the King Oscars party in Hollywood, we felt it was important to have a new promotional CD for that event. We made a mad scramble to put together what new songs we had developed, along with some classics from previous albums, and the result was Songs for the Night Sky (2004). The response from fans was tremendous, and helped to reassure us that we were on the right track.

This was intended from the start to be a limited release, and we always knew these songs (Urania Sings, Come To The Dance, Gwydion`s Song, and Take Me Down) would appear on a full-length CD. The versions here have been remixed, enhanced, and professionally mastered.

Finally, we have included three songs drawn from Celtic tradition: Andy M. Stewart`s Queen of Argyll (one of our favorites from the Silly Wizard days), Irish Heartbeat from Van Morrison and the Chieftains, and an adaptation of an old folk song Wheel of Fortune with some Tarot-inspired lyrics from Arthur.

The development of a CD is a roller-coaster ride, with moments of sheer delight, periods of screaming frustration, and long hours of grueling, carpal-tunnel-destructive work. We hope the end result is worth it!

-EMERALD ROSE, August 2005