“She Moved Through the Fair” is a traditional ballad, found in various forms throughout Ireland and Scotland. It is essentially a ghost story that suggests foul play, but doesn’t actually disclose the fate of a young bride who later appears to her fiancé in ghostly form. I have performed this ballad a number of times live, accompanying myself on a finger picked tenor ukulele, but for this version I decided to record it primarily on harp. During recording I added another half dozen or so instruments, only to then delete most of them and leave Celtic lever harp, clasarch (knee harp), hammered dulcimer and shruti box in the mix which I felt best provided a suitably sparse accompaniment to this hauntingly beautiful song.
