It is a wonderful thing to behold when various acts come together in support of a cause. The cause for this CD is fundraising for the King Arthur faire. The performers all donated tracks to help raise funds for the faire's costs. The CD features a wonderful assortment of artists and is loaded with 20 tracks. 

The CD opens with what first appears to be a fairly upbeat number. Indeed the track starts out as happy and light as any song you might hear at faire. The transition once the vocals comes in is stark and haunting. Kerridwynn's rendition of "Johnnie I Hardly Knew Ye" is one that you won't soon forget. Lilting and ethereal, Kerridwynn's voice sets a nice opening for this CD.

Boru's Ghost contributes two wonderful tracks to this CD. Of them, "Exiles of Erin" could easily be dropped into any Celtic compilation and still stand out. The song moves easily and the harmonies are tight while not sounding overproduced. If you haven't heard Boru's Ghost before (who easily stand up to comparison to groups like Altan), this is a perfect introduction to them.  

Howl-O also contributes two tracks to the CD, and they are markedly different in quality. The first track, "Dia Luain Dia Mairt" has a rather weak opening and it takes time for the song to come together. This is a marked contrast to "Fly Not Yet", which is crisp, polished and delightful. 

Dustin Cooper provides on of the CDs standout tracks with his contribution of "Ayazein". A traditional Middle Eastern song, this track easily stands out from the rest of the CD, set apart by its differing style (but not jarringly so). Hammered Dulcimer isn't as common as it once was among faire folk, and something of a differing style from the norm is a true treat.

Queen's Gambit provides the tracks "Star of the County Down" and "Lass of the Low Country". While the first is a nice track, the second suffers from what seems to be a technical difficulty. The lead vocals come through crisp and solid, but they tend to overpower the backup vocals (which often cannot be heard without listening very closely). Even with these problems though, "Lass of the Low Country" is still an enjoyable track, but one that would certainly benefit from being re-mastered.

Karen Renee's lifeless "The Sailor and the Mermaid" just can't keep up with the other tracks on this CD. It is difficult to be the sole spoken word piece on an album and this track falls short, coming off as more 'down home' than renaissance.

Counterfeit Bard's rendition of "Cruel Sister" comes off too up-tempo and cheerful. Though musically it is a nice piece, the music and subject matter are simply at odds with one another. A bright point of the song though is that it manages to highlight the vocal talents of the entire group. Indeed, towards the end there are some great moments, yet the song is inconsistent at best. 

The other contribution by the Counterfeit Bards ("King Uther") is a nice track, in the tradition of musical storytelling but sadly it also fails to showcase what the Counterfeit Bards are really capable of. 

Of the other tracks on this CD, the last two tracks certainly deserve mention. The opening of "Like a Sword in the Stone" (credited to Sir Dyladan) left me a bit disappointed. The recording quality (obviously recorded live) wasn't the best and had this been a simple traditional tune, this would have killed the track. This is no ordinary track and it overcomes its technical weaknesses. The story of Arthur sung in the style of Bob Dylan...brilliant!

The closing track, the "Celt Came Back" is an unlisted gem from Fugli and "Tammy" allowing for the CD to finish on a pair of humorous high-notes. Fugli is an artist who certainly hasn't gotten the exposure that he deserves and he rarely disappoints. His traditional tunes are certainly in the style which harkens back to the earliest days of faire. His contemporary parodies show a rare sense of wit. He shines through with his hidden finale.

There are problems with this project though,  including a lack of consistency and flow. While both "Johnnie I Hardly Knew Ye" and "Jig of Slurs" are great tracks as a stand alone, the jig is a bit jarring as the second track on the CD. Also, there are noticeable differences in recording quality and playback volume. Still, the album is worth buying if only for "Ayazein", "Like a Sword in the Stone", or "Exiles of Erin".

The CD is $11 and with proceeds going to support the King Arthur faire of Oklahoma.