Blood on the Road/Fuil ar an Rós review: the poems of 1916 set beautifully to music

Blood on the Rose/Fuil ar an Rós is a welcome addition to the artistic projects commemorating 1916. It underscores the rich amalgam of artistic and political expression that defined that seminal act of rebellion, and casts a leery eye on the dearth of similar creative expression at the heart of modern political discourse.

Producer Tristan Rosenstock brings an intimate mood to bear on works by Joseph Mary Plunkett, Patrick Pearse, WB Yeats and Roger Casement among others. Gabriel Rosenstock, Geraldine Plunkett and others wisely opt for a clean, uncluttered recitation style, and the accompanying music has a pinprick precision.

John Blake's flute on The Wearing of the Green and Oisín MacDiarmada's whistle (with Rosenstock's bodhrán) on The Gold Ring are the perfect foil to Casement's The Irish Language.