Linda Dempster

Every so often a singer in the arts community attempts to take folk music and turn it into parlour music. The results, from a folkie's perspective, are inevitably unsatisfying, despite the trained voices. Such is the case with Linda Dempster's Folklore in Song, recorded in a church in Toronto. Accompanied by Brahm Goldhamer on piano, Dempster sings her way through a folksong repertoire as if they were lieder. Her voice is professional, but you have to like the style to find the material interesting. The recording is muddy.

Folklore in Song 2 (1995) is better recorded and has a more varied backup sound with the inclusion of guitar, harp, cello and piano. Dempster's voice is sweet and the playing is professional. Those who like parlour folk will find this an engaging recording.