Delia Murphy was a trailblazer in her time. Known as the Queen of Connemara, she melded a highly successful career collecting and recording ballads with that of a life of international diplomat. This collection focuses on her early recordings from 1938 to 1941, as Murphy's crystalline voice makes rich pickings of The Spinning Wheel and Three Lovely Lassies, among others. Intriguingly, while some of the arrangements have aged poorly, her voice and flowery delivery style stand the test of time with no small touch of class. This is not just a snapshot in time of a singer who forged an international reputation, but a laser-sharp picture of how we saw ourselves at a crucial time in our evolution as a nation. Compiled by her grandson, piper Ronan Browne, If I Were a Blackbird may well lure a whole new audience to Murphy's music. deliamurphy.com