druids

There’s an ancient quality to Pagan Cross that goes beyond simple pastiche – this genuinely sounds like music that has been passed down through centuries of oral tradition, which is a significant achievement given that it was composed in 2019. Three Celtic recorders play in counterpoint, their lines weaving around each other in a pattern that’s simultaneously calm and unsettling – a combination that feels entirely appropriate for music with pagan overtones. The texture is sparse and slightly bleak, the melody melancholic without being heavy, and the overall atmosphere evokes druidic forests, stone circles, and ancient rituals conducted by people who took their seasons very seriously.