What happens when a classically trained flutist from Nova Scotia, living in Germany, gets homesick? This CD is an attempt to answer that question. If you have ever arrived in a place for the first time and yet felt instantly at home, you will understand something of what playing traditional music means to me: Growing up in Nova Scotia means you're never far away from the sounds of Celtic music; after some years in Germany I decided to realize a long-held dream and began playing Irish flute. It became instantly clear to me that this was no mere hobby, nor was it just a sideline to the orchestral playing which forms the backbone of my career. After almost two decades of sessions and concerts I am only still dipping into the well; I have reconciled myself to having classical accents in my playing, just as I will never sound completely German despite years of trying! No matter: This traditional music welcomes those who approach it with admiration and respect, rewarding the player and listener alike. Traditional music players speak of their tunes as objects, heirlooms to be treasured and passed on as gifts. Not: "Where did you learn that?", but rather: "Who gave that one to you?". "I got this from my father" is a common reply. So when I'm playing a traditional tune, it is all mine for the moment, in that moment when I breathe life into it. Later I will pass it on to another player and it becomes his or hers, and so on. I like to hope that the Beethoven symphonies and Bach cantatas I play have gained something of this relationship; if music isn't personal why bother? And so even though I came from elsewhere I still have a strong sense of belonging; I'll never be a native, but neither am I a casual visitor. I feel welcomed; it is a great privilege and good fortune to be "almost home". Brian Berryman