Not only is Mary Black the most popular female vocalist in Ireland, she has pulled off the rare feat of gaining the respect of fans of both contemporary and traditional music. Babes in the Woods went straight to the top of the Irish charts in 1991 and stayed there for six weeks. Black can make an ancient song sound new and a modern song sound centuries old. She has a knack for digging to the center of a song and revealing its secrets; witness her version of Richard Thompson's "Dimming of the Day," which may well be the most haunting reading ever of this beautiful song. --Michael Simmons