Shuun Celtic Realm

Loreena Mckennitt - The Visit

2007-12-29T01:47:00.000-08:00

Personnel: Loreena McKennitt (vocals, harp, accordion, bodhran, keyboards);

Brian Hughes (acoustic & electric guitar, balalaika); George Koller (fiddle, sitar, cello, tamboura, bass); Hugh Marsh (fiddle); Anne Bourne (cello); Tom Hazlett (bass); Patrick Hutchinson (Uillean pipes); Rick Lazar (Udu drum, percussion); Al Cross (drums).

Recorded at Inception Studios, Toronto, Canada. Includes liner notes by Loreena McKennitt.

Personnel: Loreena McKennitt (vocals, various instruments); Brian Hughes (guitar, guitar synthesizer); George Koller (sitar, fiddle, cello, bass guitar, tambora); Hugh Marsh (fiddle); Anne Bourne (cello); Patrick Hutchinson (Uilleann pipe); Tom Hazlett (bass guitar); Al Cross (drums); Rick Lazar (percussion).

Recording information: Inception Sound, Toronto, Canada (1991).

With her piercing vocals and sensual, exotic sound, Loreena McKennitt has single-handedly made tangible the passions of Celtic and pagan life for her large, devoted audience. Her fourth release, THE VISIT, was her breakthrough, a satisfying mixture of original compositions and adaptations. "The Lady of Shalott" is an 11-minute rendition of the Alfred Lord Tennyson poem, while McKennitt archly notes that she sings the subdued "Greensleeves" in her best Tom Waits impersonation.

Information and picture copy from http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7306045&cart=655335264

Song list:-
1.All Souls Night
2.Bonny Portmore (favorite)
3.Between The Shadows
4.Lady Of Shalott, The
5.Greensleeves
6.Tango To Evora (favorite)
7.Courtyard Lullaby
8.Old Ways, The
9.Cymbeline (recommended/favorite)

Shuun

The Book of Secrets

2007-12-16T06:44:00.000-08:00

Personnel: Loreena McKennitt (vocals, harp, kanoun, accordion, piano, keyboards); Brian Hughes (vocals, acoustic, electric & classical guitars, bouzouki, oud, guitar synthesizer); Donald Quan (vocals, viola, keyboards, tabla, timba, esraj); Stuart Bruce (vocals); Aidan Brennan (acoustic guitar, mandola); Martin Jenkins (mandocello); David Rhodes (electric guitar); Martin Brown (acoustic guitar, mandolin, mandola); Robin Jeffrey (Victorian guitar); Hugh Marsh, Osama (violin); Joana Levine (viola de gamba); Caroline Lavelle, Anne Bourne (cello); Nick Hayley (rebec, lira da Braccio, serangi); Jonathan Reese, Iain King, Andy Brown, Chris Van Kampen (strings); Bob White (tin whistle, shawm); Danny Thompson (acoustic bass); Steve Pigott (keyboards); Nigel Eaton (hurdy gurdy); Manu Katche (drums); Paul Clarvis (snare drum); Steafan Hannigan (bodhran); Rick Lazar, Hossam Ramzy (percussion).

Personnel: Loreena McKennitt (vocals, harp, kanun, accordion, piano, keyboards); Brian Hughes (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, classical guitar, bouzouki, oud, guitar synthesizer); Robin Jeffrey (guitar); Aidan Brennan (acoustic guitar, mandola); Martin Brown (acoustic guitar); David Rhodes (electric guitar); Nigel Eaton (hurdy-gurdy, lira da braccio, rebec); Andy Brown (viola); Anne Bourne, Caroline Lavelle (cello); Danny Thompson (acoustic bass guitar); Manu Katche (drums); Paul Clarvis (snare drum); Hossam Ramzy (percussion); Stuart Bruce.

Recording information: 1997.

Loreena McKennitt began her career as a New Age pop chanteuse, steeped in Celtic folk mysticism and possessed of an airy, ethereal voice. Over the course of her career she has dabbled to varying extremes in the pop format, but she remains true to the spirit of the traditional balladeer on THE BOOK OF SECRETS. With the aid of top-flight musicians like Danny Thompson and David Rhodes, she weaves a web of fanciful, wispy folk-rock that's not afraid to be beautiful as it pulls listeners in with it's comforting hypnotic qualities.

Information and picture copy from http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7305972

Shuun comment:-

As design student, I really love the cover design. The gold colour surround Loreena makes her looks like being surrounded by magical aura. She look very calm and confident in the picture. Ok, lets talk about the album now. So this is the album that makes me know whose Loreena McKenniitt really was. Thanks to the song The Mummer's Dance. All the song in this album, for me was pretty good. Though I highly recommended The Mummer's Dance, my personal favourite is Prologue. An enchanting and mystical song. Its like Loreena chanting or praying for a new beginning. Try close your eyes and listen to the song. It give you this celestial feeling that can't be describe by word. I listen to this song every night before sleeping. Sometimes it can be a good lullaby. I should let you try listen to all the song in the album first so you can get the idea what I'm talking about.

1.Prologue (personal favourite)
2.Mummers' Dance, The (favourite/recommended)
3.Skellig
4.Marco Polo (favourite)
5.Highwayman, The
6.La Serenissima
7.Night Ride Across The Caucasus
8.Dante's Prayer

Rate: B+

Shuun

An Ancient Muse

2007-12-15T02:50:00.001-08:00

Personnel include: Loreena McKennitt (vocals, various instruments); Brian Hughes (vocals, various instruments); Tim Landers (bass guitar); Tal Bergman (drums, percussion); Hossam Ramzy (percussion).

Recording information: Real World Studios, Box, England.

With 2006's AN ANCIENT MUSE, Loreena McKennitt's first studio album since 1997's THE BOOK OF SECRETS, the Canadian vocalist/multi-instrumentalist reestablishes herself as one of the finest purveyors of atmospheric, globe-spanning music. While the gentle, emotive "Penelope's Song" recalls her contemporary Sarah McLachlan, tracks such as "The Gates of Istanbul" and "Sacred Shabbat" are much more exotic pieces, steeped in a lush Middle-Eastern aesthetic. Fans who waited nearly a decade for this record will not be disappointed.

Information and picture copy from http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7309771&BAB=Z

Shuun comment:

An Ancient Muse is Loreena McKennitt latest full album after near a decade. This is her first album I download from the net (still can't find this album in my country local music store), but I will buy it as soon as I find it. Some customer review this album as "self-plagiarism" album since some of the song has similarity with here song in previous album. I can't really give my opinion about this since I know Loreena after listening 2 of her old song, The Murmer's Dance and The Mystic's Dream(my friend recommended me). So when listen to this album, I can't really see any resemblance from her previous work. But I guess I leave it to people or fans that know Loreena for years to judge. My personal thought about the album is very good since I love the variety of music she put in it. And also when listening to song, I concentrate more to the artist vocal performance. And for sure Loreena voice is outstanding, in album or live.

List of song inside the album:-

1.Incantation (personal favorite)
2.Gates Of Istanbul, The
3.Caravanseral (recommended/personal favorite)
4.English Ladye And The Knight, The (personal favorite)
5.Kecharitomene
6.Penelope's Song (personal favorite)
7.Sacred Shabbat
8.Beneath A Phrygian Sky
9.Never-Ending Road (Amhran Duit)

Rated: A

Shuun

Night from the Alhambra

2007-12-15T01:24:00.000-08:00

This live concert album is one of the most outstanding and very much gave a Celtic element experience that I myself never experience before. Ms.Loreena explore from the depth of celtic music to the heart of arabian music to give her audience those different feeling and experience and yet tell a story through the beautiful lyrics she compose. Her voice just magnificent for a 50 years old women. Truly a gifted musician that also an expert pianist, harpist and also accordion. The stage setup, lighting, sound system pretty much increase the mood for the concert. The band done a great job and it seem they all enjoy it throughout the concert. *see their faces expression* Eventho this is just a download album that I got from torrent, but if I came across the original one, I won't hesitate to buy without second thought coz it so exclusive.

Overall rating: A+
Recommended to all Loreena Mckennitt and Celtic fans and also everybody that like this kind of music.

Here the video from the concert. She performing her new single, Caravanserai from her latest album, An Ancient Muse.

Enjoy!

Loreena Mckennitt

2007-12-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

Loreena McKennitt, C.M., (b. February 17, 1957) is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist and pianist most famous for writing, recording and performing world music with a new-age/Celtic feel.

McKennitt was born in Morden, Manitoba of Irish and Scottish descent to parents Jack and Irene McKennitt.

McKennitt moved to Stratford, Ontario in 1981, where she still lives. She released her first album, Elemental, in 1985 and began to attract global attention with subsequent releases of self-produced work, including To Drive the Cold Winter Away (1987), Parallel Dreams (1989), The Visit (1991), The Mask and Mirror (1994), A Winter Garden (1995) and The Book of Secrets (1997). Her single "The Mummers' Dance" was a widespread success, receiving considerable airplay in North American markets during the spring of 1997. Her first full-length studio album in nine years, An Ancient Muse, was released in November 2006. All of her work has been released under her own label, Quinlan Road.

In 1993 her music became known to a wider audience when she toured Europe supporting Mike Oldfield.

In 1995 her version of the traditional Irish song "Bonny Portmore" was prominently featured in the film Highlander 3, causing a large increase of her album sales among fans of the films. Her music has also appeared on the movies Soldier, "The Mists of Avalon (TV miniseries)" and the television series Roar.

In 1998 McKennitt's fiancé Ronald Rees and two others close to her drowned during a boating accident. She was deeply affected by the event, founding the Cook-Rees Memorial Fund the same year and releasing an album of two live performances called Live in Paris and Toronto from which all of the profits were donated to the fund. After this McKennitt didn't release any new recordings and performed only rarely until 2006 when she released the studio album An Ancient Muse.

In July 2004 Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson made her a member of the Order of Canada the most prestigious civilian honour in Canada.

McKennitt's music has generally been classified as World/New Age/Celtic music even though it contains aspects and characteristics of music from around the globe and is classified as Folk music in some record stores.

Before McKennitt composes any music she engages in massive research on a specific subject which forms the general concept of the album. Before creating Elemental and Parallel Dreams she travelled to Ireland for inspiration from the country's history, folklore, geography and culture. The album The Mask and Mirror was preceded by research in Spain where she engaged in studying Galicia, a Celtic section of Spain, along with its abundant Arabic roots, thus creating an album including elements of Celtic and Arabic music.

According to the liner notes of her latest album, An Ancient Muse was inspired primarily by travels among and reading about the various cultures along the Silk Road.

McKennitt is often compared to Enya but her music is more grounded in traditional and classical invocations using literary works as sources of lyrics and springboards for interpretation such as "The Lady of Shalott" by Lord Tennyson, "Prospero's Speech" (the final soliloquy in William Shakespeare's The Tempest), "Snow" by Archibald Lampman, William Blake's "Prospero, intended for a dramatic piece of King Edward the fourth", and "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes.

Source and information from Wikipedia and http://www.quinlanroad.com/homepage/index.asp?LangType=1033

Shuun comment :-

If i were to be given a choice either pop or world music, I will choose world music for sure and makes Celtic my personal favorite genre. Loreena McKennitt is an artist that had magical and extraordinary touch over Celtic music. Talented, angelic voice, down to earth personality makes her more beautiful in the eyes of people. Her voice was the BOOM!!! Really i can't describe how fine her voice was, in album or during live performance. Its very captivating each time she open her mouth and sing. The melody blend with her voice perfectly. Eventho I had bit problem with her pronunciation(need to search for song lyric if i wanna know what shes saying), the melody itself actually enough to makes me feel like floating in a dimension of tranquility. Sometimes her music makes me imagine traveling in a distance land that peaceful and serene. Surrounded by nature...wide green field with little cottage in the middle of it and theres a lake with water that so calm it reflect back image like a mirror. Ahhh...it so amazing. *shuun is on the other side of universe*
To be honest, i only know Loreena Mckennitt just few month ago from my friend. The first song i heard from Loreena is Dante's Prayer. Its not my favourite song but its still good. I love all the song i heard from her so far...but my personal fave is Mummers Dance(1997), Snow, The Mystic's Dream and both Caravanserai and Incantation from her 2006 album; An Ancient Muse. I really hoping for any chance she performing in Malaysia...!! Loreena McKennit the best.

Meaning of Celt

2007-12-14T09:53:00.000-08:00

According to researcher and scholar, Celtic or Celt derives from a modern term to describe any of European people who spoke, or speak Celtic Language. The term is also used in a wider sense to describe the modern descendants of those peoples, notably those who participate in a Celtic culture.

For more information, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celts

Celtic music is a term utilized by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic peoples of Northern Europe. As such there is no real body of music which can be accurately be described as Celtic, but the term has stuck and may refer to both orally-transmitted traditional music and recorded popular music. The latter sometimes has barely even a superficial resemblance to folk music of any of the Celtic cultures, but on the other hand it sometimes represents sincere work towards adapting Celtic traditions for modern, global culture.

Celtic music means two things mainly. The first: the music of the peoples calling themselves Celts (a non-musical, more political definition), as opposed to, say, "French music" or "English music." The second: whatever qualities may be unique to the musics of the Celtic Nations *(a musical definition). Some insist there is actually nothing in common, such as Geoff Wallis and Sue Wilson in their book 'The Rough Guide to Irish Music', whereas others (such as Alan Stivell ), say there is.

Often, the term Celtic music is applied to the music of Ireland and Scotland, because both places have produced well-known distinctive styles which actually have genuine commonality and clear mutual influences; however, it is notable that Irish and Scottish traditional musicians themselves avoid the term "Celtic music," except when forced by the necessities of the market. They are famous too because of the importance of Irish and Scottish people in the English speaking world. The music of Wales, Cornwall, Isle of Man, Brittany, Northumbria, Galicia, Cantabria and Asturias and Northeastern Portugal are also a part of Celtic music, the Celtic tradition being particularly strong in Brittany, where Celtic festivals large and small take place throughout the year. Additionally, the musics of ethnically Celtic peoples abroad are vibrant, especially in Canada and the United States.

For more information, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_music

All information credited to wikipedia and people who contributing the information. Really appreciate it.

Shuun

First post

2007-12-14T07:49:00.000-08:00

Hello.

This is the introduction post for my new blog. This blog purpose is to promote celtic or new age type of music and its artist. I also will include information and history behind the celt music.

I update it really soon.

For the mean time, please visit my other personal life blog at http://shuun.blogspot.com