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Aldebaran

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 It’s 2 AM. Just getting up to drink a glass of water. This thing caught my fancy. It’s the red giant star Aldebaran which I have been thinking about. It’s probably due to The Celts album. I am fascinated by both the song and the star. Ok I am playing the song again. For those who haven’t heard it yet, I burned my CD into mp3 so I can upload it here.  Aldebaran by Enya

 

 

Star facts:

-the brightest star in the constellation Taurus and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky.

-Because of its location in the head of Taurus, it has historically been called the Bull’s Eye.

-NASA’s Pioneer 10 spacecraft, which flew by Jupiter in 1973 will reach and pass by Aldebaran in about two million years.

 

 

Song facts:

-taken from Enya’s 1986 Album for The Celts soundtrack for a  BBC documentary.

-The song was inspired by Director Ridley Scott

-In the liner notes for the The Celts album, Roma Ryan gives a little background information about Aldebaran and says that this piece portrays future Celts passing Aldebaran on their journey to new territories, continuing the migratory pattern which was so predominant in their early history.

-here’s the Irish to English translation:

Codladh Fada- Long Sleep

Codladh Domhain- Deep Sleep

Éirigh! Amharc síos Rise! -Look down!
Aldebaran. Aldebaran.

Siúl liom trí an réalta dearg. Walk with me through the red stars

Deireadh, deireadh an Turas The end, end of the journey

Réaltóg, réaltóg dearg. Star, red star

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OK,off to bed again.Just leave me a message folks if you have something in mind

.It’s my day off so I will have a lot of catching up to do later.Maybe go watch a movie.

 

  Truth to tell I am only filling this up so the picture on my right would not look out of place.

Hahahaha.There.

The Priests from Northend Ireland.

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the_priests_cd

Someone in the Unity (The official Enya forum) sneaked them in at the Off Topic section. I thought I should give them a try. Fr Eugene, his brother Fr Martin O’Hagan and Fr David Delargy are real Roman Catholic priests from Northern Ireland. Check out their official You Tube site

Trivia:In December 2008 they scooped the Guinness World Record for ‘Fastest-selling UK debut for a classical act’.

Name This Instrument In Five Seconds!

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swanharp1

_________ is small to medium-sized and usually designed for traditional music; it can be played solo or with small groups. It is prominent in Welsh, Breton, Irish, Scottish and other Celtic cultures within traditional or folk music and as a social and political symbol.

Looking Back:Connie Dover’s Somebody

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TPM101I first discovered American singer Connie Dover when I got a copy of CD Review in the early 90s.This line caught me and I knew I have to find her recordings:

 

“Just occasionally, a voice arrives on the folk scene that is so pure, so beautiful, so magical, that it tells you: this is how to sing a song. Such a voice has Connie Dover.”
— The Scotsman (Scotland’s National Newspaper)

 

  Connie posseses one of the rarest voice in the folk music industry. I find it totally beautiful. The title track  Somebody evokes longing, driven by acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies. The Baron of Brackley has that old Fairport Convention feel to it. Other tracks are mid-tempo, divided into lively and traditional airs.Cantus is one some that’s actually based on a Gregorian chant but translated into 3 parts: Latin, English and Gaelic. Connie indeed has a knack for doing tireless research and singing in multi-language.O’er The Hills and Far Away is a paean for unrequited love set on a lively sway with a Scottish feel. Shenandoah is sung acappela with her voice dubbed several times to create harmony vocals. Rosemary’s Sister is about the perils of war. So far this collection pays tribute to the journeys of different people coming from Ireland and Scotland, and then settling into early America, bringing with them songs that’s as old as a thousand years.

 

For detailed information,please visit her official websiteconniecowgirl

Also visit Amazon.com to purchase the album.

Have you listened to The High Kings lately?

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 I tell you people. The High Kings need only one song. Just one song to sing to you to win you over. Four guys harmonizing and playing instruments. Their music is insanely catchy. It’s like bringing home a friend who is perky,talented at the same time a total boy scout. They do vocally what fiddles and tin whistles do in Irish music. Their official website features interviews and live performance.