Music

Loreena McKennitt’s stunning performance with Sarah McLachlan, Andrea Corr, Hayley Westenra, Jana Mashonee, Amy Petty.

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O Holy night performed at Carnegie Hall, November 30, 2012. Artists (L to R): Sarah McLachlan, Loreena McKennitt, Andrea Corr, Hayley Westenra, Jana Mashonee, Amy Petty. Concert given for the Golden Hat Foundation. Learn more at http://www.goldenhatfoundation.org/

Just the other day, a video got the attention of Celticists because it features Loreena McKennitt performing with another Canadian superstar Sarah McLachlan. There were other performers like Andrea Corr, Hayley Westenra(who appeared in Celtic Woman), Jana Mashonee and Amy Petty onstage. But you would agree this is a revealing moment. It’s been around since 2012 but it’s a recent knowledge for me. I noticed how Loreena’s voice soared above the rest. They are all good, and yes they are all superstars in their own field but check out the comments and you’d agree that Loreena McKennitt gave a stunning live performance! As one millenial remarked: She slayed them all.

Newfoundland Vinyl IV by Allison Crowe is Out!

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When your work becomes a community journal of encyclopedic range, then music can just sustain you in many ways.

Allison Crowe continues to add to her growing musical achievements with Newfoundland Vinyl IV

  Listening to her 4th collection of songs in Newfoundland Vinyl IV(a collection of tunes from Newfoundland and Labrador), I can’t help but appreciate her patience and persistence in forging a musical path that’s based on true art. Crowe has a strong but supple voice that can belt out mainstream tunes with ease. I read somewhere that she walked away from a recording deal in New York because no artistic compromise was met. They probably want her to be another pop star and she found the whole thing ecky, but oh well she has proven to be very productive and great in what she does!  In Newfoundland Vinyl series, she took the task of recording songs, that span many generations. And although this kind of project doesn’t promise one a top 20 hit in mainstream charts, its merit can be seen in generations to come. After all, true art will always linger when all fads have died down.

The latest Newfoundland Vinyl has 16 acoustic songs recorded and released under her own label Rubenesque records. My current favorite is No Change in Me. Here, she is channeling the inner Joni Mitchell while delivering a unique vocal style reminiscent of Stevie Nicks and softer Edith Piaf. There are also influences from Classical to Celtic music, which will enthrall listeners of eclectic tastes. And repeated listens will yield  appreciation for the depth of her artistry. You can’t help but marvel at the many gifts this project will bring you, lyrically and musically. 

Jazzy and just in time: Van Morrison ‘Got To Go Where The Love Is’

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I just finished listening to Got To Go Where The Love Is off Van Morrison’s forthcoming  album The Prophet Speaks. It marks his 40th studio release! He is such a prolific artist constantly full of musical ideas that his fans will always enjoy.

This song has a Jazz rhythm that enriches his bluesy voice. I love the guitar work on this one. It’s makes me tap my feet and rock my body because it is so irresistible and it glides down your mood instantly!

With his offering as a single, I am sure his legions of fans know what to expect in the forthcoming album: irresistible songs!

The forthcoming album ‘The Prophet Speaks’ out on 7th December. Pre-order the album at this link: https://VanMorrison.lnk.to/TPSYD. Album Pre-order: OFFICIAL ARTIST STORE: https://VanMorrison.lnk.to/TPSYD/offi… AMAZON: https://VanMorrison.lnk.to/TPSYD/amazon ITUNES: https://VanMorrison.lnk.to/TPSYD/itunes GOOGLE PLAY: https://VanMorrison.lnk.to/TPSYD/goog… AMAZON MP3: https://VanMorrison.lnk.to/TPSYD/amaz… HMV: https://VanMorrison.lnk.to/TPSYD/hmv ROUGH TRADE: https://VanMorrison.lnk.to/TPSYD/roug…

To Drive The Cold Winter Away Revisited

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220px-Album_Cover-To_Drive_the_Cold_Winter_Away

To Drive The Cold Winter Away is Loreena McKennitt’s second album after 1985’s Elemental. At this point, she has already gathered fervent followers. This was also a period in her career when she was still selling albums from the trunk of her car. She was also basking around Toronto to promote her songs.

With a background in theater, McKennitt possesses a dramatic and powerful voice suited for live performance.That voice was still in its pristine period in this recording. To Drive The Cold Winter Away retains the simplicity of old carols and the natural sounds that add a distinctive touch to this album.

According to her Wikipedia page, this album ” pays homage to her childhood memories of music for the winter season, the most vivid of which “came from songs and carols recorded in churches or great halls, rich with their own unique ambience and tradition.”

One of the standout tracks is Snow with lyrics by Canadian poet Archibald Lampman -17 November 1861 – 10 February 1899.

Clannad’s Turas 1980 is Out. Hold your Horses!

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When you are a very influential band who bolted out of the musical gates of rural Ireland and eventually created a new musical movement, then unearthing a rare live recording before your mainstream success must be an exciting and bitter-sweet thing.

So many years have gone by and loyal fans still cling to the notion that one day Clannad will release a new album and we will have a big smile once again. Because when that happens it means that the world is still a better place and that part of us-that better aspect of our soul existence is still there like flowers refusing to wilt amidst the onslaught of forces that we can’t control.

This recording was after the last leg of their huge European tour. It’s also the end of the 70s which was a significant era if you are a Clannad fan. Why? Well, I think that the band have three distinct periods. The Clannad of the 70s sounded hardcore in a folk and traditional sense. This was before Hi Fi studio enhancements. They sound really raw and jazzy. In the 80s the band adopted a more pop/rock approach with top 40 hits in the mainstream charts. In the 90s, the band took a more complex, more world/new age oriented sound which earned them their Grammies.

So, Turas 1980 is an important period for the band because they were saying goodbye to their old sound to usher a bigger and more mainstream sound.

You can buy the album here:https://www.amazon.com/Turas-1980-Clannad/dp/B07CF6X8X8