The Official Loreena McKennitt Thread
 

Ah, I can't believe this hasn't been made yet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loreena_McKennitt

Loreena McKennitt, nearly fifty years old, is a Canadian musician best known for her hit single The Mummers' Dance back in 1997 (the version played on the radio is rather different from the album cut) and her The Book of Secrets album, although last.fm seems to show that The Mystic's Dream is really quite popular too.

Basically, she makes music that can, at best, be described as World Music. It's definitely very unique, very beautiful. Nothing at all like what you hear on the radio (and while she gets comparisons to Enya, their styles are extremely different).

Unfortunately, I can't upload any of her songs or albums for any of you to sample, but that's what filesharing programs/previews on Amazon are for.

If you're interested, I suggest any albums from The Visit and onward. She'll be releasing An Ancient Muse later this month (her first new full-length album in nearly 10 years), which was basically my trigger for this thread.

Definitely give her a whirl. Or else. Any fans of hers about?

I'm a Loreena McKennitt fan! i've actually been listening to her must lately -- i like the calmer stuff when i'm studying (or sposed to be studying... *sigh*)

a new album! yeah! i love her music!

There's other people here who know about Loreena? Nice. The Mummers' Dance is my favourite, but I also love her poetry songs like The Lady of Shalott and The Highwayman. I had no idea she's finally releasing another album, something to look forward to.

Yep. it's a big shame she's not more well-known like her contemporary, Enya (I... still have no idea why they draw comparisons. Love them BOTH, but... they're... not each other) - she definitely has the talent.

I personally love The Old Ways the best. It excites me - it just feels tense and foreboding. Tango to Evora is wonderful too. Aside from Greensleeves, I can't think of a song she's made since The Visit that I haven't LOVED.

But yeah, An Ancient Muse is due out November 20th worldwide, November 21st in the U.S., to my knowledge. It's a damn good album (I'm letting it sink in though... I don't often have much of a good memory for albums/songs the first listen-through), and the cover is gorgeous. Very wintry and blue.

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/7...entmuseff9.jpg

I'm just glad she's making music again. I missed her (although I do understand why she went on hiatus for a bit, so...)

I like Enya but Loreena's style is more natural. Enya's music makes me imagine beautiful old-world things, Loreena's almost makes me feel like I'm there myself.

Only a week! Well, it'll be one of those albums I'll buy even without needing to hear a single song beforehand.

Greensleeves is one of the rare songs that left me completely cold. I thought I'd like it (Loreena does another poem) but something about her singing... well, I tend to skip that track and move on to the next. And Dante's Prayer is another favourite. I find it very sad, though, because even though it was released before her fiance's death it makes me think of that accident.

I love both equally. Enya either takes me to magical fantasy worlds rich with color or cozy cabins and warm, large houses. (Her as a person... well, as a person, she bugs me a tad, but I cannot fault the music she puts out, Amarantine and I Want Tomorrow being the only exceptions. Man, I should make an official Enya thread.)

I don't care much for Elemental or Parallel Dreams (although I don't often listen to either, but Dickens' Dublin (The Palace) sucks. I hate hearing kids read crap. I don't want to listen to you! I want to listen to Loreena sing! Maire Brennan pulled that crap too with Peacemaker on Whisper to the Wild Water), but everything after is perfection.

Its so hard to pick a favorite from Loreena, because she's so.... GREAT. It's like how I struggle to pick a favorite Enya song/album, too. She's been consistently awesome since Watermark.

Dante's Prayer is gorgeous, but since you brought up the accident, now I'm going to think about it whenever I listen...

If you have to hear ANY song off of An Ancient Muse before you buy it, Caravanserai. It's definitely something. it reminds me of a cross between Night Ride Across the Caucasus, The Mummers' Dance, and Marrakesh Night Market, but... somehow not entirely like any of them.

I love how she can do all these famous poems and stories and spin them over 9-12 minutes of music and hold my interest the whole time - The Lady of Shallott, The Highwayman, The Eglish Ladye and the Knight, and my personal favorite, the mildly confusing (story-wise) The Bonny Swans.

I also love how... strangely she affects my writing whenever I review her. She allows me to stretch my imagination infinitely and just let the imagery from her music flow through my mind.

I am definitely a big Loreena fan. She is one of the few artists I can write to without becoming thoroughly distracted.

I was so excited when I heard she was releasing a new album! Definitely on my Christmas list, and I haven't heard a thing from it.

My favorite songs...probably The Mummer's Dance. And then Night Ride Across the Caucuses and Dante's Prayer. What can I say, I love The Book of Secrets.

I remember my senior english teacher was a very big fan of her's. Most students in my class didn't care for her, but I like her music. Her voice is amazing :)

I think it's been about five years now since I first heard The Mummers' Dance, bought The Book of Secrets and then started hunting for every other Loreena album even though I hadn't heard any of the tracks on them.

Enya's Amarantine album ended up being a disappointment to me, but it seems I don't have to fear that will happen with Loreena. I checked the Amazon previews of An Ancient Muse, and wow. The music sounds absolutely beautiful, even better than I expected it to be in this first thrill of discovering new Loreena material. I hope the lyrics are as lovely. Incantation and Never-Ending Road should make a beautiful beginning and ending to the album.

I got into Loreena three years ago, and I know the thrill. Thing is? I actually wasn't as crazy about her at first. I LOVED The Mummers' Dance, always have, always will - even when it first came out and I was a big Mariah, TLC fan - but when I heard the other songs her voice was too... I guess to me it seemed operatic and the music I heard wasn't as captivating as that one song. Oh, how opinions change.

The lyrics posted on Quinlan Road are very wonderful (I just hope they'll post the lyrics for Beneath A Phrygian Sky and Never-Ending Road (Amhrán Duit) soon), and the music is indeed beautiful.

I'm just still floored by that cover.

(Amarantine? Oh, man, I love that album. The title track wasn't anything special, but the rest was great. The cover kind of sucks, though... maybe I should make a separate Enya thread~)

I won't be reading the lyrics beforehand, the brief clips will do for now. I usually seek out spoilers and previews of all kinds (I definitely won't wait till I get my actual copy of Secret before listening to it), but I think I'll enjoy this album much more if I'll get to experience Loreena's music and the stories she tells without previous expectations.

Go ahead with the Enya thread! I'm not terribly articulate when it comes to describing exactly why I love my favourite albums, but I can contribute some "The Memory of Trees? Such beautiful work!" comments.

I'm exactly the same! i couldn't describe how i feel about songs even if my life depended on it! *sigh* but yes, enya is good!

my fav Loreena songs include the Highwayman, Mummers Dance, Mystic's Dream, and Dante's Prayer... *sigh* her music is so beautiful!

A friend from another forum recommended me her Book of Secrets album quite a few years ago. It's not like anything I listen to, but I really enjoy it. The Highway Man and the Mummers' Dance are my favourites.

ooh ooh!!

from Wikipedia:
*rushes off to find torrent* I need nice music to study to! must stop procrastination!

I've only heard one song of hers. It's that suicide song... Gloomy Sunday! Yeah, there we go. I liked that song, even if it's rather depressing. Haha. (Or so the music file was tagged...)

Errr?!

She... kind of doesn't have a song by that name at all (or with that theme).

gloomy sunday? maybe you've got the wrong singer...

Loreena's new album isn't too bad! i love Caravanserai and The English Ladye and The Knight

I understand it's going to be digipak D: DAMN IT, LOREENA. I HATE DIGIPAK.

I hope there's a jewel case version released too, like with Melissa Etheridge's Skin (I KNOW I saw one...) and Rihanna's A Girl Like Me. Digipak sucks.

The Lady of Shalott is just brilliant... And the Mummer's dance, Greensleeves and Gloomy Sunday are awesome aswell

Gloomy Sunday? Loreena =! Gloomy Sunday (never heard the song before myself, personally, but... she doesn't have a song listed at all under that title. Might be a mix-up).