Hey everyone, thanks for bringing her to my attention…I had heard the name before but never bothered listening to any of her stuff. I enjoyed several of the tracks from her website just now and I’ll be ordering some CDs from the library. Thanks!!
Tom
Right in one! Here’s a link to the full poem with the omited verses highlighted
I’ve been secretly enjoying Loreena McKennit’s cd’s for years. You don’t want just anyone knowing that- especially big-mouthed opinionated musical purists either of the ITM persuasion or just haters of new age. (One may be a subcategory of the other…) Some of her older cd’s have songs traditional or inspired by. She does a nice version of Carrickfergus with a male singer. And there’s a song Standing Stones (?) about a murder and heartbreak on an island. When the lover’s heart breaks, the uilleann pipes scream agony.
If you like her music, you should check out Aine Minogue, an Irish harpist with a great voice. She’s much more adept at harp playing and does more Irish trad, but sometimes with the newagey strings and electronics in the background. She sings Eanach Chuin in Irish with waves crashing in the background and the tune finishes out with a fading away tin whistle. Hey. I’d recommend Mysts of Time and Between the Worlds, which has a cool version of O’Carolan’s Mr O’Connor done on harp and cello. I recently bought her ‘Were You at the Rock?’ which starts out with King of the Fairies on harp.
Tony
Your memory is correct Sir! (and mine was faulty- no suprise there) 
She did leave out the verse about the ostler giving him away to the redcoats. I had forgotten that one. That bugs me since it seems pivotal to the story with the expalnation of just why the redcoats were laying in ambush for him. And the very last part is not there too, correct again. Actually , in my pitiful defense, I had only listened to this cd on themail route in my jeep, so I was not hearing it real well 
. Tonight I brought it in and listened to it while reading the poem.
I should have said the Och’s version was even more condensed.
I did have fun playing whistle along with several of the tracks- The Highwayman of course, The Lady of Shallott- my second favorite, and All Souls Night, or whatever the name of that one is…- they were easy to figure out the notes on. I’m gonna try a few more later tonight. In fact these might be good tunes for someone concentrating on learning to learn tunes by ear since most are pretty slow and melodic.
Hey man, lets not be buttering me up! Otherwise, pleased to turn you on. My wife says it looks like me, but the point is better spoken of…it makes for better persuasion when I’m dealing with the religious RWers, ie, sometime I need help driving the point home with the axe. But I bounce back nicely when I put on Loreena McKennitt’s CDs.
I LOVE McKennit, one of my favourite artists the latest 3 years.
Lady of shallot got me hooked and I got 3-4 of her records. Can´t wait to add more and for the next release.
/Peter
The hurdy-gurdy has a very alive and rather large scene around it at least in germany and france. The most popular festival featuring it (and all kinds of bagpipes) is probably the one in St. Chartier, France, every summer: http://www.saintchartier.org/. I’ve never been there, though. The hurdy-gurdy is comparable to bagpipes as it is a torture instrument in the hands of a beginner, and capable of producing some of the most wonderful music on earth in the hands of a master.
Sonja
In addition to being a fan of traditional Irish music, I am also (secretly?) a great fan of Loreena McKennitt, even though I don’t get around to listening to her CDs as often as I once did. To place me on the fan-o-meter, I do have all her albums and I even took a trip to Berlin once with the sole purpose of seeing her in concert. Great experience, BTW!
Jens
I am a fan of Loreena too, and saw her in concert in Montreal a few years ago. Since her fiance’s death, she hasnt done much though, that’s sad. “The Visit” is easily my favorite album.
“Since her fiance’s death, she hasnt done much though, that’s sad.”
I´m realy sorry to hear that. Funny, I mean I don´t know her a bit, but the way her music touches me…hmm makes you feel more then you normally would I guess.
Will definately try to see her if she plays in northen Europe again.
/Peter
Hello! I’m new here and this forum immediately caught my eye. I’m VERY new to this instrument and my beginnings consisted of playing songs I knew well in my head by ear. It was a slow process, but less daunting to me early on then trying to attack learning ornamentation.
I am intrigued to hear someone playing along with Loreena’s music as I truly enjoy listening to it.
Do you try to match up with an instruments current part, the melody, or do you play a harmonic addition?
Do you try to match up with an instruments current part, the melody, or do you play a harmonic addition?
When I’m trying to play along with a “non-trad” recording I play with the melody for the most part. For example on Lady of Shallott I was doing the intro with the strings, then switched to her voice for the melody, although when I don’t have notes low enough I either go up an octave for that phrase/or, and this is usually, play harmonically with the phrase. On the All Soul’s night I did play quiet a bit of it harmonically since it seemed to lend itself to that more.
Actually, since I’m playing just to please myself with stuff like this, I just play whatever part I feel like at the moment. So far most of the tunes on this cd seem to lend them selves to improvisation if one is so inclined.