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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Incantation |
| 2. The Gates of Istanbul |
| 3. Caravanserai |
| 4. The English Ladye and the Knight |
| 5. Kercharitomene |
| 6. Penelope's Song |
| 7. Sacred Shabbat |
| 8. Beneath A Phrygian Sky |
| 9. Never-ending Road (Amhran Duit) |
Product Description
Album Description
Beginning with an invocation inspired by Homer's Odyssey -- "Tell me, O Muse, of those who traveled far and wide"-- its nine tracks take the listener around the globe, across the ages and into the stories of a wondrous cast of characters. We hear the voices of a Scottish knight and his English lady, united by love and divided by strife; adventurers of the Silk Road approaching the gates of Istanbul; a Byzantine princess who witnessed the Crusades; the wandering Celts who claimed King Midas' lands; and Odysseus' faithful wife Penelope, scanning the wine-dark seas for his return.
From the sinuous grooves of "Caravanserai" to the elegiac echoes of "The English Ladye and The Knight" and the plaintive refrain of "Penelope's Song," the album boasts an exotic tapestry of instruments: harp, hurdy-gurdy, uilleann pipes, cello, kanoun, Turkish clarinet, lyra, bouzouki and nyckelharpa. Supporting musicians include Brian Hughes, Hugh Marsh, Caroline Lavelle, Manu Katché, Rick Lazar, Nigel Eaton, Steafan Hannigan, Tal Bergman, Tim Landers and Greek musicians Panos Dimitrakopoulos, Socratis Sinopoulos, Haig Yazdjian and Giorgios Kontogiannis, along with acclaimed string players and members of the Choristers of Westminster Abbey.
In an age whose uncertainties and strife make it perhaps not so very distant from eras long past, An Ancient Muse's theme, McKennitt suggests, is that we can learn lessons from history if we choose to do so - by remembering those very particular places in time when religious harmony and cultural fusion brought diverse societies together.
"I have not wavered in my conviction," she observes in the written introduction to An Ancient Muse, "that we are a culmination of our collective histories, and that there should be more to bind us together than tear us apart."
About the Artist
Born in the province of Manitoba, Canada, Loreena moved to Stratford, Ontario, Canada in 1981, where she still resides. She has acted and sung in, and composed music for, Stratford Festival of Canada productions ranging from The Tempest (1982) to The Merchant Of Venice (2001).
Her recording career began in 1985 with the album Elemental. In the fledgling years of her label Quinlan Road, Loreena ran its operations from her kitchen table, selling recordings by mail order and producing her own concert tours across the country.
Loreena continues to manage her career from her Stratford base. An active member of her community, she has founded and oversees important charitable undertakings in the fields of water safety and family/childhood support services.
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Customer Reviews
I was not immediately certain about the music I heard until I had listened to it four or five times but, now, I can't get enough of it. Such is her ability to enchant, captivate or charm me that, amongst all the large amounts of music I listen to, I keep coming back to Loreena.
The thing about her is that it is not just an album but a magical mystery lesson in history, set to music. You buy the whole package including her immersion in the research which goes into the making of the album and the story of the journeys she makes.
Once the research is done, it seems that the knowledge her fantastic mind has gained is used to piece together a travelogue which sends the listener on a similar journey to which the artist has been on. This is, I guess, what she sets out to do - and she succeeds wonderfully.
For this album, she has brought together a brilliant set of musicians - Brian Hughes, Hugh Marsh, Caroline Lavelle, Rick Lazar and Donald Quan - to name five and who have featured on previous albums.
So what we have is such a fantastic album that I can't stop playing it. Loreena's singing is sensational and with such clarity that you can hear every word. Add the aforementioned musicians and nine gorgeous tracks - my personal favourites are "Beneath A Phrygian Sky" and "Penelope's Song", but all are brilliant - and you have a fantastic album which will be among my all-time favourites for a long time.
Incidentally, at the time of writing, she has just finished a European tour and is about to start a tour of Canada and the United States. Her only English concert was in London's Barbican Theatre and she and her fellow musicians were simply fantastic. Fans should look out for a 2xCD/1xDVD box set of the concert she performed in September 2006 at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, which was on sale at her concert venues - it is brilliant.
So, this relatively new fan has fallen in love with Loreena McKennitt's music and I strongly recommend that if you have a vague interest in her music, buy the album and you will not be disappointed - it is a hauntingly, beautiful collection of musical from a brilliantly talented artist.
Again we follow Mckennitt on her travels, most importantly through the music but also through the running diary she keeps and uses eventually as sleeve notes. All the tracks are strong and performed well so if you are already into her music, you will not be disappointed. Mckennitt has come into her own. Leads me to think as an after thought that the next one will have to be very out of the ordinary. I hope we don't have to wait too long.
Blessed with the most pure angelic voice, and gifted with the ability to write such... Read more
McKennett and this is one of her best albums.(they are all good).Anyone thinking about buying it...go for it.
It came forth out of the great mind of that which He created in a Summer long since past
And lifted us out of Self and... Read more
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