From: bulger@ug.cs.dal.ca (Fred Bulger)
Newsgroups: rec.music.folk
Subject: Re: Loreena McKennitt
Date: 15 Apr 92 05:46:55 GMT
Organization: Math, Stats & CS, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

In article <11423@mindlink.bc.ca> Crawford_Kilian@mindlink.bc.ca (Crawford Kilian) writes:
>This may be an old topic to many of you, but as new participant in this
>newsgroup I'd be grateful for any information/opinion on Loreena McKennitt. I
>discovered her latest album, The Visit, just before it won the Juno award in
>roots/folk a couple of weeks ago. I've also picked up a couple of her earlier
>albums, so I can see quite an interesting development. I'd be interested now to
>learn what others think of her work and what kind of context that work belongs
>in.

   Loreena McKennit has gone unrecognized far too long.  Only recently has she
gained recognition here in Canada, thanks to her being signed to a major record
company ... Warner Brothers.  I don't know where she stands in other parts of 
the world, but I think she will make quite a name for herself in the inter-
national music scene.  She is blessed with the most beautiful voice  that my 
ears have ever had the pleasure of listening to, and has the musical ability
to back it up... with numerous instruments.  She is more closely associated with
the Celtic and/or troubadour harp ( does anybody know the difference ?) but
also plays keyboards, accordian, tin whistle, bodhran, ukalin, and several 
others ... and quite well I might add.  Impressive, but I think her voice is
what captures me - not the range or clarity of it, but the expressiveness with 
which she is able to integrate it into her music.  
    As to her style of music, it is very refreshing.  This is kind of odd given
that she tends towards traditional Celtic music, but she serves this genre of
music well and has provided  wonderful treatments of traditional songs of
the British Isles.  Her rendition of "Anachie Gordon" is stunning, as are her
other "cover tunes" "greensleeves", "Bonny Portmore", "Kellswater", "She Moved
Through the Fair", and a host of others.  Her first album is almost entirely
traditionals, whereas her latest album features originals interspersed with a
few traditional songs.  It is also nice to see material such as "The Lady of
Shalott" and "Lullaby", in which she has taken the poetic works of Tennyson
and Blake respectively, and provided her own music.  "The Lady of Shalott"
is mezmerizing (sp?) and perhaps my favourite of hers.  It reveals her capacity
as a composer/song-writer as well as prodcuer ... she was nominated for best
producer at the Juno's.  If I were to make a "Best of" tape at this time, it 
would something like this:

    She Moved Through the Fair          Elemental
    Carrighfergus                       Elemental
    Lullaby                             Elemental
    Anachie Gordon                      Parallel Dreams
    DIcken's Dublin                     Parallel Dreams
    Samain Night                        Parallel Dreams
    Bonny Portmore                      The Visit
    All Souls Night                     The Visit
    The Lady of Shalott                 The Visit
    Cymbeline                           The Visit
    To Drive the Cold Winter Away       Songs to Drive the Cold Winter Away
    Snow                                "      "   "      "

	How does this compare with your personal favourites?

	Her albums are an investment which I think most folk music fans would
cherish.  I rate her right up there with Stan Rogers in the folk music circle,
however in a somewhat different light ... that's saying a lot from me.

		later...



-- 
  Fred Bulger                |  1-(902)-496-9029  
  6222 Chebucto Rd.          |  bulger@ug.cs.dal.ca  
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Newsgroups: rec.music.folk,rec.culture.celtic