# The Book of Secrets (album)

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The Book of Secrets is the sixth studio album by Loreena McKennitt, released in 1997. It reached #17 on the Billboard 200. The lead single of the album, "The Mummers' Dance," remixed by DNA, was released during the winter of 1997–98, and peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #17 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album is certified double-platinum in the United States. It has now sold more than four million copies worldwide.

## Track listing

All music written by Loreena McKennitt. All lyrics written by Loreena McKennitt except as noted.
* "Prologue" – 4:22
* "The Mummers' Dance" – 6:07
* "Skellig" – 6:07
* "Marco Polo" – 5:15
* "The Highwayman" (lyric by Alfred Noyes, abridged by Loreena McKennitt) – 10:19
* "La Serenissima" – 5:09
* "Night Ride Across the Caucasus" – 8:30
* "Dante's Prayer" – 7:11

## Song information

* The DNA remix of "The Mummers' Dance" was made into a music video.
* "Skellig" relates the dying words of a monk from a monastery that existed during the 6th–12th centuries on the island Skellig Michael (Great Skellig), 11.6 km west of Ireland.
* "The Highwayman" is an adaptation of the poem of the same name by Alfred Noyes.
* "Night Ride Across the Caucasus" appeared in the 1998 film Soldier.
* The music from "Night Ride Across the Caucasus" was used in the song Kokli by Ulytau.
* "Dante's Prayer" refers to Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.

## Personnel

This information is directly from the sleeve notes.
* Loreena McKennitt – vocals (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8), piano (track 8), keyboards, harp (track 6), kanun (track 1), accordion (tracks 4, 5)
* Anne Bourne – cello (track 6)
* Aidan Brennan – acoustic guitar (track 3), mandola (tracks 4, 7)
* Martin Brown – acoustic guitar (track 5), mandolin (track 5), mandola (track 5)
* Stuart Bruce – assembled drone (track 1), vocal drone (4)
* Paul Clarvis – snare drum (track 5)
* Nigel Eaton – hurdy-gurdy (track 2, 4)
* Steáfán Hannigan – bodhrán (track 5)
* Nick Hayley – sarangi (track 7), rebec (track 7), lira da braccio (track 7)
* Brian Hughes – oud (tracks 2, 4, 7), electric guitar (tracks 1, 5), acoustic guitar (tracks 4, 5, 7), irish bouzouki (tracks 4, 5, 7), guitar synthesizer (track 4), classical guitar (track 6), vocal drone (track 4)
* Robin Jeffrey – Victorian guitar (track 6)
* Martin Jenkins – mandocello (tracks 3, 4, 5, 7)
* Manu Katché – drums (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7)
* Caroline Lavelle – cello (tracks 2, 5, 8)
* Rick Lazar – percussion (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7)
* Joanna Levine – viola da gamba (tracks 3, 6)
* Hugh Marsh – violin (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
* Osama – violin (track 4)
* Steve Pigott – additional keyboards (tracks 3,8)
* Donald Quan – tabla (tracks 2,4,7), timba (track 1), esraj (track 1), viola (tracks 2,4,5,6,8), additional keyboards (tracks 3,4), vocal drone (track 4)
* Hossam Ramzy – percussion (tracks 2,4,5,7)
* David Rhodes – electric guitar (track 2)
* Danny Thompson – acoustic bass (tracks 2,3,4,5,7,8)
* Bob White – tin whistle (track 3), shawm (track 4)
* String Quartet:
** Jonathan Rees – 1st violin (tracks 3,7)
** Iain King – 2nd violin (tracks 3,7)
** Andy Brown – viola (tracks 3,7)
** Chris van Kampen – cello (tracks 3,7)
* Caroline Dale – string arrangements for tracks 3,6,7
* Additional string arrangements – Brian Gascoigne and Doug Riley

### Production

* As listed in CD booklet:
** Produced by Loreena McKennitt; assisted by Brian Hughes & Donald Quan
** Recorded & Mixed by Kevin Killen (recorded track 1; mixed tracks 1, 2, 5 & 7) & Stuart Bruce (recorded tracks 2–8; mixed tracks 3, 4, 6 & 8)
** Recording & mix assisted by Jacquie Turner, Justin Griffith, Marco Migliara
** Mastered by Bob Ludwig
** All songs published by Quinlan Road Music, except in Europe, South America & Southeast Asia (Quinlan Road Music/BMG Music Publishing International)

## Chart performance

| Chart (1997–98) | Peak position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 33 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 34 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 25 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 3 |
| Danish Albums (Tracklisten) | 14 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 29 |
| French Albums (SNEP) | 16 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 7 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 17 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 9 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 30 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) | 16 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 30 |
| US Billboard 200 | 17 |
| US World Albums (Billboard) | 1 |

### Year-end charts

| Chart (1997) | Position |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 91 |
| French Albums (IFOP) | 88 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 92 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 74 |
| Chart (1998) | Position |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) | 40 |
| US Billboard 200 | 67 |

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Argentina (CAPIF) | Gold | 30,000$^^$ |
| Australia (ARIA) | Gold | 35,000$^^$ |
| Canada (Music Canada) | 3× Platinum | 400,000 |
| France (SNEP) | Gold | 110,000 |
| Germany (BVMI) | Gold | 250,000$^^$ |
| Greece (IFPI Greece) | Gold | 30,000$^^$ |
| Italy | — | 100,000 |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | Gold | 70,000 |
| United States (RIAA) | 2× Platinum | 1,867,000 |
| Summaries |||
| Worldwide | — | 4,000,000 |
| $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||