Clannad | New Music And Songs | Clannad About Clannad Clannad bridged the gap between traditional Celtic music and pop. Usually, their results were an entrancing, enchanting form of pop that managed to fuse the disparate elements together rather seamlessly. Such fusions have earned the band an international cult of fans. Taking their name from the Gaelic word for "family," Clannad formed in 1970 when the Brennan family -- Maire (vocals, harp), Ciaran (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), Pol (guitar, percussion, flute, vocals) -- began playing at their father Leo's tavern with two of their uncles, Padraig Duggan (guitar, vocals, mandolin) and Noel Duggan (guitar, vocals). Soon afterward, the group began playing folk festivals in Ireland. They released their self-titled first album in 1973, yet the band didn't earn any widespread success until they toured Germany in 1975.

Maire's sister, Enya, joined the group in 1980, but left in 1982, just as the group was beginning to come into some pop success in the U.K. Clannad recorded the theme song for the television program Harry's Game; the single hit number five on the charts and won the band an Ivor Novello Award. The band recorded the soundtrack to the television production Robin of Sherwood in 1984; it won a British Academy Award for best soundtrack the next year. Clannad's success continued in 1986, when U2's Bono was featured on the Top 20 hit "In a Lifetime." The band continued to release albums into the '90s, building their pop following without losing their folk audience. Landmarks, which was issued in early 1997, earned the group their first ever Grammy award, though it also signaled the beginning of a long hiatus from the stage, and an indefinite one in regards to the studio.

Compilations like The Best of Clannad: In a Lifetime and solo projects from Noel and Pádraig (The Duggans) and Moya Brennan dominated the front half of the 2000s, culminating in a 2008 world tour that found Clannad traveling as far as Thailand. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi Hear more of Clannad - Vellum - YouTube Clannad - Vellum Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jun 19, 2014 If you enjoy this song, please help support the artist by purchasing the album or digital download. No copyright infringement intended. From the Clannad album Nadur (2013). Clannad consists of: Clannad The band's name means "family" in the Irish Gaelic of Donegal County. A sister and her two brothers surnamed Brennan, and their twin uncles surnamed Duggan, comprise the group.

The Brennan children's father was a professional musician in his own right, before settling down to run a tavern. Their mother was a music teacher and choir mistress. It would be hard to imagine a family environment more musically alive than this. An clann as Dobhar was the original name of the band, which translates "a family from Dore". The original members included Máire Brennan, her brothers Ciarán and Pól, and their twin uncles Pádraig and Noel Duggan. The group started by playing in the Brennan's tavern, and in 1970, while still in school, won first prize at the Letterkenny Folk Festival. They began their professional career as a group in 1976. The following table lists the band members and the instruments they play. Note that these are the band members' primary instruments - all have played others from time to time, as circumstances warranted. Irish Name Enya Brennan keyboards, vocals Enya Brennan, sister to Máire, Ciarán, and Pól, played with the band from 1980 to 1982, and appeared on two recordings with the group: Crann Úll and Fuaim.

She left the band to pursue a musical career under the single name Enya . Pól Brennan also went solo in 1989. Máire Brennan, while remaining with the band, has made solo recordings. Clannad plays traditional music to their own arrangements, as well as their own compositions. The latter are usually sung in English, sometimes in Gaelic, and generally have a contemporary rock/pop sound, but always with an Irish echo, more or less remote. "We are a fusion of various styles of music, growing out of a traditional Gaelic root" was Ciarán Brennan's comment, and that rather less than informative statement describes their music as well as any other, to one who has never heard it played. I first encountered this group's music a few years after they had begun recording. I picked up In Concert in the mid-1980's, and was instantly enchanted. What really hooked me though, was a song sung in Gaelic titled "Coinleach Glas an Fhomair" (The Harvest Fields of Autumn). Though sung in a language I did not understand, it is easily the most haunting song I have ever heard.

The band has recorded two arrangements of this tune; the version performed on Magical Ring added echo effects to the mix, while the version recorded for Clannad 2 was more "acoustical" in nature. It is this latter arrangement that I heard first, and it is still my favorite. Clannad's contemporary work will often feature one or two arrangements of traditional music, but mostly contain original material. Their traditional recordings do not generally include any of their own compositions, although all of the arrangements are their own. I confess a personal preference for their traditional recordings, but their original music is well worth hearing. Clannad has also composed and performed music for television and film. "Harry's Game" was written for a television mini-series set in Northern Ireland, and was later borrowed for other films, most notably Paramount Picture's 1992 release, Patriot Games. Clannad also composed the score for the popular British television series Robin of Sherwood. This is an impressive work, especially for the energetic "Ancient Forest", and the lyrically reflective harp instrumental "Lady Marian". The soundtrack is available on the recording Legend.

Tim Eagen Spirit of Sherwood: RoS Music RoS Music Clannad The music for RoS was created by the Irish band Clannad. Clannad (which is made up from three Gaelic words: 'Clann as Dore' - meaning the family from Dore (Dobhar), a small village in Country Donegal) is quite literally a family: the band consists of Pol, Ciaran and Maire Brennan, whose father is the celebrated Irish bandleader Leo Brennan, and their twin uncles, Noel and Pat Duggan. Enya Brennan, one of Maire's sisters, used to be a member of the group in the early eighties, and another Brennan sister, Bridin, toured with Clannad as a backing vocalist for years in the nineties. Since winning a recording contract when the band were in their early teens, the group have produced a succession of albums, each one developing the Clannad sound from its roots of Irish folk music to the highly individual style that has earned them the reputation of being one of the most talented bands ever to emerge from the Emerald Isle. Their music has been variously described as being folk music, new age, and Celtic.

Clannad: Pat, Maire, Pol, Noel, Ciaran Maire, Pol en Ciaran grew up in Meenaleck, in the parish of Gweedore, Donegal, in the secluded north-west of Ireland, and sang and played from an early age in their father's bar, "Leo's Tavern". Soon they were accompanied by their uncles, Pat and Noel Duggan, winning a talent contest in Letterkenny in 1970 with the Gaeilge popsong "Lisa" written by Pat. Their first album, "Clannad", was released in 1973, followed by "Clannad 2" (1975), "Dúlamán" (1976), "Crann Ull" (1980) and "Fuaim" (1981), which featured Enya. Clannad had been at the forefront of Irish music for many years, but it was only after their score for Yorkshire Television's "Harry's Game" that a wider audience came to appreciate their musical excellence and the hauntingly beautiful voice of Maire Brennan.

The "Theme from Harry's Game" was released in October 1982 and after selling 47,000 records on the day of release, peaked at number 5 in the UK chart. This song has more recently captured audiences in a VW commercial and in the film "Patriot Games". The single was followed by the magnificent "Magical Ring" (1983), the band's debut album for RCA records. It reached number 25 in the charts and stayed in the top 50 for over 6 months, achieved Gold status and yielded another two singles. After an extensive tour of major European venues, Clannad returned to the studio with legendary Moody Blues producer Tony Clark to record an album of songs for the award winning Goldcrest/HTV series "Robin of Sherwood". Aside from the album, "Legend" (1984), the band also wrote and performed all the atmospherics for the episodes.

Early in 1985, at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Clannad received the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award (British Oscar) for the best TV theme music/soundtrack of the year with "Legend", making them not only the first Irish band to win the prestigious award, but also the only group ever to be nominated twice. "Legend" matched "Magical Ring" in sales, selling over 150,000 copies. Since recording the music for RoS, Clannad have had many successful albums such as "Marcalla" (1985), "Sirius" (1987) and "Anam" (1990) and had their music featured in films like "Patriot Games", "Last of the Mohicans" and "Into the West". The "Banba" album once again gave Clannad a Top 5 hit in the UK charts in 1993 and marked a momentous anniversary: 20 years together as a professional group.

They released the mega-selling album "Lore" (1996) and the Grammy Award winning "Landmarks" (1998), again proving that no other act had such a distinctive imprint, such a variety of style and tone. But after 1996 Clannad slowly drifted apart. It was time, they sensed, to pursue other projects, with the full knowledge that family business might resume in the near future. Most of the Clannad members are now working on projects outside of Clannad. Maire's sister Enya (Eithne) joined the band in 1979 and left three years later to pursue a successful solo career. Maire has also enjoyed a simultaneous career as a solo singer, starting with her 1992 album entitled "Máire" (featuring also her sisters Bridin, Olive and Deirdre), and recently altered the spelling of her name to Moya Brennan. Pol and Pat Duggan gathered together 18 friends made over the years (including their nieces Moya, Bridin and Deirdre) and in 2004 made their first non-Clannad recording called "Rubicon".

The youngest of the Brennan siblings, Bridin (Brídín) also released her own debut album, "Eyes Of Innocence", in 2005. In March 2008 Clannad held their first UK tour in over 12 years. And in September 2013 "Nádúr" - the first new release since "Landmarks" in 1998 and the first full album to feature all five original members including Pol since 1989's "Sirius" - came out. In February 2014 Clannad was presented the BBC Radio 2 Folk Lifetime Achievement Award at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Band members on "Legend": LP RCA PL70188 (UK) tape Tara 3012 The original CD sleeve insert features a front cover with Michael Praed as Robin of Loxley, holding the Silver Arrow, in front of the drum tower of Rochester Castle (see above) and has photos and character descriptions of all the main first-season cast: Loxley, Marion, the Merry Men, the Sheriff, and Gisburne.

Since 25 August 2003, "Legend" is also available from RCA in a deluxe edition, digitally remastered from the original tapes, with new sleeve notes (unfortunately no more RoS cast photo's, but extensive information about the album's making), rare (band) photos and a bonus track: Together We (Cantoma Mix) 5:20 [P. Brennan]. "Legend" only contains the music from the first two seasons (i.e. with Michael Pread as Robin of Loxley) but not from the third season (i.e. with Jason Connery as Robert of Huntingdon). Most notably the music from the dance scene in "Herne's Son" is missing. The only pieces of third-season RoS music released so far are the song Caisleán Óir on their album "Macalla" and the last three themes in the 11 minute Robin Of Sherwood Medley on their 2005 album "Live in Concert" (compiled from various performances from their 1996 European tour), which consists of: Robin (The Hooded Man) / Herne / Ancient Forest / Lady Marian / Royal / Action / Mighty Chase.

It seems that there was a "Legend II" album intended in 1986. Several tracks from Legend also appear on other Clannad albums (e.g. "PastPresent") and some of the tracks from RoS have appeared on 7" singles: A music video for the song "Robin, The Hooded Man" is included in their videotape collection for "PastPresent". It features clips from RoS interspersed with the band performing the song. How "Legend" came about This information is taken from the inlay of the "Legend" re-issue CD, by Stuart Baillie. Singer Moya Brennan calls the 'Legend' album 'a huge, huge milestone' for Clannad. It was the record that demanded the best of their resources and creativity. It set them on a dramatic learning curve - writing music to order, matching sound with pictures. They were letting their minds drift into the deeps of ancient myth. At the same time, they were using the best of modern technology to further their needs. And happily, everything came out well. 'Legend' was the soundtrack to the HTV/Goldcrest television series, 'Robin Of Sherwood'.

It was the story of Saxons versus Normans, the dispossessed against the ruling class, good guys doing battle with evil energies. And here was Clannad, an act from Donegal, on Ireland's north-west shore, scoring the action. For the first time ever, they had made an album without a word of their native Gaelic. The band that had become famous for those grand harmonies, were rarely using them. And while there were hints of traditional airs, this was all original music, authored by the brothers Pól and Ciarán, with help from their sister Moya. Ultimately, it won them a BAFTA award for Best Original TV Music - the first Irish act to be honoured thus. And it gave the band members a reputation for soundtrack work that was continued through the likes of 'Atlantic Realm', 'The Angel And A Soldier Boy', 'Last Of The Mohicans' and beyond. But when they accepted the commission, Clannad had barely thought of how important this work would be. "There was a lot of naivety," Pól admits. "But there was also a pure 'go-for-it' attitude as well.

It was great fun to make and my abiding memory is how we were empowered by the show's producer, Paul Knight. We were given a full licence to go and to flow. It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and it came at a point the sound of the band was starting to shift. There was a massive leap in terms of the Clannad sound." The Brennans plus their uncles, Padraig and Noel Duggan, had started playing around the Gweedore area in the early Seventies. They became avid song collectors, and they gave their traditional reportoire a flavor of American and British rock and folk. Their breakthrough song was 'Theme From Harry's Game' in 1982, which had accompanied a TV drama about the political situation in Northern Ireland. This was a top five hit, leading to a major record deal and the album 'Magical Ring', a year later. This found the band writing more and learning how to sustain that amazing, layered sound. Meantime, Richard Carpenter was writing the script for 'Robin Of Sherwood'.

His previous TV credits were Dick Turpin and Catweazle; the former a highway man of reknown, the latter a fictional mystic, transported into the 20th Century with his trusty toad, Touchwood. Carpenter took his job seriously, as Pól later found out. "The amount of research that he'd done on Robin Hood was just enormous. It was awesome. He knew everything. And what he'd created was close to the myth and the legend. Yet his dialogue had this modern edge to it." The original director, Ian Sharp, was fascinated with the strangeness of the story, and so he accented the supernatural element. For instance, there was Herne, the forest-dwelling mystic, who gave Robin a guiding, shamanic force. "That was right down our street," Pól remembers, "In terms of what we were able to bring to it musically and vocally." While the early rushes of 'Robin Of Sherwood' were being viewed, the team were using tracks from 'Magical Ring'. With this in mind, Paul Knight had contacted the band and asked if they would care to provide something new. "We were very excited," says Moya.

"First of all, we were offered 13 episodes. As it turned out, it was 26 episodes, and it was a fantastic journey for us. We went on location just outside Bristol, which was great, because we got to know everybody involved - the director, the actors and everyone. So it was a real sense of occasion. It wasn't just ourselves being locked away in a studio." The band rented a place in London's Berkeley Square, close to Trident Studios in Soho, where the project would take shape. This took six months of concentrated effort, while a number of additional jobs pushed the workload further. In all, it took the best part of a year to complete. The record's producer was Tony Clarke, whose CV included 'Nights In White Satin' by the Moody Blues. Ciarán remembers him with great affection. "He was the easiest producer I've worked with. He squeezed so much out of our minds." The longest, double episode of the series was an hour long, with 26 minutes of music in it. This was hugely demanding for a band that had never taken on a job of this scale. Cleverly, Clannad hit on a solution.

Each main character in the story would have a musical motive. When the action demanded it, this melody could be spun out in a number of different ways, thus telegraphing the action in any given scene. So, 'Lady Marion' was distinguished by the harp and its wistful register. Herne was announced by synth chords and chimes. The troubled mind of Will Scarlet (played by a young Ray Winstone) was reflected in the broken rhythm, and the lyrical allusions to the death of his wife at the hands of Norman mercenaries. The 'Legend' album summarised this process. Because of time pressures and the extended run of the series, not everything from 'Robin Of Sherwood' was released on the record. A dance sequence is still out there, plus a stately, royal theme. On subsequent Clannad tours, the band would showcase these extra tunes, and fortunately there are live recordings preserved in the vaults. 'Robin Of Sherwood' was first aired on April 28, 1984. A second series started in April 1985, and the final run ended in June 1986. For those first two years, Robin was played by Michael Praed.

He was then offered work in America, and passed on their third series. A new Robin was required, and an ingenious piece of script-writing brought Jason Connery, son of Sean, to the force. The legend lived on. So Clannad picked up their BAFTA Award at Grosvenor House in London, a trophy to set alongside the Novello they'd won for 'Harry's Game'. And the 'Legend' album, released in 1984, sold steadily, keeping pace with 'Magical Ring' as it exceeded 150,000 sales. The next Clannad album was 'Macalla' in 1985. Again, this was a bold development. Pól is convinced that 'Legend' gave the band such a wealth of experience and confidence that they were bound to improve. "That's where the benefit really came," he reasons. Interestingly, the 'Legend' story still has life in it, and 'Robin Of Sherwood' has sold well on both VHS and now DVD formats. New generations of fans are warming to the visuals and the music, which pleases Clannad to no end. On this occasion, the force was definitely with them.

RoS sheet music There is a book with sheet music from "PastPresent", which contains the score of two RoS tracks: "Lady Marion" and "Robin (The Hooded Man)". Clannad pastpresent ISBN 0.7119.1919.4 Sounds of Sherwood Marc Lines has created two 90-minute cassette tapes / CDs with music and dialogue from RoS (tape/CD I features material from season 1 and 2, tape/CD II material from season 3) called Sounds of Sherwood. The price for the cassetes is ï¿½2.00 per cassette for UK addresses, and ï¿½5.00 for one or ï¿½7.50 for both cassettes for the rest of the world. The price for the CDs is ï¿½8.00 for one CD for UK addresses and ï¿½11.00 for the rest of the world, and ï¿½14.00 for both CDS for UK addresses and ï¿½16.00 for the rest of the world. Marc has also created a 75-minute CD called 'The Scarlet Blood'.

It is all about Will Scarlet, and contains all his best lines, both the funnies and the poignant, interspersed with Clannad songs and some really appropriate songs from 'All About Eve'. The price is ï¿½5.00 per CD for with in the UK and ï¿½8.00 for the rest of the world. To cover cassette or CD, labelling and postage only (this is strictly non-profitmaking!) please send a sterling cheque or international money order to Marc Lines at the address below: 26 Gordon Street For clips and more information, visit the Sounds of Sherwood Webpage. RoS Filk Filk is (folk) music written or sung by fans, with lyrics appropriate to the fandom - in this case Robin of Sherwood. The term 'filk' was originally a typographic error in the program for a science fiction convention and the term stuck. Filksinging (or filking) is practiced at the Weekend in Sherwood conventions . Filk can be new lyrics to existing tunes (adapted filk) or original both in music and lyrics (original filk). Both categories are eligible for Major Oak Awards .

"Bright Forest" was an audio tape cassette with song booklet with filk songs about RoS by Rache. Another RoS filk tape was "Rhiannon's Wheel" by Jenni Hennig and Pat Kennedy. The English singer-songwriter Steve "Stig" Denson composed the song " Nothing is Forgotten " in tribute to Robin and Marian based on RoS which he loves. The song features on his CD Songs in the Key of Stig. Last updated Tue 5 Jan 2016 Baba Brennan : definition of Baba Brennan and synonyms of Baba Brennan (English) The first song ever written by Clannad. Problems listening to this file? See media help. Clannad entered a local folk festival in Letterkenny , County Donegal , and won first prize, a record contract with the Irish arm of Phillips, when they were still in college and school. They did not make the record until 1973 because the record company did not like the idea of them doing half the album in Irish, as it was not heard of to sing Irish in mainstream music.

The first album was recorded in 1973, simply called Clannad , and it showed a band aware of contemporary Irish music of the day. There were hints of modern influences, most notably Pentangle 's, in songs such as "The Pretty Maid" and "Morning Dew", but it was the Irish songs, particular an early arrangement of "Níl Sé'n Lá", a drinking song they found on one of their Tory Island expeditions, that really showed the band's ability to form contemporary, jazz-influenced versions of traditional material. This album was also released under the name The Pretty Maid. The second album followed in 1975 on Gael-Linn records and was titled Clannad 2 . Produced by Planxty and Bothy Band founder Dónal Lunny , it showed a tremendously more mature band that was quite committed to singing mainly in Irish. Their arrangements were still experimental for the times, but their increasing skill in the use of traditional acoustic instruments kept the music well within the boundaries of folk music .

Clannad 2 featured some ground-breaking traditional music, including Máire's harp playing on the O'Carolan song "Eleanor Plunkett" and ensemble work on songs like "Rince Briotánach" and "Teidhir Abhaile Riú", an Irish matchmaking song. The following year they produced Dúlamán . The title track was a song about two dúlamán, or seaweed merchants, one of whom is trying to win the hand of the other's beautiful daughter. It has been a favourite of Clannad's live shows for a very long time and is still performed in a rock version which captures the flavour of the original recorded acoustic version. Clannad with former member Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, or Enya . The band in 1976 still consisted of Máire on lead vocals and harp , Ciarán on double bass , electric piano and vocals, Pól on flutes, guitars and bongos, Noel on guitar, vocals and Pádraig on mandolin , guitar and vocals.

They still kept the Gaelic spelling of their surnames of Ó Braonáin for the brothers, Ní Bhraonáin for Máire and Ó Dúgáin for Pádraig and Noel. During their first tour of Europe in 1976 a standing ovation after an eight-minute version of "Níl Sé'n Lá" convinced them to become full time professionals. [10] The band's next album was Crann Úll (Irish for apple tree) released in 1978 on Tara Records. It featured a stronger emphasis on Máire's harp -playing. "Ar a Ghabháil 'n a Chuain Domh" featured a particularly full band arrangement reflective of their live jams at the time. "Lá Cuimhthíoch Fán dTuath" ("A Strange Day in the Countryside") showed the first hints of the more atmospheric side of the band's arrangements. On "Gathering Mushrooms" they included their sister Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (now known as Enya) on supporting vocals.

Clannad in Concert was released in 1979, featuring excerpts from their 1978 Swiss tour and a now world-famous version of "Down by the Sally Gardens" and a 10-minute version of "Níl Sé'n Lá". It served as a base for various solos by the individual members. In 1981 with the album Fuaim (pronounced foom, meaning sound), recorded in Dublin 's famed Windmill Studios, Clannad began to experiment with a more lush and electric sound. Enya became, for a short time, a full member of the band, adding keyboards and harmony vocals as well as lead vocals on two songs, "An tÚll" and "Buaireadh an Phósta". This album marked Clannad's first experiments with synthesizer . It also had guest Neil Buckley on clarinet and saxophones plus a percussionist and electric piano . The following year Enya left to pursue her solo career and the band was about to record the album which would forever change their career as well as their sound, Magical Ring which appeared in 1982. Chart success Hit song from their 1984 album Legend .

Problems listening to these files? See media help. Clannad were signed up to RCA Records when they were approached and asked if they would be interested in doing a song for a fictional drama on British television, depicting The Troubles in Northern Ireland . Ciarán, Pól and Máire got together and wrote the now-legendary song " Theme from Harry's Game ". Entering the British charts at number 5, it remains the only hit single in the UK ever to be sung entirely in Gaelic. The album Magical Ring was a huge turning point in Clannad's career, it was the start of their international career. Magical Ring contained half traditional material and half original recordings. The album which was on the UK album charts for over six months earning the group their first gold record award, features some of Clannad's best and most enduring original compositions like "Tower Hill", "Passing Time", "Newgrange" and "I See Red". In its impact of achieveing a fusion of traditional folk, modern rock and world music , for its utopian vision of man in harmony with nature , Magical Ring is often compared with Alan Stivell 's Renaissance of the Celtic Harp .

[11] Collaboration with rock singer Bruce Hornsby . Problems listening to these files? See media help. The following album, Sirius, was released by RCA in 1988 and was recorded in Los Angeles with rock producers Greg Ladanyi and Russ Kunkel ( James Taylor 's drummer). The album included a duet with Bruce Hornsby and guest appearances by Steve Perry and J.D. Souther . The title track was Pól Brennan's encouraging call to the environmental movement , and to the Greenpeace ship of the same name. " Something to Believe In " featured the voice and keyboards of Bruce Hornsby . Completed with the help of some of the biggest names on the Californian rock scene, Sirius was another different creation, just like their previous 3 albums. Received with critical apprehension, Sirius was initially, stoutly defended by the band as a change, but since then members have expressed their disappointment with the album and even Pól Brennan apologised on its behalf.

The following year they embarked on their first world tour and within a year the album had become their best selling work to date.[citation needed] Between 1988 and 1991 there were some side projects for the band, including Atlantic Realm (1989) and The Angel and the Soldier (1990). Atlantic Realm was a small album made for a BBC documentary about the Atlantic Ocean. The recording was mainly instrumental as their voices as instruments. The Angel and the Soldier was a half hour animation, without voice overs and the music told the story. Both albums proved to be a minor success, and also demonstrated once again that Clannad were one of the most acclaimed soundtrack artists in the music industry. Two greatest hits albums were released at around this time: Past Present [RCA], which to date is the only "greatest hits" compilation so far by the band to include any original tracks: "The Hunter" and "World of Difference". Both are among their best recordings while strangely only appearing on this rare album. This album also included tracks from Magical Ring, Macalla, and Sirius. The Collection [k-Tel], re-released in 1996 under the label's Celtic Collections series.

Unlike Past Present however, it also included five earlier tracks from their more traditional Irish period. Clannad in 1996, without Pól Brennan. Pól Brennan left the group to pursue a solo career and work with the WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) organization in Britain . He released a trio album in 1993 with Guo Yue and Joji Hirota under the new name Trísan. The true reason for Pól's departure is unknown; being a family band, very little information is released about personal and professional relations about and between the members. 1990s The band continued on as a quartet and recorded 1991's Anam . It marked a return to the Clannad sound of such albums as Magical Ring and Fuaim and was recorded in two and a half months at the band's home studio in the hills of Dublin . On Pól's leaving the rest of the group began sharpening their song-writing skills with Ciarán, already the main source of their original music. The title Anam means "Soul" in Irish and the album had 10 songs.

The album was finally released in the USA in 1992 with a different cover and the addition of the previously released Bono duet " In a Lifetime " and " Theme from Harry's Game ", which had been included in the motion picture Patriot Games . As a result, it got used on the Volkswagen advertisement, which helped establish the band's career in the USA and the song went on to win the Billboard Music Award for "World Music Song of the Year". They dedicated the opening song "Rí na Cruinne" to the One World One Voice charity project. In 1991, a duet between the band and Paul Young , " Both Sides Now " was released. The track had been put together for the Blake Edwards film Switch, featuring Ellen Barkin . In the storyline, a nasty male chauvinist, is re-incarnated as an attractive female. The use of the Joni Mitchell song was therefore quite suitable and proved a hit for the group. Released in 1994, Banba became Clannad's 13th studio album and was greeted with rave reviews and the band's first Grammy nomination. The album jogged comfortably to the number one spot in the World Music Chart.

Banba is a romantic mythical name for Ireland. The track "I Will Find You" was especially written for the film The Last of the Mohicans , Máire sings in Mohican and Cherokee . Once again all the songs were written and produced by Ciarán Brennan, except "Sunset Dreams", written by Noel Duggan. Moya Brennan described the album as "a fusion of various styles of music, growing out of a traditional Gaelic root." Banba has been described as one of Clannad's most visual albums, and has sold over 1 million copies to date. "I Will Find You" (1993) File:Clannadfind.ogg Also on Banba . Problems listening to these files? See media help. The album Lore (1996) gave some thought to the Native American Indians. On "Trail of Tears", Noel Duggan imagines how it felt to be exiled from one's ancestral land, he was also thinking about these people and their connection with the Irish. It opens with "Croí Cróga" ('braveheart' in English) which was written as a theme tune for the Mel Gibson film Braveheart which, for unknown reasons, never made it onto the soundtrack.

Lore features American drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and Mel Collins . It contained a strong jazz element, with songs such as "Seanchas" blending contemporary sounds with traditional Irish music and the Irish language . Clannad toured Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand in 1996 to promote the Lore album, due to apparent disagreements with Atlantic Records , the plans to tour the USA were scrapped. In 1996, they received a lifetime achievement award from the Irish recording industry (the IRMA ). After 25 years of recording ground-breaking music, Clannad returned in 1997 with another album, Landmarks . In the song "Of This Land", Máire sings about Ireland, of its past and of its future. The track "Fadó" (translates as Long Ago), demonstrates the influences of old Celtic history on Clannad's music. It became one of the most celebrated Irish albums in history and in 1999, it won a Grammy award for Best New Age Album , Clannad's third Grammy nomination. In 1999, the group composed the song "What Will I Do" for the Kevin Costner film, Message in a Bottle .

2000–present After Landmarks, Clannad ceased to make any more studio albums, but have promised to return in the near future.In 2003, Clannad released the best of album, The Best of Clannad: In a Lifetime , which is one of their biggest-selling albums to date. In 2005 the two Duggan twins, Noel and Pádraig, as the musical duo The Duggans , got together for the first time outside of Clannad and recorded the album Rubicon . During the 2006 solo tour of Moya Brennan in The Netherlands, the concert in De Doelen , Rotterdam , was dedicated to Leo and Baba Brennan . The whole of Clannad, including former member Pól and sister Deirdre, performed five songs. The five original members of Clannad appeared on stage together at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow on 19 January 2007. The concert was greeted by 2,000 fans who travelled from places such as the USA and Brazil to see the legendary group perform some of the most loved songs in their history.

While at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards that were held in Dublin on 1 February 2007 Clannad were presented with the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award. In March 2008, Clannad began their first UK tour in over 12 years, starting at The Sage in Gateshead . [12] Chicane 's melodic trance anthem " Saltwater " features an adaptation of the song " Theme From Harry's Game " taken from the Clannad album Magical Ring . Rochdale group Kaleef sample " Theme From Harry's Game " heavily in their 1997 hit "Sands of Time" from the album "53rd State of Mind" The Brennan family The Brennans are officially Ireland's most successful music family, with combined sales of over 90 million records. [23] Máire (or Baba) Duggan and Leo Brennan are the parents of the Brennan siblings Máire (or Moya), Leon, Ciarán, Deirdre, Pól, Olive, Eithne (or Enya), Bartley, and Brídín . Baba was the local school's music teacher and Leo led the celebrated Slieve Foy show band.

The catalyst that would propel the entire family onto the stage was the opening of Leo's Tavern in 1968 in Meenaleck, Co. Donegal. This pub has become a musical Mecca over the years, and Bono and Paul Brady have even been known to join in the regular jamming sessions. Leo's Tavern (or Tábhairne Leo) as can be seen in 2007. Where Clanand performed as youngsters growing up in the Northwest of Donegal. The first members of the family to publish their music were Ciarán, Pól and Máire (now known as Moya), who in 1972 released Clannad's first album. Their Irish folk sound captivated audiences, and it was to be the beginning of a long prosperous career, one that continues to grow. Over the years they have sold millions of records, they sang for the Pope, and their first famous song " Theme from Harry's Game ", was the first, and so far only, Irish Gaelic song ever heard on Top of the Pops .

The other six children can all sing and play one or more instruments - Olive and Deirdre have sung on Moya's solo albums and Brídín , who for years toured with Clannad as a backing vocalist, has released a solo record, Eyes of Innocence. Máire Duggan is currently the lead member of the local Catholic choir, Cór Mhuire Doire Beaga, but no longer continues to teach in the local community school Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair . The choir has gained national acclaim[citation needed], and is frequently joined by Leo Brennan and the Brennan siblings. Leo helps his son Bartley to run the family pub, Leo's Tavern, and still takes to the stage equipped with his accordion and mic. [24] Private lives Clannad - A Quiet Town - YouTube Clannad - A Quiet Town Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Jun 9, 2014 If you enjoy this song, please help support the artist by purchasing the album or digital download. No copyright infringement intended. From the Clannad album Nadur (2013). Clannad consists of: Clannad | Download Music, Tour Dates & Video | eMusic Group Members: Enya All Music Guide: Clannad bridged the gap between traditional Celtic music and pop. Usually, their results were an entrancing, enchanting form of pop that managed to fuse the disparate elements together rather seamlessly. Such fusions have earned the band an international cult of fans. Taking their name from the Gaelic word for "family," Clannad formed in 1970 when the Brennan family -- Maire (vocals, harp), Ciaran (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), Pol (guitar, percussion, flute, vocals) -- began playing at their father Leo's tavern with two of their uncles, Padraig Duggan (guitar, vocals, mandolin) and Noel Duggan (guitar, vocals). Soon afterward, the group began playing folk festivals in Ireland.

They released their self-titled first album in 1973, yet the band didn't earn any widespread success until they toured Germany in 1975. Maire's sister, Enya, joined the group in 1980, but left in 1982, just as the group was beginning to come into some pop success in the U.K. Clannad recorded the theme song for the television program Harry's Game; the single hit number five on the charts and won the band an Ivor Novello Award. The band recorded the soundtrack to the television production Robin of Sherwood in 1984; it won a British Academy Award for best soundtrack the next year. Clannad's success continued in 1986, when U2's Bono was featured on the Top 20 hit "In a Lifetime." The band continued to release albums into the '90s, building their pop following without losing their folk audience. Landmarks, which was issued in early 1997, earned the group their first ever Grammy award, though it also signaled the beginning of a long hiatus from the stage, and an indefinite one in regards to the studio.

Compilations like The Best of Clannad: In a Lifetime and solo projects from Noel and Pádraig (The Duggans) and Moya Brennan dominated the front half of the 2000s, culminating in a 2008 world tour that found Clannad traveling as far as Thailand. Related Artists The Official Clannad Website - The unique voice to modern Irish music Rubicon marks the first recordings twin brothers Noel & Padraig Duggan have made outside of Clannad. They have gathered together friends made over the years for a remarkable collaboration of talents. The wealth of heritage and tradition that enveloped their youth has stayed with the brothers and continues to inspire them. The Rubicon album is truly a reflection of the Duggan’s talents, both as songwriters and as performers. One could say that this album is a biography of sorts for the brothers, detailing a lifetime of experience and adventure! Why did you embark on this solo album? Noel : We started writing for a Clannad album and got into the mood for writing. We realised then that we had a lot of songs- the makings of an album.

Our manager heard the songs and thought it might be time we recorded an album ourselves. We asked Moya (Brennan), our niece, to sing one of the songs and it really escalated from there. Padraig : Moya was doing her own thing with her solo projects at the time. Noel and I were touring with Norland Wind. Ciaran was busy in the studio too, so we really saw this as an opportunity to experiment on our own. What gave you inspiration for the songs you wrote? Padraig : I get ideas from many different sources. Places in Donegal are always an inspiration, such as the Poison Glen � I use The Donegal Scenery a lot as a theme. Of course, loved ones, friends and family also inspire me. I also get inspiration from my animal friends, my pet cats. Noel : Like Padraig, I get inspiration form many different places. The Silent Spring was based on the book written by Rachel Carson of that name. She wrote about the land being destroyed by chemicals and pesticides. I also get a lot of inspiration from old Irish phrases and sayings that the older generation use. Our father had a wealth of phrases and I have used some of them in my songs.

Our sister Bríd has kept many these sayings alive. When I go home I listen to her talking and write the phrases down. What musician/group most influenced you in your career? Noel : Well Clannad was inspired in the beginning by the English group Pentangle � I think we were aiming to be the Irish version, with a double bass, guitar and folk songs. Padraig : The band Skara Brae started at around the same time as Clannad and we were similar in some ways. So they influenced us musically too. Noel : Of course in our younger days we were into The Rolling Stones and The Hollies. Padraig : And The Beach Boys. Clannad focussed a lot on harmonies and I think bands like the Beach boys were a big influence in that way. Noel : Our older brothers were another influence. Eoin had records like Duane Eddie playing while Columba was very into The Shadows. He started playing the guitar and I copied him until I could play almost all The Shadows songs. So in the beginning I wasn’t used to playing traditional music at all. That came later.

Padraig : Other Irish bands and musicians like Planxty, The Bothy Band, Paul Brady and so on are also an inspiration. The list is endless really. These days I admire the young Irish musicians who are keeping the music alive, singing in traditional style or in the Irish language. Has your taste in music changed much over the years? What music do you listen to now at home? Padraig : My taste in music has not really changed that much. I listen to different kinds of music depending on my mood; folk, rock, Classical, Country � all types. Noel : My favourite type of music now is folk music with good lyrics, and more recently, Classical music. At home, I listen to Norah Jones, Sarah McLachlan and Dire Straits. I recently heard a young Irish band on the radio called Arcanadh � I was very impressed by them and intend to get their album. I don’t really listen to the modern rap or disco much. Padraig : I would agree with that. I wouldn’t listen much to the modern ‘Boybands’. I know that they are aiming for a young following, they are all so polished and good-looking! I might pay more attention if they played instruments.

Were you involved with music from an early age? Noel : When we were in National school our parents sent us to Piano lessons. We reached Grade 3 but then gave it up. I think we saw the piano as not being modern enough at the time. We went for the guitar instead because of the Rolling Stones and similar bands. We started playing locally at first in local groups such as The Storm Showband and the new Slieve Foy. After we qualified as Radio Officers we had a decision to make, and we decided to give music a go professionally. Padraig : Very early on we performed in Pantomimes in the Local Theatre group. The Golden Rule was that every word spoken and sung on stage had to be in the Irish language. For this reason, we found ourselves translating songs by The Beatles and The Beachboys into Gaeilge for the stage performances. Noel : That was our first experience with that sort of song-writing. As twins, do you always agree musically? Noel : No! When we co-write Padraig mostly writes the lyrics and I write the music � although the reverse is also true. We write individually too.

As regard music, I get more involved in the arrangement side of things; intros, middle eights and so on. Padraig : No we don’t always agree! I think we have different writing styles. But, when we do co-write I think it works well. In this album, Lúrabog and The Bird are two of the songs that were co-written by us. Padraig, you wrote the Gaeilge Popsong ‘Lisa’ which appears on this album. What is the story behind this song? Padraig : In the early 1970’s, Clannad won the Letterkenny Folk festival with that song. I actually wrote it up on the roof of Leo’s Tavern! I was up there for some reason with my guitar. It is an upbeat popsong, I suppose I was influenced by bands such as The Beatles. It was a unique song at the time � a popsong in Gaeilge! It proved popular in the local schools � the young people seemed to adopt it. Noel, on a previous album you wrote about the Native Americans � could you elaborate on this?

Noel : I was watching the Late Late Show one night and one of the guests was a Native American chief called Gary Bravedeer. He was in Ireland selling pictures � I bought one for £IR 800. I was really struck by the story he told. The Native Americans sent £IR 70 to Ireland in the 1800’s to help the people who were starving in the famine. I couldn’t believe it - it was a huge amount of money in those days. I thought it was a great story and it inspired me to write The Trail of Tears. You mention Tory Island a lot � what is the significance of Tory to you? Noel : Our family come from Tory island going back a few generations, so it is an important place to us. We have many cousins in Tory to this day and we go out there from time to time. The people are very welcoming! You have just returned from a successful tour of Germany with another group, Norland Wind � how did you meet and what is your relationship? Padraig : We tour in Europe with Norland Wind twice a year throughout Germany and Holland at the various music festivals. We really enjoy it.

Noel and I sing the Gaeilge songs such as Baidín Fheidhlimí. There is a marriage of two musical styles that seems to work well. Noel :The man who leads Norland Wind, Thomas Loefke met Clannad years ago as a young boy. He admired the band, and was especially taken with Moya and the Harp. Years later he formed Norland Wind with two others, Ian Melrose and Peter Yak. When they left the band he rang the two of us and asked us to join him in concert in Germany. We thought why not! Padraig : It is a multi-national band. There are 2 Berliners, 1 Danish musician, 3 Irish and 1 guy from East Germany. It is a unique combination. You have collaborated with a lot of people on this album including Patsy Dan Rodgers and Finbar Fury � could you expand on that? Padraig : This is a Duggan album with 18 guest musicians in all � all of whom are friends of ours in one way or another. Our nieces Brídín and Deirdre (Brennan) are also on board. We really enjoyed making this album.

Noel : We invited the various guests as we went along. Padraig and I felt that the song The Bird would suit Finbar Fury. We had toured with Finbar before and know him personally. Moya joined us for a song too � we wanted to have her as a guest. For one of the Gaeilge songs, we invited Patsy Dan Rodgers, The King of Tory Island. He sings in sean-nós and we then join him in a more modern beat. We thought it was important to have ‘the real thing’. What was the highlight of your career with Clannad? Noel : Winning the Ivor Novello award for Harry’s game was certainly a highlight as well as the Grammy for the album, Landmarks. In fact, any of the awards we won were very important to us, from the Letterkenny folk festival award in the 1970’s to the bigger awards later. Another highlight was the early days in Germany when we played for thousands of people. We were just starting out in those days and it was a huge achievement for us. Padraig : Yes, the Grammy has to be the pinnacle of our achievement. It was very emotional � we won on our third nomination.

Backstage at the ceremony, we met many big artists including one of my heroes Emylou Harris. She congratulated us and told me that her daughter was a Clannad fan! Being on Top of the Pops was a highlight as well. Clannad have travelled widely over the years � what was the favourite place that you visited with the group? Padraig :New Zealand was a favourite of mine. It was very different from Australia, which I didn’t expect. It reminded me a lot of the Donegal landscape and scenery and so I felt at home there. Holland is also a favourite. The Dutch people were very friendly and looked after us well. I also enjoyed the States, particularly New York, but also the West Coast cities. Japan was amazing. I found the culture completely different from our own. Noel : New Zealand was also a favourite of mine for the same reasons. We found the people to be friendly and generous. We had sell-out concerts in Auckland and Christchurch so that might have something to do with it! I also loved Switzerland where I went skiing for the first time. It is a beautiful country. I find it impressive that they have four different languages in such a small country.

What was your favourite Clannad album? Padraig : I don’t have a favourite as such, but my favourite time in Clannad was the 1970’s - and so the albums that we made in that time are important to me. Noel : It’s difficult to say � Magical Ring was important as it was the crossroads between the old and new Clannad sounds. What was the biggest thing that you learned with Clannad? Noel :That’s hard to say! It might be that it is important to do you own thing. Our aim is not to be particularly commercial but to make music the way that we want. Padraig : With Clannad, we were lucky enough to see the world! That was something that Noel and I wanted to do, and Clannad made it possible. What's next on the horizon? Noel :We are still writing! We are in the real writing mood now and there are plenty more songs to be written. We are hoping to start work on a new Clannad album shortly. Padraig : We did start going it alone quite late but it is giving us a lot of pleasure now.

We are definitely looking forward to recording with the niece and nephews again soon. Clannad — Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and photos at Last.fm clannad Clannad is an Irish musical group from Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland. Their music has been variously described as being folk music, new age , and Celtic . Clannad are Máire Ní Bhraonáin ( Moya Brennan ), Ciarán Brennan, Pól Brennan, Noel Duggan and Pádraig Duggan. Eithne Ní Bhraonáin ( Enya Brennan), Máire's sister, used to be a member of the group in the early Eighties. The band won a Grammy Award in 1999 for Best New Age Album. Clannad, whose name is taken from an… read more

Question: Which group consists of the Duggans and the Brennans
Answer: Clannad