Loreena McKennitt -- A midwinter night's dream

Loreena McKennitt - A midwinter night's dream

Thirteen years after recording the popular A Winter Garden - Five Songs For The Season, Loreena returned this spring to Peter Gabriels Real World Studios in England to create an expanded, full-length, 13-song seasonal recording released end October 2008. The new recording includes the original five songs (marked with an asterisk below), as well as eight additional songs inspired by other seasonal favourites.

THE HOLLY AND THE IVY
Lyrics: traditional, adapted by Loreena McKennitt
Music: Loreena McKennitt
UN FLAMBEAU, JEANNETTE, ISABELLE (instrumental)
Music: traditional, arranged by Loreena McKennitt
THE SEVEN REJOICES OF MARY
Music & Lyrics: Traditional, arranged by Loreena McKennitt
NOËL NOUVELET!
Lyrics: 16th Cent French
Music: traditional 16th Cent French, arranged by Loreena McKennitt
GOOD KING WENCESLAS *
Music & Lyrics: John Mason Neale (1818-1866)
Music: arranged and adapted by Loreena McKennitt
COVENTRY CAROL *
Lyrics: from the Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors (15th cent.)
Music: arranged and adapted by Loreena McKennitt
GOD REST YE MERRY, GENTLEMEN *
Lyrics: traditional English (18th cent)
Music: arranged and adapted by Loreena McKennitt
SNOW *
Lyrics: Archibald Lampman (1861-1899)
Music: Loreena McKennitt
BRETON CAROL (instrumental)
Music: traditional, arranged by Loreena McKennitt
SEEDS OF LOVE *
Lyrics: taditional
Music: Loreena McKennitt
GLOUCESTERSHIRE WASSAIL
Music & Lyrics: traditional, arranged by Loreena McKennitt
EMMANUEL
Music & Lyrics: traditional, arranged by Loreena McKennitt
IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER (instrumental)
Music: Gustav Holst (1874-1934), arranged and adapted by Loreena McKennitt

A midwinter night's dream - Quinlan Road, 2008 (B001FRNOG4)
The CD cover, lyrics and cited texts are from Quinlan Road WWW-site.
*) These songs also appear on A Winter Garden - Five Songs For The Season (1995).

===> All lyrics on a single page (15.5 kb)

Description of the CD

The holiday collection features an array of the artist's wide musical influences, ranging from Celtic to classical to Middle Eastern. Her eclecticism shines through in the mysticism of "The Holly and the Ivy", the exotic Eastern arrangements of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", the Latin-sung "Emmanuel" and the North French/African rendering of "Noël Nouvelet!", sung in Old French.

Loreena recorded the new material for A Midwinter Night's Dream at Peter Gabriel's Real World recording studio near Bath, England following a highly successful European tour. With McKennitt providing vocals as well as piano, accordion and harp accompaniment; she is supported by Brian Hughes on oud and guitar, Hugh Marsh on violin, Caroline Lavelle on cello, Donald Quan on viola and percussion, Ben Grossman on hurdy gurdy and percussion, Simon Edwards on bass, Rick Lazar on percussion and Stratis Psaradellis on Greek lyra and Greek lute.

"I really wanted to recapture some of the frankincense and myrrh in this music," McKennitt explained, "and the process was a fresh reminder of the diversity of so many traditions when it comes to music of the winter season. The songs are rich with abundant references to the natural world and connections to our spiritual and religious bearings; it's clear that people have always used winter as a time of reflection."

INTRODUCTION

The seasons have always held their mysteries and wonders, and we mere mortals have been fascinated by them and driven to understand our inter-relationship with the natural world, as we try to discover the spiritual and religious significance of it all. Over the centuries, music has become a conduit for that reflection as it strives to capture the interweave of our existence. This recording is one modest rendering of that fascination, a kind of discovery chest of musical merry making, inspired by some traditions I have encountered along the way. May the spirit of love, joy and renewal be yours. ~ LM

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