Loreena McKennitt

Welcome to my pages about Loreena McKennitt, for me the absolute favourite musician, writer and singer.

This page tells you which CDs by Loreena I have, in chronological order. For overviews, see the CD index and track lists and the Alphabetic lyrics index

Below follows first a list of the albums released by Loreena, then some info on video's and DVDs and concerts.

 

	Elemental (1985) Loreena's first album contains a number of good songs. I especially like the song Stolen child, which is a poem by W.B. Yeats, sung with Loreena's good voice and supported by nice, soft music. And Lullaby from William Blake, spoken by Douglas Campbell, sound very "strong" and the music fits well to it.
	To drive the cold winter away (1987) This album contains Christmas and other winter songs that are not well known, but it can be played all through the year. This is a special, interesting record - I like it.
	Parallel dreams (1989) Loreena's third album is really very good: her music and her singing combine very well, especially in Standing stones of the Orkney Isles, in the love of Jeannie for Annachie Gordon, and in the melodious Breaking the silence, which is a tribute to Amnesty International. No wonder this album was very successful! [This is the second CD of Loreena I bought.]
	The visit (1991) This is Loreena's best known CD up till now, and it is somewhat better than the previous one, though not much. The album contains original and traditional songs. One of the latter is the song Greensleeves, the lyrics of which may have been written by King Henry VIII (not everyone is convinced that this is true). This song is performed by many artists, but Loreena's version is the best I've ever heard; it's grand! Furthermore, it contains a wonderful musical version of the "Mediaeval" poem about The Lady of Shalott by Alfred Lord Tennyson. [This is the first CD of Loreena I bought.]
	The mask and mirror(1994) Here it said at first: "I haven't bought this CD yet, but I've heard some fragments and my first impression is: good, but not like The visit or Parallel dreams." Now I've bought the CD there's not much to add to this. Loreena's voice is again very good, of course, but the music is not always that nice: in some songs the music tends to sort-of dominate the singing. For the rest: the more I listen to it, the more I like it - but not as much as the previous ones.
	A winter garden: Five songs for the season (1995) This CD contains five nice winter and Christmas songs, and it is a musical collaborations with an international cast of guest artists. All in all it has become a very nice CD indeed!
	Live in San Francisco at the Palace of Fine Arts (1995) "Recorded life in May 1994 with McKennitt and her touring band, this six-track EP includes stirring, vibrant renditions" [says a leaflet released by Quinlan Road] of numbers from earlier CDs. At first I was afraid that live versions would be disappointing compared with the CD versions, but that surely isn't the case! The six-track promotional CD was released in 1995. A year earlier, a ten-track promotional CD with the same title was released, with the same six tracks and four other tracks.
	The book of secrets (1997) At first I was disappointed by this album, but after listening a few times I must say it has turned out to be a good album, but not an outstanding one, maybe because Loreena has tried to incorporate too many impressions which has made the music to complicated. I still prefer The visit and Parallel dreams, as well as the earlier work.
	Sampler CD (1999) This promotional sampler CD contains extracts from Loreena's full catalogue of CDs, 1985-1997. It's nice to have too.
	Live in Paris and Toronto (1999) This is a 2-CD set with live recordings from Paris and Toronto. It's a nice addition to the collection of studio albums and the songs are worth listening to, as they are of course slightly different from the studio versions.
	An ancient muse (2006) Many years after the previous album - years in which she worked on many different projects - Loreena released a new album on 21 November 2006. It has become a nice CD with a fine atmosphere some beautiful songs.
	A midwinter night's dream (2008) Thirteen years after recording the popular A Winter Garden - Five Songs For The Season, Loreena created an expanded, full-length, 13-song seasonal recording released end October 2008. The new recording includes the original five songs, as well as eight additional songs inspired by other seasonal favourites.
	A mediterranean odyssey (2009) A two-disc collection that commemorates Loreena's 2009 Mediterranean tour, with live (From Istanbul to Athens) and studio (The Olive and the Cedar) songs.
	The wind that shakes the barley (2010) With this album Loreena returns to traditional Celtic songs. The Wind that Shakes the Barley features nine songs, including such familiar classics as "Down by the Sally Gardens," "The Star of the County Down" and "The Parting Glass", as well as lesser known songs. The album will be released in November 2010. Follow the album page at the official website for release details.
	Troubadours on the Rhine (2012) An hour long concert in the studios of German radio station SWR1 -- with Loreena accompanied only by Brian Hughes (guitars) and Caroline Lavelle (cello) -- during the promotional tour of The wind that shakes the barley.
	The journey so far (2014) This is the 30th anniversary collection, a "the best of", available in standard (1 CD) and deluxe (2 CD) version, with on the second disc
	Lost Souls (2018) Album with nine original songs, released on 11 May 2018, contains some songs written by Loreena, as well as poems from Yeats and Keats set to music by Loreena. The release is followed by a Lost Souls Tour; see tour section below.
	Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2019) Live concert album released after the Lost Souls Tour, recorded in the Royal Albert Hall, London, 13 March 2019
	Under A Winter's Moon (2022) Live concert album recorded during series of live seasonal concerts with special guests in December 2021.
	The Road Back Home (2024) A new album that sprang from Loreena's nostalgic return to her roots in summer 2022 will be released in 2024.
	The mask and mirror Live (2024) A recording of Loreena's The Mask and Mirror, captured live at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on May 19th 1994, is released in June 2024.

 
From each subpage a link leads back to this page and to:

• CD index and track lists
• Alphabetic lyrics index

Videos & DVDs

	No journey's end (1996) "This 30-minute documentary film (...) uses Loreena McKennitt's own words and music to highlight the influences behind albums such as The Visit and the mask and mirror. Includes segments of live performances of 'Santiago', 'The dark night of the soul' and 'The Lady of Shalott', and an excerpt from the promotional video clip for 'The bonny swans'." It is really interesting to hear Loreena speak about her music and the background of her songs and see a few fragments of the songs she is talking about.
	Nights from the Alhambra (2007) Recording of the concert Loreena gave in the Alhambra (Granada, Spain), mid September 2006. For more information, follow the above link. See also this page at the official website.
	A moveable musical feast (2008) A Moveable Musical Feast is a unique souvenir of Loreena McKennitts 2007 An Ancient Muse tour and offers a rare backstage look at one of contemporary musics most interesting live performers. For more information, follow the above link; see also this page at the official website.

Concerts

	The 'An Ancient Muse' Tour (2007) After the release of An Ancient Muse, Loreena embarked on a tour through Europa and Northern America in the Spring and Autumn of 2007. I have been to two concerts in Belgium (Brussels and Antwerp) in the Spring. These concerts were simply great! Loreena and the band created a wonderful atmosphere, and they presented a nice collection of Loreena's songs.
	The 'Live in Concert' Tour (2008/2009) After the success of An Ancient Muse and the accompanying tour (see above), Loreena started another tour starting in Europe in the Summer of 2008, followed by more concerts in 2009 in the Mediterranean area and in Canada. I've been to the concert in The Hague and it was wonderful; the set list was not very different from the above mentioned 'An Ancient Muse' Tour from 2007. For an overview of the concert dates, check the official website's performances page
	The 'Celtic Footprints' Tour (2012) Loreena will once again be taking her music on the road when she embarks on the 'Celtic Footprints' Tour, which starts on 17 March 2012, no doubt featuring songs from the most recent album The wind that shakes the barley, released in 2010. For an overview of the concert dates, see the list at my website.
	A Midsummer Night's Tour (2012-2013) Loreena's second tour of 2012 takes her in the Summer of 2012 to Europe. The tour "will have a different musical flavour" than the Celtic Footprints Tour in the Spring of 2012 For an overview of the concert dates, see the list at my website.
	Once Upon An Ancient Road Tour (2012-2013) In Dec. 2012 Loreena gave a number of concerts in Canada. And in Aug. 2013 she returned there for some more concerts. Later that year, in Oct., Loreena played a few concerts in Latin America. For an overview of the concert dates, see the list at my website.
	The Stories Behind the Songs Tour (2014) In Oct. 2014 Loreena gave a number of concerts in Canada. For an overview of the concert dates, see the list at my website.
	A Trio Performance (2015-2016) Loreena gives a series of concerts, together with guitarist Brian Hughes and cellist Caroline Lavelle, entitled "A Trio Performance". These concerts takes in the USA and (Oct. 2015 & March 2016 & Oct.-Nov. 2016) and Europe (Spring 2017). For an overview of the concert dates, see the list at my website. Check the official website's tour page for the latest official announcements.
	Lost Souls Tour (2018-2019) In October 2018, Loreena launched the first round of her Lost Souls tour with performances in South America, followed by a tour through Europe in Spring and Summer 2019, with concerts in Canada before and after these. During the tour, Loreena was accompanied by fellow musicians Brian Hughes on guitars, oud and Celtic bouzouki, Caroline Lavelle on cello, Hugh Marsh on violin, Dudley Philips on double bass and Robert Brian on drums.
	Under A Winter's Moon -- A concert of carols and tales (Dec. 2022) In September 2022, Loreena announced a "new Live Album & Seasonal Tour" with performances in Canada only in December 2022.
	The Visit Revisited - 30th Anniversary Tour | The Next Chapter (2022-2024) In April 2022, Loreena announced the first round of her The Visit Revisited - 30th Anniversary Tour with performances in Canada. During the tour, Loreena is accompanied by fellow musicians Brian Hughes, Caroline Lavelle and Hugh Marsh. There were 10 concerts in Canada at the beginning of October 2022. Under the subtitle "The Next Chapter" there are concerts in Canada in autumn 2023, and in Europe in spring 2024. See the official website's tour page for the latest info.
	The Mask and Mirror - 30th Anniversary Tour (2024) In December 2023, Loreena announced a European tour in Summer 2024 where Loreena and her band will be performing the celebrated album The Mask and Mirror; see also the 2024 released The Mask and Mirror Live album page. See the official website's tour page for the latest info.

How I came in contact with Loreena's work

She made such an impression on me that I decided to buy her music. Her music and singing is quite overwhelming: it reaches deep inside, it "moves" me, it ...
I'm not good enough with words, so I simply say: just listen to her songs and you'll be carried away as well!

Links and such

 
===>  Links to Loreena McKennitt on the Web.

<===  The main music and lyrics page

 
Jos van Geffen -- Home  |  Site Map  |  Contact Me

last modified: 9 May 2024