Loreena McKennitt - Discography

[AbbyY]

Loreena McKennitt - Discography


The Singer

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Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, C.M. (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist and pianist most famous for writing, recording and performing world music with Celtic music and Middle Eastern themes.

McKennitt was born in Morden, Manitoba of Irish and Scottish descent to parents Jack and Irene McKennitt (a livestock dealer and a nurse). She moved to Stratford, Ontario in 1981, where she currently lives.

Loreena intended to become a veterinarian, but she turned to folk music in the early 1980s. Developing a passion for Celtic music, she learnt to play the Celtic harp and began busking at a street corner in order to earn money needed for publishing her first album.

Her first album, Elemental, was released in 1985 and attracted global attention with subsequent releases of self-produced work, including To Drive the Cold Winter Away (1987), Parallel Dreams (1989), The Visit (1991), The Mask and Mirror (1994), A Winter Garden (1995) and The Book of Secrets (1997).

McKennitt's single "The Mummers' Dance" was a widespread success, receiving considerable airplay in North American markets during the spring of 1997, and was used as the theme song for the short-lived TV series, Legacy. An Ancient Muse, her first full-length studio album in nine years, was released in November 2006. All of her work has been released under her own label, Quinlan Road.

In 1993, her music became known to a wider audience when she toured Europe supporting Mike Oldfield. In 1995, her version of the traditional Irish song "Bonny Portmore" was prominently featured in the film Highlander 3, causing a large increase of album sales among fans of the films. Her music has also appeared in the movies The Santa Clause, Soldier, Jade, Holy Man, The Mists of Avalon and the television series Roar.

In 1998, McKennitt's fiancé, Ronald Rees; his brother and their good friend drowned during a boating incident. She was deeply affected by the event and subsequently founded the Cook-Rees Memorial Fund in the same year and also released an album of two live performances called Live in Paris and Toronto from which all of the profits were donated to the fund (about $3 million). After this album, McKennitt performed only rarely and didn't release any new recordings until 2006 when she released the studio album An Ancient Muse.

In July 2004, Governor General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson made her a member of the Order of Canada, the most prestigious civilian honor in Canada.

McKennitt's music has generally been classified as World / New Age / Celtic music even though it contains aspects and characteristics of music from around the globe and is sometimes classified as Folk music in record stores.

Before McKennitt composes any music, she engages in considerable research on a specific subject which then forms the general concept of the album. Before creating Elemental and Parallel Dreams, she traveled to Ireland for inspiration from the country's history, folklore, geography and culture. The album The Mask and Mirror was preceded by research in Spain where she engaged in studying Galicia, a Celtic section of Spain, along with its abundant Arabic roots. The result was an album including elements of Celtic and Arabic music. According to the notes of her latest album, An Ancient Muse was inspired primarily by travels among and reading about the various cultures along the Silk Road.

McKennitt is often compared to Enya, but McKennitt's music is more grounded in traditional and classical invocations, using literary works as sources of lyrics and springboards for interpretation such as "The Lady of Shalott" by Lord Tennyson, "Prospero's Speech" (the final soliloquy in William Shakespeare's The Tempest), "Snow" by Archibald Lampman, "Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross, William Blake's "Lullaby", Yeats' "The Stolen Child", and "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes.

In 2005, McKennitt was involved in an acrimonious court case in England when her former friend and employee, Niema Ash, published a book which contained intimate details of their friendship. McKennitt argued that much of the book contained confidential personal information, which Ash had no right to publish. The English courts found that there had indeed been a breach of confidence and a misuse of McKennitt's private information, and the case is likely to set important precedents in English law on the privacy of celebrities. The House of Lords affirmed the lower court's decisions in 2007.

In September 2006, McKennitt performed live at the Alhambra. The performance premiered on PBS and in August 2007 was released on a three-disc DVD/CD set entitled Nights from the Alhambra.

In 2008, McKennitt composed the song entitled "To The Fairies They Draw Near" as the theme song for Disney's direct to video animated film Tinker Bell. The film makers were so impressed with her, that they asked her to do the narration for the film.

In the Spring of that same year, she returned to Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios to record A Midwinter Night’s Dream, an extended version of A Winter Garden (1995). The album will be released in November.

Elemental (1985)




Track Listing & Info

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1. "Blacksmith" – 3:20
2. "She Moved Through the Fair" – 4:05
3. "Stolen Child" – 5:05
4. "The Lark in the Clear Air" – 2:06
5. "Carrighfergus" – 3:24
6. "Kellswater" – 5:19
7. "Banks of Claudy" – 5:37
8. "Come by the Hills" – 3:05
9. "Lullaby" – 4:26

Combined Size 59,92 MB  (84% Compressed)
Original Size 369,23 MB
Combined Length 36 minutes 34 seconds
Channels 2  (stereo)
Sample Rate 44,1 KHz;
Sample Size 16 bit
Average Bit Rate 229 kbps

Code:

http://rapidshare.com/files/105398600/LOREENA_McKENNITT_1985_-_Elemental.rar

To Drive the Cold Winter Away (1985)




Track Listing & Info

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1. "In Praise of Christmas" – 6:06
2. "The Seasons" – 4:55
3. "The King" – 2:04
4. "Banquet Hall" – 3:53
5. "Snow" – 5:35
6. "Balulalow" – 3:09
7. "Let Us the Infant Greet" – 3:46
8. "The Wexford Carol" – 6:07
9. "The Stockford Carol" – 3:02
10. "Let all that are to Mirth Inclined" – 6:52

Combined Size 52,4 MB  (78% Compressed)
Original Size 230,96 MB
Combined Length 45 minutes 45 seconds
Channels 2  (stereo)
Sample Rate 22 KHz;
Sample Size 16 bit
Average Bit Rate 160 kbps

Code:

http://rapidshare.com/files/105400041/LOREENA_McKENNITT_1985_-_To_Drive_The_Cold_Winter_Away.rar

Parallel Dreams (1989)




Track Listing & Info

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1. "Samain Night" – 4:27
2. "Moon Cradle" – 4:29
3. "Huron 'Beltane' Fire Dance" – 4:20
4. "Annachie Gordon" – 8:22
5. "Standing Stones" – 6:56
6. "Dickens' Dublin (The Palace)" – 4:40
7. "Breaking the Silence" – 6:23
8. "Ancient Pines" – 3:35

Combined Size 74,05 MB  (84% Compressed)
Original Size 439,84 MB
Combined Length 43 minutes 34 seconds
Channels 2  (stereo)
Sample Rate 44,1 KHz;
Sample Size 16 bit
Average Bit Rate 237 kbps

Code:

http://rapidshare.com/files/105401501/LOREENA_McKENNITT_1989_-_Parallel_Dreams.rar

The Visit (1991)




Track Listing & Info

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1. "All Souls Night" – 5:04
2. "Bonny Portmore" – 3:57
3. "Between the Shadows" – 4:03
4. "The Lady of Shalott" – 11:05
5. "Greensleeves" – 4:15
6. "Tango to Evora" – 4:03
7. "Courtyard Lullaby" – 4:50
8. "The Old Ways" – 5:50
9. "Cymbeline" – 4:48

Combined Size 85,5 MB  (83% Compressed)
Original Size 495,72 MB
Combined Length 49 minutes 6 seconds
Channels 2  (stereo)
Sample Rate 44,1 KHz;
Sample Size 16 bit
Average Bit Rate 243 kbps

Code:

http://rapidshare.com/files/105403792/LOREENA_McKENNITT_1991_-_The_Visit.rar

The Mask and Mirror (1994)




Track Listing & Info

Code:

1. "The Mystic's Dream" – 7:40
2. "The Bonny Swans" – 7:18
3. "The Dark Night of the Soul" – 6:44
4. "Marrakesh Night Market" – 6:30
5. "Full Circle" – 5:57
6. "Santiago" – 5:58
7. "Cé Hé Mise le Ulaingt? The Two Trees" – 9:06
8. "Prospero's Speech" – 3:23

Combined Size 88,11 MB  (84% Compressed)
Original Size 532,86 MB
Combined Length 52 minutes 47 seconds
Channels 2  (stereo)
Sample Rate 44,1 KHz;
Sample Size 16 bit
Average Bit Rate 233 kbps

Code:

http://rapidshare.com/files/105406359/LOREENA_McKENNITT_1994_-_The_Mask_and_Mirror.rar

The Book of Secrets (1997)




Track Listing & Info

Code:

1. "Prologue" – 4:22
2. "The Mummers' Dance" – 6:07
3. "Skellig" – 6:07
4. "Marco Polo" – 5:15
5. "The Highwayman" – 10:19
6. "La Serenissima" – 5:09
7. "Night Ride across the Caucasus" – 8:30
8. "Dante's Prayer" – 7:11

Combined Size 90,7 MB  (84% Compressed)
Original Size 538,34 MB
Combined Length 53 minutes 20 seconds
Channels 2  (stereo)
Sample Rate 44,1 KHz;
Sample Size 16 bit
Average Bit Rate 237 kbps

Code:

http://rapidshare.com/files/105408628/LOREENA_McKENNITT_1997_-_The_Book_of_Secrets.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/105409854/LOREENA_McKENNITT_1997_-_The_Book_of_Secrets.part2.rar

Live in Paris and Toronto (1999)




Track Listing & Info

Code:

CD1

1. "Prologue" – 4:59
2. "The Mummers' Dance" - 4:01
3. "Skellig" - 5:24
4. "Marco Polo" - 4:52
5. "The Highwayman" - 9:29
6. "La Serenissima" - 5:54
7. "Night Ride Across the Caucasus" - 6:22
8. "Dante's Prayer" 5:24

CD2

1. "The Mystic's Dream" - 6:29
2. "Santiago" - 6:19
3. "Bonny Portmore" - 3:50
4. "Between the Shadows" - 4:30
5. "The Lady of Shalott" - 9:19
6. "The Bonny Swans" - 7:05
7. "The Old Ways" - 5:36
8. "All Souls Night" - 4:46
9. "Cymbeline" - 6:27

Combined Size 170,13 MB  (84% Compressed)
Original Size 1,018.41 MB
Combined Length 1 hour 40 minutes
Channels 2  (stereo)
Sample Rate 44,1 KHz;
Sample Size 16 bit
Average Bit Rate 235 kbps

Code:

http://rapidshare.com/files/105391161/Live_in_Paris_and_Toronto_CD1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/105393600/Live_in_Paris_and_Toronto_CD2.rar

An Ancient Muse (2006)




Track Listing & Info

Code:

1. "Incantation" – 2:35
2. "The Gates of Istanbul" – 6:59
3. "Caravanserai" – 7:36
4. "The English Ladye and the Knight"[3] – 6:49
5. "Kecharitomene"[4] – 6:34
6. "Penelope's Song" – 4:21
7. "Sacred Shabbat" – 3:59
8. "Beneath a Phrygian Sky" – 9:32
9. "Never-ending Road (Amhrán Duit)" – 5:54

Combined Size 100,2 MB  (82% Compressed)
Original Size 552,34 MB
Combined Length 54 minutes 43 seconds
Channels 2  (stereo)
Sample Rate 44,1 KHz;
Sample Size 16 bit
Average Bit Rate 256 kbps

Code:

http://rapidshare.com/files/105411036/LOREENA_McKENNITT_2006_-_An_Ancient_Muse.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/105412484/LOREENA_McKENNITT_2006_-_An_Ancient_Muse.part2.rar

Nights from the Alhambra (2007)




Track Listing & Info

Code:

CD1

1. The Mystic's Dream"
2. "She Moved Through the Fair"
3. "Stolen Child"
4. "The Mummer's Dance"
5. "Penelope's Song"
6. "Marco Polo"
7. "The Bonny Swans"
8. "Dante's Prayer"
9. "Caravanserai"

CD2

1. "Bonny Portmore"
2. "Santiago"
3. "Raglan Road"
4. "All Soul's Night"
5. "The Lady of Shalott"
6. "The Old Ways"
7. "Never-Ending Road (Amhrán Duit)"
8. "Huron `Beltane` Fire Dance"
9. "Cymbeline"

Combined Size 121,35 MB  (88% Compressed)
Original Size 956,84 MB
Combined Length 1 hour 34 minutes
Channels 2  (stereo)
Sample Rate 44,1 KHz;
Sample Size 16 bit
Average Bit Rate 178 kbps

Code:

http://rapidshare.com/files/105413544/Nights_From_The_Alhambra_-_CD1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/105389444/Nights_From_The_Alhambra_-_CD2.rar

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ProjectW.org

[marios2012]

thanks a lot for the cds

[AbbyY]

you're welcome mate

[Guest]

You`re so awesome! Thanks for these adds!

[Guest]

Thanl you!!

[Guest]

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Tnx for such a wonderful collection,

[Guest]

Hey, THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH! I JUST LOVE THIS IRISH RED-HAIRED BEAUTY :o)

Wells P. Martin
Stamford, Ct
wellsp@att.net

[Guest]

Thank you !!!!