OLD-WAYS MAILING LIST: Frequently Asked Questions September 1995 Prepared by: Linda Slater (Comments, criticisms, amendments, suggestions for additions, etc. can be sent to me at : linda.slater@ualberta.ca ) This FAQ has been created to answer questions about Loreena McKennitt, the subject of The Old-Ways Mailing List (created and maintained by Christian Walters). From Aug 31 through approximately Sept 10th, the Old-Ways Mailing List will be "on hiatus" while it is being relocated. Anyone presently on the list will automatically be moved over to the new location. New subscribers will have to subscribe when the list resurfaces. If anyone would like to be informed as to when this happens, and how to subscribe once it does happen, email me and I will contact you when the List is up again. This FAQ may be accessed via following sites: 1. The Loreena Homepage at http://www.halcyon.com/coolweb/loreena.html The above site will be changing addresses very soon. (If it doesn't work now; try again soon, but use the old URL in the meantime.) The new address will be: http://www.wolfenet.com/~drcool/loreena/welcome.html The Loreena Homepage is maintained by Aaron McMahon (drcool@halcyon.com). Pictures and soundbites are available, too. 2. Via the Ceolas archives (maintained by Gerard Manning) at the following addresses: WWW: http://www.ceolas.org/pub/artists/Loreena.McKennitt Anonymous FTP: ftp://celtic.stanford.edu/pub/artists/Loreena.McKennitt The FAQ and various pictures (of Loreena, and related pictures) are available at the following location (administered by Dave Liebson, dliebson@mit.edu): WWW: http://moocow.mit.edu/ Anonymous FTP: ftp://moocow.mit.edu/ Questions in the FAQ have been derived from messages sent to The Old-Ways List, as well as from other sources (e.g. Usenet groups, particularly alt.music.lor-mckennitt and alt.music.enya). Questions have also been manufactured in order to present information that all those who enjoy Loreena McKennitt's music _should_ know (specifically the spelling questions), whether or not anybody has actually asked for the information. [Yes, this is rather fascistic, but every once and awhile an authoritarian tendency emerges in me that I cannot suppress! LGS] On to the Questions! Contents of this FAQ: 1. Spelling/Wording: A. What is the correct spelling of Loreena's name? B. How do you spell The Lady of Shalott? C. What is the exact name of Loreena's fifth album 2. Is there a Usenet group devoted to Loreena? 3. Is Loreena McKennitt Irish and is she related to Enya? 4. What is the date of Loreena's birthday? 5. What kind of harp does Loreena play? 6. Who is Loreena? 7. Is Loreena married and other "dirt"? 8. Hey, what about those Pagan tendencies (or, is Loreena McKennitt a Pagan?) 9. Discography 10. Does Quinlan Road have an email address? 11. Has Loreena made any videos? 12. TV Programs and Movies which have feature Loreena's Music 13. Where can I get NFB Films 14. Has sheet music been published for Loreena's songs? 15. Is Loreena touring or performing anywhere? 16. Who are the musicians Loreena has worked with on her albums and on tours? 17. List of Sources (To prove that I'm not making any of this up!) 18. What Other Artists Do Old Ways List Members Listen To? 1. SPELLING: A. How do you spell Loreena McKennitt's name correctly? Exactly as above. Two e's; two t's. _Not_ Lorena. (There is a famous person with this first name, and we definitely don't want to get Loreena mixed up with her!) And _not_ McKennit. It is understandable that people on Usenet groups or people new to the old-ways mailing list may spell Loreena's name wrong -- they may have only heard her name on the radio and not seen it in print, so please don't hold it against anybody if they spelled Loreena's name wrong at some point in time. B. How do you spell Shalott, as in The Lady of Shalott? Again, as above, two t's. This word gets mis-spelled in the media even more often than McKennitt. In fact, it is even spelled wrong in the liner notes of the 1991 release of The Visit on the next to last page of the liner booklet. The 1992 release does not contain the sentence with the spelling error in it, however. [Because I am spending so much time quibbling about spelling, it may seem that in addition to being slightly fascistic, I might also be slightly anal-retentive. This is not true! REALLY, it's NOT!!! L.S.] C. What is the exact name of Loreena's fifth album? Loreena's fifth album is called: the mask and mirror. It is often referred to as The Mask and _the_ Mirror, but there is no second "the" in the title. I also notice that in Quinlan Road promotional material the title is spelled entirely in lower case. 2. Is there a Usenet Group devoted to Loreena. Yes, there is, and it is called alt.music.lor-mckennitt. It is not available on all newsreaders because it was not created via the formal channel of consulting the powers-that-be in alt.config. Loreena also gets discussed in rec.music.celtic and occasionally on alt.music.enya. 3. Is Loreena McKennitt Irish? No. Loreena was born in Morden, Manitoba, Canada and has lived in Stratford, Ontario since 1981. Her family has been in Canada for at least a couple of generations although the origins of her family on both sides are Irish. Loreena has spent quite a bit of time in Ireland, however, and now owns a cottage in County Clare. Loreena is not related to Enya, contrary to rumours that Loreena is either her sister or cousin. (Enya _is_ however sister to the members of Clannad and, consequently Maire Brennan.) 4. What is Loreena's birth data? Loreena was born on February 17th, 1957 at 7:00 pm. 5. What kind of harp does Loreena play? The harp that Loreena used in performance and for recording through 1994 is a Lyon and Healy Troubador harp. She recently acquired a new harp which is a newer version of her old Lyon and Healy Troubador. 6. Who is Loreena? Who is Loreena? What is she, That all our swains commend her? Holy, fair, and wise is she; The heavens such grace did lend her, That she might admi-red be. Is she kind as she is fair? For beauty lives with kindness. Love doth to her eyes repair, To help him of his blindness, And being helped, inhabits there. Then to Loreena let us sing, That Loreena is excelling. She excels each mortal thing Upon the dull earth dwelling. To her let us garlands bring. (William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act IV, scene ii, 39-53.) Early years (60's-70's): Loreena's earliest musical activities centred around piano lessons and singing lessons in her hometown of Morden, Manitoba where she also sang in the town children's choir and played the organ in the local United Church. After she moved to Winnipeg to attend Grade 12 she became involved in the Winnipeg folk scene and was exposed to the celtic music tradition through recordings of such groups as Planxty, Steeleye Span, and Alan Stivell (who sparked her interest in the harp). Soon Loreena became known locally as a folk performer and performed at local folk venues including the Winnipeg Folk Festival. During this same period (late seventies), Loreena was also involved in other less "folky" musical ventures including: localmusical theatre (children's theatre; productions of "mini" Broadway musicals at a Winnipeg dinner theatre called "The Hollow Mug"; and a Winnipeg production of My Fair Lady); singing in lounges; and appearing in at least one television commercial (a spot for the Manitoba Liquor Commission in which she sang the immortal words "I don't drink gin and tonic...."). Her musical education at this time included attendance at the Manitoba School for Theatre and Allied Arts. At one point, Loreena started university in an agriculture program with the intention of eventually becoming a veterinarian, but called a halt to her studies in order to pursue the musical opportunities that began to present themselves at this time. In 1977/78, Loreena competed in the first du Maurier Search For Talent competition. 1,500 performers from across Canada were auditioned for the competition, and the field was narrowed down to 15. These fifteen semi-finalists received a prize of $2,000 each and were featured on a series of specials on CBC in which each was given the opportunity to showcase their talent. >From these 15, five winners were chosen by votes cast by television viewers, as well as a panel of judges representing the Arts community. Loreena's showcase was a scene from My Fair Lady that obviously impressed both the viewers and the judges and resulted in her being selected as one of six finalists (it was only supposed to be five, but the calibre of the competition was such that the competition organizers allowed a sixth finalist to be chosen). The six finalists each received $5,000 and the chance to work on future CBC productions. An interesting side note from this time period: until she was able to support herself entirely through her music, Loreena supplemented her income by working in the office of her father's livestock business which often involved "hands-on product management", i.e. helping out with rounding up cattle. [Think about that next time you find yourself getting too caught up in Loreena's ethereal, ever-so-feminine on-stage image!] Middle years (1981-1990): The next period of Loreena's career began when she moved to Stratford, Ontario in 1981, where she found work with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as both a performer and a composer. She played the role of Ceres in the 1982 production of The Tempest; composed the music for the 1983 production of Blake (a theatrical look at the life and work of poet William Blake); and composed the music for, and performed in, the 1984 production of Two Gentlement of Verona. Her skills as a composer were honed by a brief stint in 1985 at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-on-Avon, England where she studied with then composer-in-residence, Guy Wolfendon. During this period, Loreena was also involved in several non- Stratford-Festival-related projects. These included: writing the score for the Canadian feature films Bayo (1985) and Heaven on Earth (1986; Loreena also had a bit part in this film as one half of a kind-hearted couple who get duped into helping out an orphan at a train station); being musical director of and performer in a production called Lilly at the Blyth, Ontario Summer Festival (1986); working as composer and performer in a 1988 production of St. Stephen's Green at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin; and being musical director of and performer in the Toronto Young People's Theatre production of Kidnapped in 1989. Loreena was also involved in a number of productions of the National Film Board of Canada. These include: To A Safer Place (1987); Mother Earth (1991); and a trilogy of films produced by Studio D (the NFB's women's studio) on women's spirituality that includes: The Goddess Remembered (1989), The Burning Times (1990) and Full Circle (1992). Between productions such as the above, Loreena began her career as a recording artist and performer. In 1985 she produced her first album, Elemental, under her own label Quinlan Road. She credits a book called How To Make Your Own Recording by Diane Rappaport with the advice needed to "do-it-herself". Once produced, she marketed the album by mail-order out of her home, at concerts, while busking in places such as Toronto's St. Lawrence Market, and by dropping off copies to be sold at places patronized by the kind of people who might like her music -- record stores, book stores, cafes, and such like. Keeping a mailing list of people who were interested in her music allowed Loreena to keep her audience in touch with her activities without having to resort to more formal and more expensive means of publicity. Much of Loreena's following at this time was developed by word of mouth, and this worked so well for her that she was able to sell 30,000 copies of Elemental. The success of Elemental allowed her to finance her next two albums, To Drive The Cold Winter Away (1987) and Parallel Dreams (1989), both self- produced. Parallel Dreams went gold in Canada which meant that sales exceeded 50,000 copies. With this kind of success, the Canadian media began to notice Loreena, and she began being featured in newspaper articles and on radio and television. Probably one of the best pieces of exposure Loreena got was being featured on Adrienne Clarkson's Summer Festival (CBC, 1988) in a half-hour spot called "Breaking the Silence" in which she was seen in performance as well as being interviewed. By the end of the eighties, Loreena was able to tour Canada and perform to sold-out audiences. She began touring outside of Canada, as well. Recent years (1991 -- ): The next big step forward for Loreena was the Canadian release of The Visit in the fall of 1991. The Visit saw Loreena venture away from the musical traditions of the British Isles slightly to include overtones of east Indian and middle eastern musical traditions in her work. Continued word of mouth bolstered by increased radio play, more exposure by the media and a distribution deal with Warner Music resulted in The Visit eventually going double-platinum in Canada with sales of over 400,000 and reaching sales of over 700,000 world-wide. The Visit would win the 1992 Juno Award (Canadian equivalent of the Grammies) for the Best Roots and Traditional Album. Loreena toured heavily in support of The Visit and performed to sold out audiences across North America and Europe. Prior to The Visit, Loreena distributed her recordings herself through her private label, Quinlan Road. But the increasing demand for her albums reached a point where Loreena saw the benefits of establishing an arrangement with a record company to facilitate wider distribution of her albums than she was capable of herself. This resulted in her present association with Warner Music which began with the release of The Visit. Warner Music now distributes all of Loreena's albums, although she continues to make them available by mail order through her own label, Quinlan Road. Much has been made of the "great" deal Loreena was able to negotiate on the strength of her past success in producing and marketing her earlier albums. Her refusal to accept anything less than an equitable deal has resulted in a situation where she has been able to maintain more control over her career than most artists, and she has been able to keep more of the money from her album sales in her own pocket, thus allowing her to be able to afford to do things her own way. Loreena continues to be her own manager and to be heavily involved in more than just the artistic aspects of her career. The release of "the mask and mirror" in 1994 is Loreena's most recent accomplishment. The album made an immediate impact in Canada, debuting at #7 in the charts, and has received a lot of recognition in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere. At the 1995 Juno Awards, "the mask and mirror" was awarded the Juno for Best Roots and Traditional Album. On "the mask and mirror", Loreena took the exploration she began on The Visit several steps further and incorporated Spanish, middle eastern, and north African musical influences into her compositions. It is obvious -- from what Loreena states in the liner notes, from what she has said in recent interviews, and most importantly, from the songs themselves -- that spirituality and the search for religious meaning are the major themes explored on this album. A tour of Europe that included Spain, Sweden, Norway, Germany, England, Ireland, Italy, France and Belgium and North America was launched upon the release of "the mask and mirror" followed by a month's (May, 1994) worth of North American dates. A more extensive tour of North America took place Oct-Dec of 1994. Loreena performed in the UK and other parts of Europe in Jan/Feb/March 95 and performed in Australia and New Zealand in the latter part of March. Loreena has not been very specific about what her next endeavours will be except to state that she hopes the next album will be ready some time in the spring of 1996. She said in a recent article that she has been pursuing an interest in Italian and Greek culture, as well as reading the works of Dante. Whether or not these interests will be reflected in her next album remains to be seen (or more specifically "heard"). 7. Is Loreena married and other "dirt"? [Raise your hand everybody who zipped to this part of the FAQ first! Now that you're here, sorry to disappoint you. There is no dirt!] Loreena is not married and does not have any children. She does however have two dogs, Julius and Maeve, as well as a couple of cats, Isis and Minnaloushe. As for whether Loreena is involved with anyone human at this particular moment.... do you really expect moi to know that?!? :-) But for those of you curious to know whether Loreena has ever had a romantic relationship -- she's had at least two boyfriends in her life. In a 1994 Saturday Night article (see List of Sources below), it was stated that Loreena moved from Winnipeg to Ontario with a boyfriend, and that she'd had a relationship with actor Cedric Smith (who sang on Loreena's first two albums and who presently appears in the TV program Road to Avonlea) which ended around the time "Elemental" was finished. More recently, in a 1995 Chatelaine article, one of Loreena's responses to questions about her personal life was that she's "not prepared to sacrifice my being engaged in the world for just any relationship." [I _like_ that statement! I think anybody out there who gets hounded about why they are not married or heavily involved with one particular person should adopt it as their own. Hopefully, Loreena won't mind if you "steal" her words in this case. :-)] Other than the above, I haven't seen or heard anything else discussed in the media on the topic of Loreena's love life. So, either there's nothing to discuss, or else she's one of those people who prefer to keep their private life private. 8. Hey, what about those Pagan tendencies (or, is Loreena McKennitt a Pagan)? [At this point, let me hand it over to Dave Gosselin who knows much more about Paganism than I do for the next couple of paragraphs. LGS.] Let me address two issues before the question of whether or not Loreena is a Pagan gets answered: What is Paganism, and why would one even ask if Loreena McKennitt is a Pagan? When we speak of Paganism, with a capital "P," we are talking of the Neopagan community which is basically the magical religions which have seasonal celebrations. This is slightly different than the dictionary definition of paganism, which is "religions that are not Christian, Moslem or Jewish." There are many different traditions ("denominations" if you will) within the Neopagan community. The most widely known are Wicca and Druidism. The adherents of Paganism have seasonal celebrations at the Solstices and Equinoxes as well as the cross quarter days (the days half way between the Solstices and the Equinoxes). Pagan beliefs tend to include such beliefs as: divinity is both the immanent and transcendent (God/dess is within and without), reincarnation, that "Goddess" makes as much sense as "God", and that Nature is divine, and that we are part of Nature, not her "rulers." Most Pagans use Magic as part of their rituals. One of the most important Pagan holidays is Samhain, also known as Halloween and All Soul's Night, at which time Pagans (and Christians, influenced by this tradition) honor the dead and attempt to communicate with them. Samhain (pronounced sow- ane or sow-een) is also the Celtic New Year. So why would someone ask if Loreena McKennitt is a Pagan? She did the music to three very important Pagan-positive films by the NFB, (The Goddess Remembered, The Burning Times, and Full Circle). There is also a great deal of Celtic imagery in her music, and Pagans rely heavily on Celtic traditions. The titles of many of her songs use names that are Pagan Holidays or images. These include, "Samhain Night" and "Huron 'Beltane' Fire Dance" (Beltane is considered second in importance only to Samhain in the Pagan community), "All Souls Night" and "The Old Ways". The Old Ways is a synonym for Paganism. There are also a few songs that invoke Pagan sympathies due to their environmental tone, or magical vision, such as "Bonny Portmore" and "Courtyard Lullaby." [Thanks, Dave! Back to me for the rest, but before I proceed.... everything stated below is derived from what I have read or heard in articles/interviews with Loreena. Discussing somebody's spiritual beliefs -- especially those of somebody you don't know -- is a tricky business, and I hope people will read the following as a distillation of what I have read/heard and not as a conclusive statement of what Loreena McKennitt believes or does not believe. L.S.] Loreena has never stated in an interview that she is a Pagan or that she participates in any Pagan religious rites, this combined with the tenor of what she has said in interviews where the topic has come up would lead me to believe that she is not. She has indicated that she knows she has a Pagan following and acknowledges that some of the images she uses in her music (those derived from nature or mythology) would attract those with some kind of environmental orientation to her music. Loreena and her family attended the United Church of Canada (a mainline, liberal Protestant denomination) when she was young, but in reference to her current religious practices, Loreena has said that she doesn't attend church or belong to any particular religion, but that she finds renewal in settings that bring her in closer touch to nature. It is obvious from the themes she explores on "the mask and mirror" and things she's said recently in interviews that Loreena spends a certain amount of time pondering spiritual matters, but I have never heard her say anything in the media like "I believe..." or "God is... " or "I am a [insert name of institutionalized religion of your choice]...." Most of the time when she's talked about religion or spirituality, she's tended to ask questions, like "What is god?" "What is the soul?" rather than stating what she herself believes to be true. (For those of you who have a particular interest in the answer to this question, I will report some Old Ways hearsay: somebody posted a message on the list saying she'd met Loreena at a promotional appearance and asked her point blank whether she considered herself a Pagan, and Loreena said "No".) 9. Discography: LOREENA MCKENNITT - A DISCOGRAPHY Compiled by Chris Seet s335090@student.uq.edu.au Greetings all! In this discography, I have endeavoured to list releases on all formats, commercial or promotional, by Loreena McKennitt. Please note that, where albums have been released in many countries around the world, not all of these international releases have been recorded. Please note also that some entries contain speculated information. With special tidings and thanks to Dave Liebson, Konrad Vasterman, Linda Slater, Brian (charismatically challenged), Karen Shook, The Old Ways List, Todd Samost, Tim Haynes and Laura Reiter for their valuable conversations and contributions. And of course to Ms McKennitt, whose music helps so many of us through the everyday stresses and complexities associated with life in this day and age - and perhaps rekindles a magic in this world that we thought had long since vanished. If you should have any suggestions, additions or corrections - please feel free to e-mail me at the above address. Thank you. Enjoy, - C H R I S - brisbane, australia Key: CD = Compact Disc / MCS = Music Cassette / LP = 12 inch Vinyl Record Sections: Albums / Singles / Promotional Material / Miscellany /Availability ALBUMS: ELEMENTAL (1985) Blacksmith / She Moved Through the Fair / Stolen Child / The Lark in the Clear Air / Carrighfergus / Kellswater / Banks of Claudy / Come by the Hills / Lullaby Canada - Quinlan Road CD QRCD 101 MCS QR 101 TO DRIVE THE COLD WINTER AWAY (1987) In Praise of Christmas / The Seasons / The King / Banquet Hall / Snow / Balulalow /Let Us the Infant Greet / The Wexford Carol / The Stockford Carol / Let All That Are To Mirth Inclined Canada - Quinlan Road CD QRCD 102 MCS QR 102 PARALLEL DREAMS (1989) Samain Night / Moon Cradle / Huron Beltane Fire Dance / Annachie Gordon / Standing Stones / Dicken's Dublin (The Palace) / Breaking the Silence / Ancient Pines Canada - Quinlan Road CD QRCD 103 MCS QR 103 THE VISIT (1991) All Souls Night / Bonny Portmore / Between the Shadows / The Lady of Shalott / Greensleeves / Tango to Evora / Courtyard Lullaby / The Old Ways /Cymbeline Canada - Quinlan Road / WEA: CD QRCD 104 MCS QR 104 LP ? Europe - QR / WEA: CD 9031-75151-2 MCS 9031-75151-4 LP ? This is the first pressing of The Visit, and features the original Canadian cover as well as the first version of The Old Ways (Track 8). All pressings from 1992 onwards, regardless of country, contain a new mix of this song. THE VISIT - SPECIAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION (1991) Two Disc Set Disc One: The Visit Canada - Quinlan Road / WEA CD75151 All Souls Night / Bonny Portmore / Between the Shadows / The Lady of Shalott / Greensleeves / Tango to Evora / Courtyard Lullaby / The Old Ways /Cymbeline Disc Two: The Visit Interview Canada - QR / WEA PRO-CD-5554 Greensleeves / Interview / Stolen Child / Huron Beltane Fire Dance Canada - Quinlan Road / WEA CD QRCDB 104 Canadian Version CD QRCDU 104 American Version This is a 2CD set that was only available from Quinlan Road (but is no longer). (See section on availability). Disc two is a Warner Music Canada promotional disc containing an interview by Tim Wilson (of CBC Broadcasting, Canada) 34 minutes in length recorded especially for this CD. This set caining an interview by Tim Wilson (of CBC Broadcasting, Canada) 34 minutes in length recorded especially for this CD. This set came in two versions, American and Canadian. The American version featured different artwork to the Canadian. There was also an additional booklet with the interview CD. (See also the Promotional Material section.) THE VISIT (1992) All Souls Night / Bonny Portmore / Between the Shadows / The Lady of Shalott / Greensleeves / Tango to Evora / Courtyard Lullaby / The Old Ways /Cymbeline USA - QR / Warner Brothers CD 9 26880-2 MCS 9 26880-4 American release - features totally different artwork to The Visit discs from other countries. Track 8 is a different version of The Old Ways -- a drum track that was present on the Canadian version has been removed the American version, plus there are some additional backing vocals provided by Loreena. THE MASK AND MIRROR (1994) The Mystic's Dream / The Bonny Swans / The Dark Night of the Soul / Marrakesh Night Market / Full Circle / Santiago / Ce He Mise Le Ulaingt? The Two Trees / Prospero's Speech Canada/USA - QR / WEA CD 9 45420-2 MCS 9 45420-4 LP 9 45420-1 Australia - QR / East West CD 4509952962 MCS 4509952964 THE MASK AND MIRROR - AUSTRALASIAN TOUR EDITION (1995) Two Disc Set Disc One: The Mask and Mirror Aust - QR / East West / WEA 4509998332/1 The Mystic's Dream / The Bonny Swans / The Dark Night of the Soul / Marrakesh Night Market / Full Circle / Santiago / Ce He Mise Le Ulaingt? The Two Trees / Prospero's Speech Disc Two: Live in San Francisco Aust - QR / East West / WEA 4509998332/2 at the Palace of Fine Arts The Mystic's Dream / Santiago / She Moved Through the Fair / Between the Shadows /The Lady of Shalott / The Bonny Swans Australia - QR / East West / WEA CD 4509998332 This set was released to commemorate Loreena's tour of Australia and New Zealand in March 1995. Disc two contains highlights from the US 10 track Live in San Francisco promotional CD (see section on promotional material), recorded live in San Francisco at the Palace of Fine Arts. This set is also available, in limited quantities, direct from Quinlan Road. LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO AT THE PALACE OF FINE ARTS (1995) The Mystic's Dream / Santiago / She Moved Through the Fair / Between the Shadows /The Lady of Shalott / The Bonny Swans Canada - Quinlan Road CD ? All tracks recorded live in San Francisco at the Palace of Fine Arts. This disc is the same as the second CD from the _The Mask and Mirror - Australasian Tour Edition_, and is available exclusively from Quinlan Road. SINGLES: ALL SOULS NIGHT (1991) Huron Beltane Fire Dance / All Souls Night / ? / ? Europe - QR / WEA=20 CD ? THE BONNY SWANS (1994) The Bonny Swans (Edit) / The Lady of Shalott / Prospero's Speech / The Bonny Swans Europe - QR / Australia QR / WEA 4509-95670-2 PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL THE LADY OF SHALOTT - SELECTIONS FROM THE ALBUM THE VISIT (1991) The Lady of Shalott (Edit) / All Souls Night (Edit) / Greensleeves / Tango to Evora /The Lady of Shalott Europe - QR / WEA CD CDN14 THE VISIT INTERVIEW (1991) Greensleeves / Interview / Stolen Child / Huron Beltane Fire Dance Canada - QR / Warner Music Canada / WEA CD PRO-CD-5554 Contains a 34 minute interview conducted by Tim Wilson. Note this is also the disc that comes as the second CD of the The Visit - Special Collector's Edition set that was only available from Quinlan Road. WORDS AND MUSIC - THE VISIT INTERVIEW (1991) Interview Segment One / All Souls Night / The Lady of Shalott / Interview Segment Two / Bonny Portmore / Greensleeves / Courtyard Lullaby USA - QR / Warner Brothers CD PRO-CD-5809 Interview segments run for approximately 15 minutes each. THE MASK AND MIRROR - ADVANCE CD (1994) The Mystic's Dream / The Bonny Swans / The Dark Night of the Soul / Marrakesh Night Market / Full Circle / Santiago / Ce He Mise Le Ulaingt? The Two Trees / Prospero's Speech USA - QR / Warner Brothers CD PRO-CD-6775 WORDS AND MUSIC - THE MASK AND MIRROR (1994) Interview Segment One / Interview Segment Two USA - QR / Warner Brothers CD PRO-CD-6821 SELECTED EDITS FROM THE MASK AND MIRROR (1994) The Mystic's Dream (Edit #1) / The Mystic's Dream (Edit #2) / The Bonny Swans (Edit #1) / The Bonny Swans (Edit #2) / Santiago (Edit) / The Dark Night of the Soul (Edit) / The Two Trees (Edit) USA - QR / Warner Brothers CD PRO-CD-6898 THE BONNY SWANS (1994) The Bonny Swans (Short Edit) / The Bonny Swans (Edit) USA - QR / Warner Brothers CD PRO-CD-7032-R LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO AT THE PALACE OF FINE ARTS (1994) The Mystic's Dream / Santiago / She Moved Through the Fair / Between the Shadows /The Stolen Child / The Dark Night of the Soul / Marrakesh Night Market / The Lady of Shalott / The Bonny Swans / Prospero's Speech USA - QR / Warner Brothers CD PRO-CD-7255 All tracks recorded Live in San Francisco at the Palace of Fine Arts. This promotional CD contains four extra tracks not available on other Live in San Francisco discs for sale commercially. MISCELLANY THE SANTA CLAUSE (1994) Loreena contributed a non-album track _The Bells of Christmas_ to this movie from Walt Disney Pictures / Buena Vista. The song was incorporated into the soundtrack. I am uncertain as to whether a soundtrack CD exists for this movie. ON THE MOUNTAIN II (1995) A compilation of on-air performances recorded for the Seattle radio station KMTT. Loreena has a shortened version of The Lady of Shalott on this album - performed whilst on her Mask and Mirror Tour in December, 1994. USA - KMTT CD ? PROGRESSIONS #11: New Music for Progressive Adult Radio October 1994 FMQB Album Report This is a promotional album only, but one Old Ways member found it at a second hand store. It included two tracks by Loreena: Prospero's Speech and The Bonny Swans. LIVE AT THE WORLD CAFE - VOLUME ONE (1995) Loreena contributed a live version of The Bonny Swans to this album which is a compilation of works by 18 different artists who have appeared on the WXPN (Philadelphia) public radio station program Live at the World Cafe. Anyone making a donation of $25 or more to the station will receive a copy of the CD. For more information call: 215-898-6677. USA - World Cafe CD WC 9051 THE SOUND OF STONE: Artists for Mullaghmore (Claddagh, 1993) Loreena contributed Bonny Portmore to this album which was produced as a fund-raiser to support a group protesting the establishment of an interpretive centre on the Burren (the barren limestone-based landscape in County Clare) CELTIC TWILIGHT (Hearts of Space, 1994) Loreena contributed Ancient Pines to this album which is a compilation of new age celtic artists played on the Hearts of Space radio program. PUTAMAYO PRESENTS THE BEST OF WORLD MUSIC, Vol 2 Loreena contributed Between the Shadows to this album. LULLABY: A Collection for Young People (Warner Music, 1994) Loreena contributed Courtyard Lullaby to this children's album which also includes contributions from performers such as Lady Smith Black Mambazo, Take 6 and Judy Collins. ETOILES CELTIQUES (Keltia Musique, CD KMCD55, 1995) Loreena contributed Dicken's Dublin (The Palace) to this compilation CD which contains cuts from 16 celtic artists. The CD can be obtain from Keltia Musique at the following address: Keltia Musique 1 Place au Beurre 29000 Quimper, France Tel. (33) 98 95 45 82 Fax. (33) 98 95 73 19 AVAILABILITY Loreena's five albums, in their most recent pressings, should be available from any record store that claims to have good taste in music. If not, then they can be ordered directly from Loreena's own record label, Quinlan Road, either from the UK or Canada. Quinlan Road also stocks some CDs not released commercially, as well as some (really nice!) Loreena merchandise including postcards, posters of the album covers and t-shirts. All Quinlan Road material is also available at Loreena's breath-taking concerts. You can contact Quinlan Road requesting an order form at the following addresses depending on which sibreath-taking concerts. You can contact Quinlan Road requesting an order form at the following addresses depending on which side of the world you live on: In Canada: Quinlan Road Box 933 Stratford, Ontario, Canada N5A 7M3 Ph: (519) 273-3876 Fax: (519) 273-4553 In the UK: Quinlan Road Box 3129 London, England W6 4SQ Ph: (071) 625-1778 Fax: (071) 625-4897 Information about items sold be Quinlan Road can be obtained by emailing the following address: postmaster@quinlan.demon.co.uk. Loreena' singles are most likely deleted, and probably are not easily available, if at all. Quinlan Road does not stock these singles nor do they stock any of the compilation albums to which Loreena has contributed. These you will have to obtain at your local record store or through a special ordering service if they are not readily available in your favourite store. The promotional CDs are of a very limited initial quantity and are distributed free to radio stations, DJs, reviewers, stores, etc. and were never meant for resale. Sale of these discs is, technically, not too legal, but they do appear occasionally on the secondary/collector's/black market for usually much inflated prices. [Thanks, Chris! LGS] 10. Does Quinlan Road have an email address? Yes. It is: postmaster@quinlan.demon.co.uk You are encouraged to bring any questions you think Quinlan Road is in the best position to answer to the above address (e.g. pricing of the things they sell; questions about Loreena's touring plans, etc.). This is _not_ Loreena's personal email address (as far as I know, she doesn't have one), but if you send personal messages to her through this address, they will be passed onto her eventually (certainly not on a _daily_ basis), presumably in hard copy or by fax. 11. Has Loreena made any videos? Loreena has made only two videos: The Lady of Shalott (1992); -- This was not a formal promotional video, but instead a clip of Loreena's performance of an abbreviated version of The Lady of Shalott at the 1992 Juno awards. Ofra Harnoy put in a guest appearance on cello at this performance. This clip has been used as a "video" on Canada's video station MuchMusic and on Bravo!, the Canadian arts channel The Bonny Swans (1994). -- this was a production video in which Loreena sings the song while the basic story of the song is acted out in Pre- Raphaelite montages behind her. Please note: Neither of these videos is available for purchase from Quinlan Road or from any other commercial enterprise. The only way I know of to obtain the above is to watch a lot of MuchMusic (the Canadian MTV) and Bravo (a Canadian arts channel) and tape the videos when they appear. 12. TV Programs and Movies that have featured Loreena's Music Besides providing music for films and theatre productions during the 80's, Loreena has also provided music for more recent television and film projects. These include: Leolo: (a French-Canadian film by Claude Lauzon) -- The Lady of Shalott (instrumental only) Northern Exposure (TV) -- Tango to Evora The Diviner's (Made for Cdn TV movie) -- Pique's Song Due South (TV) -- Prospero's Speech The Highlander III -- The Two Trees -- Ce He Mise Le Ulaingt -- Bonny Portmore 13. Where Can I Get NFB Films: Loreena contributed music to the NFB films The Goddess Remembered, Burning Times, Full Circle, as well as to three others not in the women's spirituality series, To a Safer Place, Mother Earth and Bayo. The three films from the women's spirituality series can be obtained via mail order from Quinlan Road at a cost of $60 (US or Cdn). (See above under 9. Discography for Quinlan Road's address.) As for the other videos.... If you can't get these videos in your local video store, you can order them from the NFB (the National Film Board of Canada). If you are American, you will have to contact the New York officeat (212) 586-5131 to order NFB videos. Another American supplier of the videos is Direct Cinema (800) 525-0000 (they charge $30-35 US plus shipping). In Canada, most major cities have an NFB office (although many of them may be about to close. The one in Edmonton closed on Aug 18th. :-( ). If not, there is a toll-free line that you can call to order videos (either to buy or rent). The number is: 1-800-267-7710. (I assume this number only works in Canada, but I suppose you "fer-ners" can always give it a try.) The woman I talked to at the NFB said that the films cost $26.95 Cdn each with a handling charge of $3.00 (no handling charge if you go down to the NFB office and purchase in person. I don't know how much they charge for rentals). 14. Has sheet music been published for Loreena's songs? No, there is as yet no published sheet music for any of Loreena's songs. Quinlan Road is aware that there is interest in this and may consider publishing music at some point in the future. 15. Is Loreena touring or performing anywhere? No, at the present time Loreena is not touring, and she has no performances scheduled in the near future. 16. Who are the musicians Loreena has worked with on her albums and on tours? [I wasn't sure how to organize this section -- alphabetically by name of the artist or by album and the artists featured on it. I opted for the latter, although there is a slight bit of jumping around. If anyone has suggestions of a better way to organize this section, please let me know, and more importantly, if anyone has any additional information about the musicians that Loreena has worked with, please forward this to me. Thanks! LGS] >ELEMENTAL< On this album, Loreena does most of the work herself, playing harp, accordian, guitar and keyboards, although, strangely she does not use the piano at all on this album. Another thing worthy of note about ELEMENTAL is that Loreena plays guitar on this recording. I have seen references to the fact that during the early years of her musical career, when she was known as a "folk singer", Loreena used the guitar frequently as one of her accompanying instruments. After ELEMENTAL, however, she ceased playing the guitar on subsequent recordings or during performances. The backing musicians who appear on ELEMENTAL are GEORGE CREER on bass and PAT MULLIN on cello. They are competent musicians, as their contributions to the album would attest, but they are unknown quantities (at least to me). The most "recognizable" names among the contributors to ELEMENTAL are notable more their acting abilities than for their musical abilities. Loreena's roots in the Stratford Festival scene are likely responsible for her collaboration with both Douglas Campbell and Cedric Smith. DOUGLAS CAMPBELL, who supplied his commanding voice for the recitation on "Lullaby", is a noted stage actor who has made many appearances at the Stratford Festival (as well as performing directorial duties there). Campbell played the role of Blake in the Stratford production of the same name, for which, as noted on the liner notes for ELEMENTAL, the song "Lullaby" was written. CEDRIC SMITH, who provided vocals and guitar on Carrighfergus and Kellswater, is a leading figure in Canadian stage, film and TV. He is probably best known for his current role as Alec King on the TV program Road to Avonlea, but previous acting roles such as the lead in the stage production "Billy Bishop Goes to War" not to mention his appearances on virtually every Canadian TV program from The Campbells to Street Legal established his reputation as an actor several years before Road to Avonlea. (This man is EVERYWHERE on Canadian TV. The morning of the day I wrote this I was watching a program on the JuJu musical tradition of Nigeria, and who should the narrator be but Cedric Smith!) Smith and Loreena shared arranging credits for the soundtrack to the NFB feature film "Bayo" (1985), which included the song Carrighfergus, albeit in a slightly different arrangement than the version that appears on ELEMENTAL. >TO DRIVE THE COLD WINTER AWAY< Cedric Smith reappears on this album to share vocals with Loreena on "The King". The only other musician to appear on this very stark album which predominantly features Loreena accompanying herself on harp, is Stratford-based musician, SHANNON PURVIS- SMITH who plays strings. >PARALLEL DREAMS< PARALLEL DREAMS is the album with which Loreena begins engaging the services of instrumentalists who had already, or would soon, establish their reputations as some of the most "in demand" musicians on the Canadian music scene. Many of these musicians would continue to work with her on subsequent albums and would appear with her in performance. Loreena's collaboration with BRIAN HUGHES began on Parallel Dreams. Brian has not only been the sole guitarist with whom Loreena has recorded and performed, but he has also collaborated with her in the production of her albums, and as noted by Ian Menzies in Canadian Musician, Brian provides "an early sounding board for [Loreena's] ideas". Brian, who is originally from Edmonton, is a highly talented jazz guitarist who has achieved success apart from his work with Loreena. He has released two albums (a third is on its way) both of which enjoyed success on jazz and adult contemporary charts, and he routinely performs with his own band, the members of which include Rick Lazar and, and until recently, George Koller, both of whom have worked with Loreena for a number of years. (Whether Brian brought Loreena's attention to these two musicians or vice versa, I don't know.) Besides the guitar, Brian also plays such exotic instruments as the balalaika (a four stringed, Russian ukalele-like instrument), the oud (a middle- eastern, fretless lute) and sitar. I also happen to know that Brian bought a Greek-style bouzouki, but he has as yet not played it on any of Loreena's albums, nor played it during performances. [Weird, interesting side note: The reason I know about the bouzouki is that I was admiring one of them in a local guitar shop, where Brian used to bring his guitars for maintenance when he still lived in Edmonton. The salesman told me, as part of his sales pitch, that "These instruments are very hard to get. We only brought in three of them. I bought the first one, Brian Hughes bought the second, and you could have the third." ] Brian cites as his influences musicians such as Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino and George Benson, but his style of jazz-rock fusion has brought him frequent comparisons to Pat Metheny. In fact, Brian stated in an interview for Canadian Composer that "The record company down in the States (Mesa/Bluemoon) says I've probably sold more Pat Metheny records than Brian Hughes records.... because when people hear my stuff on the radio they think it's a new Pat Metheny album and go out and pick up his latest release." A music video, directed by Lance Chilton (whom most viewers of Much Music will recognize as one of the Fax reporters), was made of one of Brian's songs, Nasca Lines, and features Brian, George Koller and Rick Lazar playing their instruments on a sand dune. The video airs occasionally on Bravo, the Canadian arts cable channel. Acoustic bassist/cellist GEORGE KOLLER, also originally from Edmonton, first started recording with Loreena on Parallel Dreams, as well. In the late 80's until about '91/92 he also appeared with her in performance, but except for occasional "guest" appearances, he has ceased performing with her on a regular basis. The reason for this probably lies in his stated desire to focus on his own work. Besides Loreena, George has worked with Brian Hughes, the Shuffle Demons, jazz trombonist Bob Stroup, Tania Koster, Women with Horns, the jazz group Mecca, vocalist Terez Malcolm and jazz singer Julie Michels. George has nurtured an interest in East Indian musical forms and as a result of this interest has studied east Indian vocal techniques and plays instruments such as the sitar, tamboura (an upright pot-bellied string instrument which provides a drone sound) and the esrai (a bowed sitar). He has produced a couple of recordings: one called Sunlight Rain which Edmonton Journal music columnist Roger Levesque describes as having "the contempletive air of classical Indian music", but adds that "it's too gutsy to be labelled 'new age'"; the other a collaboration with jazz singer Julie Michels called Singing Naked. [For you trivia buffs out there, George calls his acoustic bass "Sandra" -- she was named for "her" sandy colour. Evil befell Sandra a couple of years ago when George was in Edmonton to perform with trombonist Bob Stroup's Reunion Trio. The musicians had gone into the Sidetrack Cafe where they were to perform, leaving their instruments in a vehicle outside, and when they came back after only a few minutes, the instruments were gone. Sandra was eventually recovered and returned to George, safe and sound.] RICK LAZAR started playing percussion for Loreena on Parallel Dreams and has been her main percussionist in performance and on recordings since then. Rick is a Toronto-based musician who not only plays with Loreena and Brian Hughes, but also has also fronted his own bands, The Coconut Groove and The Montuno Police. Rick and the latter group released an independent album in 1991 called Rick Lazar and The Montuno Police. The Toronto Star described the latin-funk album as a "salsa and drumfest". OLIVER SCHROER played the violin on Parallel Dreams and performed with Loreena only briefly in 1989/90. Oliver, who is based in Markdale, Ont., was classically trained but has produced recordings that fall very much into the celtic/world beat genre. His recordings are played regularly on CBC Radio, and he was featured on a CBC "Hot Ticket" special in the summer of '94. Oliver's arrangements of traditional tunes, as well as his own compositions, are wild and imaginative and feature not only his virtuoso fiddle playing, but also instruments such as the hammered dulcimer, guitar and the ukalin (which is a stringed instrument that I have seen described as a cross between a ukalele and a violin; Loreena plays the ukalin herself on "Breaking the Silence"). [Those of you who are fans of the Finnish group Varttina can get a very brief sample of what Oliver's playing style is like if you listen to the song Kannunkaataja from their album Aitara. Oliver does _not_ play on their album, but when I first heard the fiddle "breakdown" featured in a couple of spots in Kannunkaataja, I could've sworn it was Oliver playing. Except for this brief excerpt from this one song, Oliver doesn't have much in common musically with Varttina, but he certainly does share their musical intensity and a propensity towards very intricate and exotic rhythms.] Schroer has four albums to his credit -- the earlier ones being more celtic in nature, latter two borrowing from other musical traditions such as the Balkan, Mongolian and Native American. For those of you who are really into liner notes, Oliver writes some of the most "interesting" liner notes I have ever read, and the liner notes on his latest album "Whirled" are the most difficult I have ever tried to read (they sort of form a whirling spiral of words!). Schroer's most recent activities include playing the Winnipeg Folk Festival with a group called The Stewed Tomatoes, and he will be touring Ontario with London-based singer-harpist Jacqueline Brown. SHELLEY BERGER's only stint with Loreena was to play bass and pzud on Parallel Dreams. (The term "pzud" was a name made up by the musicians because they did not know the name of this instrument at the time. It has since been discovered that the instrument is actually a Middle Eastern string instrument called a "zazz". I could be wrong about the spelling, though. :-) ) Shelley would go on to work with Oliver Schroer and Canadian guitarist Don Ross and to release his own solo jazz album. DAVID WOODHEAD and PATRICK HUTCHINSON are two other musicians who have worked with both Loreena and Oliver Schroer. [It almost seems like Loreena had two camps of backing musicians on Parallel Dreams: those who would go on to play with Brian Hughes -- Rick Lazar and George Koller; and those who would go on to play with Oliver Schroer -- Shelley Berger, David Woodhead and Patrick Hutchinson.] Patrick Hutchinson played uillean pipes on Parallel Dreams, The Visit and The Mask & Mirror. (Hutchinson also plays uillean pipes for the Celtic group Pendragon.) David Woodhead, who played bass, mandolin and accordian on Parallel Dreams, has worked not only with Loreena and Oliver Schroer but also with Stan Rogers and Anderson & Brown (an Ontario-based duo consisting of harpist Mary Anderson and guitarist/flautist/vocalist Ken Brown). The remaining musicians appearing on Parallel Dreams only show up briefly and include Ratesh Dasj on tabla and Al Cross on drums. Al Cross, who is Jane Siberry's drummer, would again play with Loreena on The Visit and The Mask and Mirror (although his drum part for The Old Ways is not included on the track in the non- Canadian release of The Visit). >THE VISIT< Several of the musicians mentioned above will continue to work with Loreena on The Visit (including Brian Hughes, who is credited as co-producer; Loreena, as always, is THE producer.) The "new kids on the block" are Tom Hazlett on bass, Anne Bourne on cello and Hugh Marsh on fiddle. TOM HAZLETT is an unknown quantity to me except that I have read he is classically- trained and has performed with Loreena, I believe, on the first tour in support of The Visit, circa fall/winter 91/92. On her most recent tour, Loreena worked with bassist STEVE LUCAS, a Toronto- based jazz musician who recently released his own album called Jeet Kune Do. Steve has toured and/or recorded with Bruce Cockburn, Buffy Ste. Marie, Seals and Crofts, among others, and has done some radio and film work. ANNE BOURNE is probably best known for her keyboard work with Jane Siberry. She has provided keyboards, vocals and/or cello on all of Jane's albums, appeared in a number of her videos, and toured with her up until Jane cut back her larger touring group in favour of a smaller, more intimate group. Besides working as a back-up musician for Jane and Loreena, Anne has worked with a wide range of names from the Canadian music scene, including Blue Rodeo, Lost and Profound, Allannah Myles, The Waltons, Meryn Cadell, Spirit of the West, and a host of others too numerous to mention. [If anyone wants the complete list which was provided to me by Clint Hawks and Tam Trutwin of the Siblings list, let me know]. Besides working as a backup musicians for others, Anne has pursued solo musical endeavours including the following: as lead singer and keyboardist of the group "All Her Brothers Were Drummers", she contributed "Silver Wheels" to the Bruce Cockburn tribute album "A Kick at the Darkness: Songs of Bruce Cockburn/Intrepid Records"; she contributed "Blue Ballet" to the 1989 Windham Hill compilation album: Legacy: A Collection of New Folk Music, and she contributed "Evangeline" to the 1990 Moose Compilation album. Anne toured with Loreena from 1989 (?) through 1993, playing not only cello, but keyboards, accordian and tamboura, as well as providing background vocals. Although Anne made a "guest" appearance on one date in Toronto during the last "mask and mirror" tour, from 1994 onwards, the "seat" she formerly occupied on Loreena's tours was occupied first by cellist/keyboardist KIKI MISUMI (Kiki plays cello/keyboards on "Live in SF") and more recently by DONALD QUAN on strings, keyboards and tabla. Donald was a member of the rock group Eye Eye (Duke St. Records) and is currently a member (not to mention founder) of the ethno-cultural ensemble "Novaterra" which "explores the roots of traditional music around the world and creates new works from these explorations" (an endeavour I'm certain a lot of us Old Way- sers would have an interest in). Donald has also performed and/or recorded with a number of well-known Canadian musicians including Meryn Cadell, Lighthouse, Kaleefa, and Lost and Profound. Recently, Donald released an instrumental album called "Tear of the Sun", a collaboration between himself and Japanese flutist Ron Korb. He is also the producer and co-composer of this album. In addition to his numerous performing activities, Donald is involved in A LOT of "behind-the-scenes" musical activities such as album production and programming in a wide range of genres from rap to classical to ethnic music and composing music for film, TV, and radio, as well as dance and theatre productions. As if this were not enough, Donald is also the owner of Q Music Productions, a company which does music editing for film and TV. HUGH MARSH is probably Canada's best known non-Cape Breton fiddler. Originally from Ottawa, Hugh started classical violin lessons when he was five and would eventually study under Sidney Mann, one-time concert master of the Canadian National Arts Centre Orchestra. In his teens, however, he developed an interest in jazz and rock styles. Hugh's earliest performing experiences took place in Ottawa where he formed a jazz-fusion band that, although it did not perform too many times together, still gained a following nonetheless. Eventually, Hugh's style would evolve into a kind of jazz-dance-funk fusion that, while not evident in his work with Loreena, is highly evident in his solo work. In the early 80's, Hugh joined Canadian singer-songwriter, Bruce Cockburn's band which would result in international recognition of his talent. While working with Cockburn, he also pursued his own musical interests and has two solo albums under his belt, The Bear Walks (Duke Street, 1985 which features contributions from tenor sax player Micheal Brecker) and Shaking the Pumpkin (Duke Street, 1987, featuring contributions from Robert Palmer, Bruce Cockburn and Lisa Dalbello). (Hugh was able to enlist the help of Robert Palmer on vocals for Shaking the Pumpkin after he sent Palmer a demo tape of his work.) A live recording of Hugh's performance at Toronto's The Diamond club was broadcast on the CBC Radio program "The Entertainers" in Nov. 1987. After the release of Shaking the Pumpkin, Hugh prepared to go on a Canadian tour with his band in 1988, but the tour had to be cancelled when he broke his finger while tossing a football with a friend. Other artists that Hugh has worked with include Canadian band Chalk Circle and Canadian rap star Devon. Hugh, Devon and former Parachute Club guitarist Dave Gray collaborated to write the title song for the album "X Marks the Spot", an album produced to raise funds in support of South Africa's first free election and which featured contributions from artists like Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, the Neville Brothers and many others. A collaboration between Hugh, Jonathan Goldsmith, Rob Piltch and Martin Tielli on Joni Mitchell's "River" appeared on the album Back to the Garden: A Tribute to Joni Mitchell/Intrepid Records. Hugh also produced and performed on "Anhata", a collaboration between Hugh, Randev Pandit (who I believe composed the album's music which is heavily East Indian in flavour) Rick Lazar, Steve Lucas and Shiv Naimpally. Hugh has appeared in at least a couple of music videos (besides the video made from Loreena's performance of "The Lady of Shalott"), these include his own video "Versace" (a song from The Bear Walks which Hugh describes as "dance groove with a 12 tone row melody"), as well as the Devon video, "Who Says You Can't Say 'Yo' to a Princess". >the mask and mirror< On this album, Loreena works with most of the same musicians she worked with on The Visit. In addition, however, she enlisted the services of several guest artists, including some fairly "big names". OFRA HARNOY, the Canadian classical cellist with whom performed "The Lady of Shalott" at the 1992 Juno Awards. Ofra also made a guest appearance during one of Loreena's Toronto performances during her last "mask and mirror" tour. DONAL LUNNY is the other "big name". He is a major player on the Irish traditional music scene, having been part of the band Planxty, and more lately being involved in album production for several Celtic bands. Other musicians on "the mask and mirror" include: ABRAHAM TAWIK (who plays the nai, a middle-Eastern flute-like instrument); NIGEL EATON (who plays the hurdy-gurdy, the instrument on "Santiago" that sounds like an irritated bee; Nigel was a member of the now-defunct British traditional band Blowzabella); and Canadian tabla player RAVI NAIMPALLY; Ravi substituted for Rick Lazar for a couple of dates during the Spring '94 "mask and mirror" tour when Rick was called away to a family emergency. He is also one of the performers on the album Anhata (see section on Hugh Marsh). Loreena also uses a string ensemble on the album (for "The Two Trees"), as well as a male choir, THE VICTORIA SCHOLARS, who appear on "The Mystic's Dream". Loreena has taken to referring to her present configuration of musicians as "idling porsches" in reference, I assume, to the high degree of "performance power" they represent. [Or maybe she just means they're very expensive, and it takes forever to get replacement parts when they break down! :-) ] I think the fact that Loreena has been able to attract such high caliber musicians, and keep them working with her through several recordings and tours, speaks volumes for her reputation as a creator of the kind of music "musicians' musicians" wish to be associated with. I think it also attests to her ability to single out musicians who bring out the best in her music. Loreena once said in an interview that she has never wanted anything in the music business so badly that she has made the wrong decision. Obviously, her ability to make wise musical choices has extended to her choice of the musicians with whom she works. DISCOGRAPHY: (Please note: I have only sketchy information about certain of these recordings, e.g. labels on which they were recorded, where to get them. If anyone can provide more info, please do so. :-) I have also only included recordings for which a musician who has worked with Loreena was totally responsible or had a major hand in. It would've taken more effort than I was willing to expend to list, _every_ single recording her musicians had appeared on as back-up musicians. I did _not_ include in this discography the works of people who I don't consider regular collaborators with Loreena, e.g. Ofra Harnoy or Donal Lunny.) BRIAN HUGHES Between Dusk and Dreaming (1990), Justin Time Records Under One Sky (1992), Justin Time Records (Note: in the US, Brian's albums are available through Blue Moon/Mesa.) HUGH MARSH The Bear Walks (1985), Duke Street Records Shaking the Pumpkin (1987), Duke Street Records Anhata (1994?) [Hugh also released another independent cassette of his work which is currently unavailable due to copyright problems.] RICK LAZAR Rick Lazar and the Montuno Police (1991). Anhata (1994) STEVE LUCAS Jeet Kune Do (1994) Anhata (1994) DONALD QUAN Tear of the Sun (1995), EMI/Oasis GEORGE KOLLER Sunlight Rain (1994), ZSAN Singing Naked (with Julie Michels), 1995 OLIVER SCHROER Millie's Waltz (1988) Another Darn Fiddle Tape (1992) Jigzup (1993) Whirled (1994) [All available from Big Dog Music, c/o Oliver Schroer, RR #4, Markdale, Ont, NOC 1HO] SHELLEY BERGER Shelley Berger (1995), Basil Records. 17. LIST OF SOURCES: Print Sources: It all started one night at the 'Y'.... [re. George Koller & Julie Michels]. Network. Jun/Jul/Aug 1995, p. 8. Ginsberg, Murray. A Visit with The Mask and The Mirror. International Musician, v. 93(10), Apr. 1995. Alaton, Salem. Velvet Gown, Iron Soul. Chatelaine. March, 1995, pp. 60-63. The 1994 honor roll: a salute to extraordinary Canadian achievers: Loreena McKennitt. Maclean's. v.107(52) December 26, 1994 pp. 66-67. Aylmer, Kevin J. Loreena McKennitt: Diary of a Celtic Sojourner. RMM: Rhythm Music Magazine. v.3(10), 1994, pp.28-33 Loreena McKennitt: Canada's celtic maven. Canadian Musician v.16(3) June, 1994 pg 42-44 Zeitoun, Mary-Lou. Loreena McKennitt: Let them scramble. Impact. May. 1994, p.14 McGlynn, Cindy. Loreena McKennitt: The Spirit That Sends Her. Network. No. 42, Apr/May, 1994, pp. 12-13,15. On my mind BALLOT BATTLES: X Marks the Spot. Network. Apr/May 1994, p. 19 Levesque, Roger. Koller keying on his solo career. Edmonton Journal, Apr 6, 1994, p. C12. Jennings, Nicholas. Celtic Dreams. Maclean's.v. 107 (13), Mar. 28, 1994, pp. 58-59. Schwartzberg, Shlomo. 'New' McKennit [sic] evokes old Spain. The Financial Post. Mar. 12, 1994, p. S10. The widespread appeal of Loreena McKennitt. Toronto Star. Mar 6, 1994, pp. C1, C4. Feniak, Peter. Irish Soul. Saturday Night. v. 109 (1), Feb., 1994, pp. 42-47. Marston, Don. Loreena McKennitt's Celtic Quest. Courtyard Group [suppl. to The Globe and Mail]. Winter/Spring, 1994, pp. 29-30. Jones, Christopher. Sideman or star? Jazz guitarist Brian Hughes navigates the middleground. Canadian Composer, Summer 1993, p. 12. s.v. McKennitt, Loreena. Encyclopedia of Music in Canada, 2nd ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1992. Canadian guitarist takes comparisons to Metheny in stride. Globe & Mail (Toronto) - Metro Edition. Nov 27, 1992, p. C11. Metella, Helen. Strains of harp music not all soothing. Edmonton Journal, Sunday, Nov. 23, 1992, p. C6. More than a pretty face. Calgary Herald, Oct. 23, 1992, p. C1. Bell, Karen & Pope, Kevin. A visit with Loreena McKennitt. Performing Arts & Entertainment in Canada. v. 27(3) Summer, 1992, pp. 12-14. Gudgeon, Chris. Loreena McKennitt: home made gold. Canadian Musician. v. 14 (2) April, 1992, pp 36-38. Prasad, Anil. Loreena McKennitt: The Visit. Dirty Linen. no. 39, Apr/May 1992, pp. 18-19, 84. Plucky Manitoba harpist gives Celtic music a pop following. Montreal Gazette. Feb 21, 1992, p. D5. Harpist plucks way into mainstream on Celtic wave. Vancouver Sun. Nov. 25, 1991, p. C5. The darling of old folkies and New Agers plays it her way. Toronto Star. Oct. 29, 1991, p. E1. Loreena McKennitt: The Visit. Globe & Mail (Toronto; metro edition). Oct. 28, 1991, p. C2. McKennitt weaves Celtic spell with gentle stroke of harp. Halifax Chronicle Herald. Oct. 22, 1991, p. B11. Rick Lazar and the Montuno Police. Toronto Star. Jul 27, 1991, p. H10. Foster-MacLeod, Lauren. An Interview with Loreena McKennitt. Folk Harp Journal. no. 72, Spring, 1991, pp. 24-27. Harpist refuses to fit into folk stereotype: McKennitt's music includes jazz, pop and tribal influences. Calgary Herald. Dec. 6, 1990, pp. C1-2. Celtic harpist Loreena McKennitt gives ancient twist to new music. Halifax Chronicle Herald. Sep. 17, 1990, A14. McKennitt and the Winter Garden: not the odd couple they seem. Globe and Mail (Toronto; metro edition). Apr. 13, 1990, p. C6. Pass forces Marsh to pass on concerts. Globe & Mail (Toronto) - Metro Edition. Jun 3, 1988, p. E10. Flohil, Richard. The violin's new sound: Hugh Marsh builds an unusual instrumental fusion with classical training and jazzier inclinications. Canadian Composer, October, 1987, pp 4, 6, 8 Fiddler Marsh flying solo with no strings attached. Globe & Mail (Toronto) - Metro Edition. May 28, 1985, p. M11. Bailey, Billyann. Search for talent: young performers' chance at the big time. Performing Arts in Canada. v. 15, Summer 1978, pp. 46-49. Keys, Janice. 'No gin and tonic' singer moves up fast. Winnipeg Free Press. Weds, Dec 14, 1977, p. 25. Non-Print Sources: Featured on Creators, WTN (Women's Television Networks), Feb 1, 1995 Interview with Peter Gzowski on Morningside, CBC Radio, May 5, 1994. Interview with Kevin Newman on Midday, CBC Television/CBC Newsworld, May 5, 1994. Interview with Karen Gordon on On The Arts, CBC Newsworld, Apr 24, 1994. Interview with Kim Clarke-Champniss on The New Music, Much Music (??Mar/Apr 1994). Interview with Steve Anthony & Denise Donlon on Much Music Spotlight (???late 93/early 94; interviews were repeats of ones done in 1991/92). "Breaking the Silence", originally broadcast in 1988 as part of Adrienne Clarkson's Summer Festival, CBC Television; re- broadcast in Spring 1992 with update interview with David Grierson on Sunday Arts, CBC Television. Segment on Loreena McKennitt on W-5, CTV, by Christine Nielsen, Nov. 22, 1992. Interview with Tim Wilson from the two-CD Collector's Edition of The Visit, 1991. Information has also been gleaned from promotional material sent to this list from Quinlan Road, as well as from a transcript of the CompuServe Online Conference with Loreena that took place on Oct. 25, 1994. 18. WHAT OTHER ARTISTS DO OLD WAYS LIST MEMBERS LISTEN TO? Every once and awhile a new member to Old Ways may ask about a particular artist or ask the more general question: "What other artists are there that I might like"? What usually happens is a thread starts discussing the question, and soon after, there is a backlash from others who think that such discussion is "off topic" and shouldn't take place on the Old Ways List. I thought that perhaps if a List were kept of artists that have been mentioned on Old Ways, new List members could check this List: a) to find out whether an artist they are interested in has been mentioned; and b) to answer the question: "What other artists do Old Ways List members listen to?" Quite a while ago I posted a message asking people to send me a list of their favourite artists (including a brief description of their music), so that an artist list could be compiled. Only a handful of people responded, which I suppose should have clued me in that maybe people aren't all that interested in a compiling a List. But the "What other artist...." question continued to be asked on the List, so I thought I would plod on in this endeavour and take the few submissions I got and add to that names of artists that were mentioned in past Old Ways messages. You will note that there are some commentaries running through this. These have not been supplied by me (well, a couple have :-) ), they were supplied by other List members. I did not indicate whocontributed what because I was not sure whether or not they wished to be contacted should someone be interested in discussing what they'd stated. I, however, did slot the artists under the various categories mentioned in the List, and I admit that I may not be correct in all cases. If I hadn't heard of an artist, and there was no indication of genre, I tended to put them in the "Pop, Rock, Blues" category. I suppose I could've contacted the people who mentioned the artist and questioned them about the category their artist fell into, but frankly, I reallydidn't want to spend the time doing this. If anyone notices any errors, please let me know. So, what I envision is that those of you who wish to find out more about any artists on this list should post a message to Old Ways saying something to the effect of "Could anybody who likes Luka Bloom contact me? I'm interested in finding out more about his music." It would then be up to any Luka Bloom fans to contact you and enter into any kind of discussion (off List) that you see fit. If no one responds, you will have to assume that the Luka Bloom fans have either unsubscribed from the List, or are too busy to respond to your message. In that case, you may want to try posting at a later date when more Luka Bloom fans have joined the List, or the existing fans are in a better position to respond to your message. Anyone who wishes to add other artists to this List is encouraged to do so. Simply post your recommendation to the list with the subject header: Recommendation: Name of Artist and include a brief description of the artist in the text. Everyone who is interested will get the initial chance to see your recommendation, and then I will copy your message text into the "What other artists...." list. If anyone notes any errors in how I have classified any of the artists, please let me know. And if anyone would like to contribute _brief_ descriptions of any artists listed, again, please send me a message with your description. Anyhow.... I hope this List succeeds in the purpose in which it is intended, which is to allow people to find out about other artists whose works they may like, while at the same time, cutting down on the amount of non-Loreena-related Old Ways traffic. Categories Listed: a) Celtic and Celtic Rock Fusion b) Harpists c) Folk, Folk Rock and Country d) Classical/Performers & Composers e) New Age and Heavily Synthesized Music f) Pop, Rock & Blues g) Worldbeat h) Recommended Albums THE LIST: a) CELTIC AND CELTIC ROCK FUSION [(f)=fusion]: Altan Anonymous 4 Anuna. If you don't know, they're a Celtic vocal group, playing stuff from now to way back, and include some instrumentation when called for. If you've tried Anonymous 4 and found them somehow lacking, you may well like Anuna'a stuff. I do.The cd is on the Celtic Heartbeats label. Frankie Armstrong Black 47 (f) Boiled in Lead Bothy Band Maire Breatnach Maire Brennan Capercaillie Scottish folk music taken a few steps further, with Loreena- style instrmentation. Karen Matheson's voice is good, but not as good as Loreena's! Recommended album: "Delirium" Celtic Aire (f) Ceoltoiri Cherish the Ladies Chieftains Aoife Clancy Clannad Colour of Memory: cross between Clannad and 80's synth pop. De Dannan Deanta Connie Dover Teresa Doyle Draiocht Fairport Convention Flairck is a Dutch music group! Their style is a mixture of classical music and folk music. Most of it is instrumental. The last line-up (1994 concert) was -acoustic guitar, flute, double- bass, accordeon, cello, all kinds of percussion. In the past the basic line-up was acoustic guitar, violin, flute and double-bass. They are using a lot of folk instruments. On "The Parade" they were using more than 20 different instruments. As they say themselves, it's hard to name their style. It sounds like folk music, but most of their songs have a classical structure. Gallagher & Galbraith Glenfire Hothouse Flowers Iona Plays contempary Christian music and happen to be Irish who's subject is the old Celtic christian faith. Jem and Arianne (formerly known as Passages) Dolores Keane Meghan Flute, harp, hammered-dulcimer, and some guitar and violin. Talitha Mackenzie Jacquie Manning Aine Minogue Christy Moore Mouth Music (f) New St. George Nightnoise (f) Orion: Belgian musicians, plus one french. Keyboard, guitar, accordion, fiddle and nickelharp. The Oyster Band Pentangle British folk group, been together 20 years, significant individual performers like Jacqui McShee and Bert Jansch Pogues (f) The Poozies All-female Scottish folk group. Very pleasant, laid-back. The Scottish 'Bangles'??? Kate Price The Time Between Priceless I find this music to be very similar to McKennitt's in a way but the feeling is really very much simpler(less rich). I find it refreshing to listen to for a while. Maddy Prior Rankin Family Relativity Runrig Scottish folk-rock, with the emphasis on the 'rock'. Donnie Munro's voice isn't to everyone's taste, but they are massive in Scotland. Recommended albums: "Once in a Lifetime" or "Transmitting". (Both live albums) Maggie Sansone Scartaglen Sean Talamh: They play really good Irish folk. Sharon Shannon Skylark Steeleye Span Andy M. Stewart Silly Wizard June Tabor Tannahill Weavers Kathryn Tickell Northumbrian pipes (no vocals). Kathryn is probably the world's leading exponent of this instrument, but isn't afraid to extend its traditional range into new frontiers, along with Loreena-style instrumentation. She has a new album out ("Signs") which I haven't heard yet, but I hear it's her best yet. Trian Robin Williamson Wolfstone (f) Scottish folk-rock again, but a more traditional feel. Real head- banging stuff for dancing to! The Wolftones b) HARPISTS Patrick Ball Karen Bruner Ann Heymann Alison Kinnaird Judith Pinter Sue Richards Kim Robertson Alan Stivell c) FOLK & COUNTRY [(c)=country]: All About Eve Frances Black Mary Black Luka Bloom Jimmy Buffet (c) Jackson Browne Eliza Carthy Part of the "new" British folk tradition Mary Chapin Carpenter (c) Leonard Cohen Nanci Griffith (c) Jack Hardy He writes complex lyrics, his best known song is titled The Tinkers Coin, it has been covered by several different artists. His stage style is, eccletic. he usually dresses in a black velvet jacket with a lace sleeved white shirt underneath. he plays guitar, and is often accompnied by an electric bass. As to his voice... well, he sounds kind of like Bob Dylan would if Bob could could sing. Anne Hills Tish Hinojosa Innocence Mission James Keelaghan Kenny & Tzipora. A multi-talented husband-and-wife team who wrote and performed some terrific music up until their break-up (both professionally and personally) a couple years ago. I knew the both of them quite well, so I guess I'm prejudiced, but I think they were pretty dern good. At least one of their tapes was produced by Kicking Mule, but I think they produced most of their stuff themselves. For those who are interested, you might try writing to them at PO Box 534, Belmont, MA 02178, but I don't know if they still have that box (having lost touch with both of them somewhat). Their music was folky, with a combination of traditional and original tunes, and a heavy infusion of Pagan themes. If anyone's really interested, I could probably track them down and find out how to get their tapes. Sorry, they broke up before making their first CD, so it's all on tape. Nancy Kerr Part of the "new" British folk tradition. Sandy Lam The Levelers. A kinda folk-ish rock band, with a heavy social-consciousness theme in the one album of theirs I've been able to find (and that a bootleg!). They are almost certainly from the British Isles, probably Ireland or Scotland I'd guess. Kenny Loggins Peg Loughran Laura Love Kate & Anna McGarrigle Joni Mitchell Micheal Martin Murphy (c) Carrie Newcomer Maura O'Connell John Prine Stan Rogers Boz Scaggs Fred Small. Folk, with a heavy social consciousness. His piece on the heroism of the Danes smuggling Jews out of Denmark has brought tears to my eyes more than once, and I think he wrote "The Last Leviathan" about the killing of the last of the whales, which brings me to uncontrollable sobbing *every* time I hear it. Diane Taraz: She is one of the very few current female American folksingers who have the kind of dramatic projection in her voice that Joan Baez and Judy Collins had in the early 60's (don't judge them by more recent stuff!). James Taylor Cheryl Wheeler Kate Wolf d) CLASSICAL/PERFORMERS & COMPOSERS: Bach Cecilia Bartoli Van Cliburn Aaron Copland Victoria de los Angeles Hildegard of Bingen Mozart Sergei Prokofiev e) NEW AGE: Darrell Anger Bel Canto Suzanne Ciani Cirque du Soleil Dead Can Dance Enya Mannheim Steamroller's _Fresh Aire_ series Mike Marshall Mike Oldfield Shadowfax Surrealistic Art Vangelis Andreas Vollenweider f) POP, ROCK & BLUES: Bryan Adams Tori Amos Barenaked Ladies Blues Traveller Gaven Bryars The Burns Sisters Kate Bush Camel Cocteau Twins Larry Coryell The Cranberries (Celtic folk, heading rockwards) Dare to Dream Deep Purple Melissa Etheridge Frente. The best way to describe them? A happy alternative indie pop pub band that had a huge hit a couple of years ago, "Ordinary Angels". Angie Hart, the leadsinger, looks exactly like Scarlett from the movie_Four Weddings And A Funeral_ and is just as cute. She has a beautiful melodious voice, kind of schoolgirl- pop with an angelic edge. The music ranges from indie-pop to some beautiful acoustic sets that complimentAngie's voice wonderfully. They recently released "Bizarre Love Triangle", an acoustic cover of the old original, as an EP. I tend to compare Frente! to Juliana Hatfield- same kind of style, yet completely different. Wowee! Frente! is spanish for "fun!", by the way. :) Peter Gabriel Genesis King Crimsom Steve Hackett The Halfbreeds Kristin Hersh Peter Himmelman The Horseflys Illusion This is the group that formed in the late 1970s from what was left of the original Renaissance. (Jane Relf was the lead signer rather than Annie Haslam.) They're the "art-rock" genre of which Renaissance was a part. Jethro Tull (old) Elton John Judybats Michael Kamen Cyndi Lauper Led Zeppelin Adrian Legg Ray Lynch Marillion Maria McKee Sarah McLachlan Billy McLaughlin Metallica Milla Miranda Sex Garden Morrissey The Murmurs The New St. George October Project Alan Parsons Pink Floyd Bonnie Raitt Edie Reader REM Renaissance Happy Rhodes Cliff Richards Rush Jane Siberry Skyclad: Thrash-metal band playing with a female violonist... strange, but nice Smiths Talking Heads 10,000 Maniacs Widespread Panic David Wilcox Cassandra Wilson Paul Winter Yes g) WORLD BEAT: Tarek Abubakar and the Afronubians: a Toronto-based band with strong African sound and a fantastic horn section. Sheila Chandra Huun-Huur-Tu Tuvan folk music(Outer Mongolian). Amazing vocal techniques, pretty wild, but really quite musical. Libana A women's group which sings music from all over the world which can only be described as spiritual. There is a strong pagan flavor to it as can be seen in the title of their first (I think) release, "A Circle is Cast." Other title is "Fire Within" but Circle is my favorite. My little boy listens to it to go to sleep. I love women's voices in harmony and there is no better than this. Many seasonal and spiritual songs. I believe they are keeping some old music alive that may be difficult to find elsewhere. Baaba Maal (Senegal) Panta Rhei: plays European traditionnal music. Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass Indian music compositions by both with orchestration. Strunz and Farah Varttina: Finnish; energetic female vocals and virtuoso instrumentalists (especially the accordion player and the fiddler). Willie and Lobo h) RECOMMENDED ALBUMS: Narada's Celtic Odyssey (see Web page at http://www.ceolas.org/Narada/) A Woman's Heart with the likes of Maura O'Connell, Delores Keane and Mary Black. Ann Heymann and Allison Kinnaird -- the harper's land (a collection of tunes done on both wire and gut-strung harps, some duets. Emphasizes the differences and similarities between the two sounds) Victoria de los Angeles Songs of the Auvergne (traditional folk tunes orchestrated for a soprano voice - achieves the "tingle factor") Hildegard of Bingen "Sequentia" Van Cliburn Rachmaninoff Concerto #3 RCA Huun-Huur-Tu 60 horses in my herd Shanachie Willie and Lobo Fandango Nights Mesa Willie and Lobo Gypsy Boogaloo Mesa