| Celtic Music | | | | trees, stars, the wind, the sun, the |
| The word ´Celtic´ (read ´keltick´) has | | | | moon and other things. This is often |
| found its way into the vocabulary of the | | | | reflected in their music. However, this |
| modern man. Even though it used to be | | | | nation also accepted Christianity (some |
| mentioned mostly in contexts dealing | | | | sources claim this to be in the 6th |
| with history, nowadays you can find the | | | | century with St. Patrick, some claim it |
| ´Celtic´ label on many products and | | | | was much earlier) and many of them |
| projects. Some sources say that it is | | | | stopped believing and worshipping the |
| now officially ´cool to be Celtic´. | | | | creation and started singing about the |
| Hundreds of people have recently come up | | | | Creator, the One who had made the wind, |
| with some ´Celtic stuff´, everything | | | | the stones and the trees, the One who |
| from doing music and dancing to, for | | | | had kindled the stars. |
| instance, cooking. | | | | Because of rising popularity of this |
| The popularity of Celtic music is | | | | style (sometimes not only a style of |
| constantly soaring and it deserves to be | | | | music, but even a style of living), you |
| mentioned when discussing modern music, | | | | can buy a lot of trash if you just go |
| not only music of the British Isles. | | | | around buying things labelled ´Celtic´. |
| Most of the world is surely familiar | | | | Therefore, be careful when buying |
| with the music of the famous Enya and | | | | yourself presents. |
| some of you may have heard Mike | | | | Maíre Brennan |
| Oldfield´s utterly Celtic CD Voyager. | | | | Maíre Brennan is definitely not a novice |
| Another rather well known Celtic project | | | | in the field of Celtic music. If you |
| is Riverdance. These are only a few | | | | haven´t heard of her, you must have |
| examples out of many. The music has the | | | | heard about her sister, Enya. Maíre |
| sound of the highlands, the sound of the | | | | plays the Celtic harp and the keyboards. |
| past as well as the present of the | | | | She sings either in English or her |
| Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. Celtic | | | | native Gaelic. She is the founding |
| blood flows through the veins of many | | | | member of the band Clannad and since |
| Europeans and Americans and, it seems, | | | | 1992 has been making solo albums, too. |
| we are somehow returning to this ancient | | | | Clannad has been around since 1973. They |
| heritage. | | | | were pioneers in using Celtic motives in |
| Traditionally, Celtic musicians use | | | | popular music and seventeen bestselling |
| acoustic instruments or unaccompanied | | | | records brought them world-wide |
| vocals. However, you will find many | | | | popularity. The band was formed by |
| modern bands who are using | | | | Maíre´s two uncles and two younger |
| less-traditional instruments, such as | | | | brothers. Her sister, Enya, left Clannad |
| electric and bass guitars, keyboards, | | | | after singing with them for three years. |
| drums, mandolins, etc. to create their | | | | Their first performances took place in a |
| distinctive Celtic features. You can buy | | | | pub owned by Maíre´s father. Many people |
| CD´s with Celtic lullabies, Celtic | | | | criticized their singing in Gaelic, but |
| hymns, Celtic Christmas carols, Celtic | | | | this feature helped them form their own |
| rock, Celtic dance music and even Celtic | | | | identity and start a new music style. |
| techno. Despite this variety, in most | | | | Many years have passed since their first |
| cases the music manages to bring the | | | | shows. Their music has continued to |
| beauty, the richness, the joy and mirth, | | | | improve and their fame has risen. |
| and the ideals of the old Celts to our | | | | Clannad´s music was even used in many |
| present-day world. | | | | popular movies, such as Robin Hood and |
| The traditional instruments include, for | | | | The Last of the Mohicans. The world can |
| example, the tin whistle (you can hear | | | | also hear Maíre´s voice in the duet ´In |
| it in Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go | | | | a Lifetime´ with Bono, the lead singer |
| On), Uillean pipes, highland pipes, | | | | of U2. She has also had a share in the |
| bodhran (a special drum played by hand), | | | | film Titanic, where her song ´Come |
| Celtic harp and others. The lyrics to | | | | Josephine, in My Flying Machine´ was |
| the music are, if not in English, in | | | | used. In 1999, Clannad´s album Landmarks |
| Gaelic (the old language of the Celts, | | | | was awarded a Grammy. |
| which is still used in some rural parts | | | | Maíre´s solo projects were not enjoying |
| of northern Scotland and some islands to | | | | as much success as Clannad´s. The first |
| the north of Britain) or other Celtic | | | | solo album that was recognised by |
| languages, such as Welsh or Irish | | | | critics was Perfect Time, which came out |
| Gaelic. | | | | in 1998. Whisper to the Wild Waters |
| The themes of Celtic music are many. | | | | arrived a year later and satisfied both |
| Beside tunes telling of everyday simple | | | | fans and critics. Both albums have a |
| things, there are songs celebrating | | | | Christian message in them, one of hope, |
| nature and its beauty. It is known that | | | | love and peace. |
| the Celts worshipped nature, stones, | | | | |