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