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