Sunday, September 23, 2007

Loreena McKennitt - Last Night's Concert

Well the concert last night was incredibly, stupendously, wonderfully, amazingly brilliant!!!!!! If anyone ever gets a chance to see her - well, it would be a awe inspiring night.
There were instruments I'd never even heard of before! Her voice is so pure and so beautiful at times it's almost an instrument itself!! At times her voice is low and quiet and haunting and at other times it soars.
She played all the songs I love by her except one - All Soul's Night. She sang Mummer's Dance, Lady of Shallot, Bonny Pontmore (if anyone has ever seen the last Highlander movie - a dud really - but Bonny Pontmore was a standout), Marco Polo and YES - she sang The Highwayman.
I was mesmerized throughout the whole concert. Besides singing she also plays the piano, an accordion and a harp.
On the way home Lisa and I were talking and I mentioned it's hard to categorize her music. Lisa piped up - Celtic. Yes it is that type, but it's also so much more. She has done a real in-depth study of the Celtic culture and she has discovered Celtic settlements all over Europe and Eastern Europe and even as far as China and Mongolia.
Her music ranges from old Celtic songs from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales to a real eastern flavour.
I purchased her latest DVD/CD release - Nights from the Alhambra and I'm listening to it right now. Haunting, Beautiful are only two words to describe it.
Her website has lot's of info and sound clips from most of her CD's.
'T'was a truly memorable concert!

'til later

8 comments:

Dev said...

It sounds amazing, Kristie! Glad you enjoyed it :-)

Rosie said...

What Dev said. It's just the best when you see a concert and the performance is everything you hoped for. I have to agree that her voice is very haunting.

C2 said...

Oh wow! I'm glad you had a good time! :o) I'm still jealous...no one good ever comes here. Although, Billy Bob Thornton and his band were in town not too long ago. Yikes.

Kristie (J) said...

C2: LOL - Billy Bob Thornton?!?!?! The one that through Angelina away? Well, that certainly is a sure to miss concert isn't it *chuckle*. I'm not sure - I'll find out this week, but the next concert I might be going to is Keith Urban. I must confess I don't know his music that well - I'm shallow and I'd be strictly going 'cause I think he's a cutey petutie.

Rosie: Oh it was. I just sat there mesmerized the entire thing. And although I'm only listening to the CD, there is also a DVD to watch the concert so I can watch it over and over and over and remember it.

Dev: Oh it was! It truly was. The only bad thing about the night is the seats were very small and close together so we were kind of squished together. But I barely noticed that once she started singing.

CindyS said...

I'm so glad that you had a great time. I haven't been to a concert in years but I don't know that I'm that kind of person anymore. Too many people and the need to know where all the emergency exits are.

Of course the other problem is that I sing along so I tend to bother those who really want to her the professional sing it ;)

Cindys

Dara Girard said...

Sound like a great concert! Great seats too! Music has always inspired me to write and/or read. Love Loreena McKennit!

Kristie (J) said...

Dara: Hello and Welcome!! The seats were good - very good!! And it's great listening to good music and letting our minds soar isn't it?

Cindy: I was oh so tempted to sing along, but I didn't want to spoil it for anyone with my Very Bad Singing so I just kind of mouthed the words *g*.

The Bonz said...

I'm a huge fan of LM as well. I was lucky to see her earlier on in her career, when it was a lot easier to get tickets than it is today! ;p

Every time I hear her sing "The Lady of Shalott", I CRY LIKE THE BIG SAP I AM. Hmm, need to go put that on the cd player this evening, I'm feeling the need for a good happy cry ...

Cheers!

— Bonz