AN ANCIENT MUSE - LOREENA McKENNITT
It’s tragic that Loreena McKennitt does not score movies. The singer/composer’s ability to transport listeners to faraway lands with Celtic-inspired world music puts her on par with names like Hans Zimmer and Graeme Revell. Travel, meticulous research and multiple instruments weave the tapestry for “An Ancient Muse.” “The Gates of Istanbul” is a patiently seductive dance with viola and Turkish clarinet, whereas “Sacred Shabbat” is more lighthearted. Her studied recitation well serves “The English Ladye and the Knight,” a gorgeous ode to lost love in which sighing voices breathe a requiem for a tragically parted couple. “Kecharitomene” is a ragtag caravan crossing the nighttime desert. “Never-Ending Road (Amhran Duit),” which closes the album on a soft note, underscores that the journeys through McKennitt’s worlds are far from over. Billboard
