Moya Brennan

Moya Brennan

Máire Ní Bhraonáin, IPA: /mˠaːrʲə nʲiː vɾˠiːn̪ˠaːn/ better known as Máire Brennan or Moya Brennan (born August 4, 1952, Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland), is a Grammy Award-nominated Celtic folk singer and the first lady of Celtic music. She began her singing career when her family formed the band Clannad in 1970.

Musical upbringing

Brennan grew up as the eldest in a very musical family in a remote parish in the northwest of Ireland, where the Irish language and tradition is still very much alive. Her mother Máire (or Baba) was a music teacher and her father was a member of a cabaret band, with whom she performed as a child. She sang along with her siblings in the family pub, Leo's Tavern. She also took part in many pantomimes in Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair, the local theatre, usually dancing and singing. After leaving secondary school Brennan spent a few years in Dublin at the Irish Academy of Music studying the harp, the piano and singing. Following these years, she taught music at Holy Cross College in Falcarragh, County Donegal.

Years with Clannad

It was during this time in 1970 that Brennan joined her two brothers Pól and Ciarán and their mother's two twin brothers Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin and formed Clannad. After enjoying a decade of being the world's foremost traditional Irish act, Clannad graduated to chart success in 1982 with the album Magical Ring. Brennan was at the forefront of the group's success and her voice suddenly became synonymous with celtic music. Brennan has recorded 17 albums with Clannad and has won a Grammy, a BAFTA and an Ivor Novello award with the quintet. Her sister Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, who spent a while with Clannad, also pursued a very successful solo career under the name Enya.

Solo career

Brennan released her first solo album in 1992, Máire, on Atlantic Records. Misty Eyed Adventures on BGM followed three years later. In 1998, Brennan signed with Word Records and released Perfect Time, and Whisper To The Wild Water a year later. The album was nominated in the Grammy Awards of 2001 for Best New Age Album. Brennan is managed by her husband Tim Jarvis and her brother Leon Ó Braonáin. Her music is usually classified as New Age or Celtic. She accepts the Celtic label, but has at times indicated a slight discomfort with being seen as "New Age" as much of her music is strongly Christian, with several of her songs centering on maintaining a relationship with Jesus Christ.[1] Some of her songs show influences from her Catholic upbringing or seem relational due to her own views concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary.[2]

In 2000, she wrote an autobiography called The Other Side of The Rainbow, which was translated into German. The same year she performed her song "Perfect time" live at World Youth Day in Rome in front of crowds of pilgrims and Pope John Paul II. There was 2.1 million people present, making it the largest crowd ever gathered in the Northern Hemisphere. She considered it an honor as she believes in mutual respect among Christians.[3]

In film, she was featured vocalist on King Arthur (2004), co-writing the title theme "Tell Me Now (What You See)" with Hans Zimmer and wrote additional music score for To End All Wars (2001). In 1995 she duetted with Shane McGowan with "You're The One" for the movie Circle of Friends. Brennan has collaborated with many other musicians, including Alan Parsons, Bono, Robert Plant, Van Morrison, Michael McDonald from the Doobie Brothers, Bruce Hornsby, Def Leppard, The Chieftains, Paul Young, Paul Brady, Michael Crawford, Joe Jackson and Ronan Keating. Template:Sample box start variation 2 Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end In total Brennan has recorded 25 albums, and has sold over 20 million records. Since 2002, she has promoted herself as Moya Brennan — a spelling closely resembling the phonetic pronunciation of her name for those not familiar with the Irish variant of the spelling. Under this moniker she released an album entitled Two Horizons in 2003 under her new label, Universal. She is also known for her work with the dance artist Chicane for performing the singing for the single "Saltwater," which was also featured in the VisitScotland advertising campaign, as well as having been used by Fáilte Ireland to promote Ireland, and by Belfast city council, both in television adverts.

On March 17, 2004 she performed at the Speaker's Lucheon on Capitol Hill in front of President George W. Bush and Irish dignitaries.

During the world youth day 2005 in Cologne she preformed with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vigil infront of million of people and was also part of the official WYD CD Building On World

Legacy

Brennan, along with Clannad, are considered as the inventors of contemporary celtic music and are held in high esteem for their vast contribution to modernizing old Irish songs. They have been compared to Seán Ó Riada, in that they brought the Irish language into popular culture through their music. One critic said "Clannad's music offers a terrific fusion between traditional and modern influences". It is Brennan haunting voice that has left the most lasting legacy, it has become synonymic with Clannad's work and with Irish music in general. Her ethereal vocalization is considered the archetypal sound of Ireland and strains of her style have been acquired in the soundtracks to Titanic and Riverdance. Bono said of her voice, "It's the most enchanting sound that any human being will ever experience". Brennan is also famous for her harp playing, she has featured it on many Clannad records and her album Two Horizons is based on the discovery of the harp.

File:Moyaaid.jpg

Moya performing at Self Aid with Bono, Bob Geldof and Chris de Burgh, Dublin, 1986.

Personal life

When Clannad were touring Europe in 1972 Brennan became pregnant. The father was a French musician named Pierre, but Brennan had an abortion as it was unheard of to have a child outside of wedlock. Brennan has since expressed her regret towards this time in her life, blaming it on naïveté. Brennan has also confessed to heavy alcohol abuse and taking cannabis while Clannad were at the height of their career, and subsequently suffering from mild depression. Brennan was also briefly married during this period. In the early 1990s she returned to Christianity but this time to the pentecostalism of her husband. She attends St Mark's Church (Assemblies of God) in Dublin city centre. Brennan has two children, Aisling and Paul, with her second and present husband Tim Jarvis, a photographer. They live in Dún Laoghaire in Dublin, Ireland.[4]

Discography

Chronological listing

• Máire, (1992)
• Misty Eyed Adventures, (1994)
• Perfect Time, (1998)
• Whisper To The Wild Water, (1999)
• New Irish Hymns, (2002) (with Joanne Hogg and Margaret Becker)
• Two Horizons, (2003)
• Óró - A Live Session, (2005)
• An Irish Christmas, (2005)
• Signature, (2006)

External links

• Máire Brennan's official website
• Unofficial Maire Brennan Website
• Moya Brennan Info and Discography
• Taking New Agers by Surprise
• Moya Brennan discography at MusicBrainz