It’s an appropriate way to close both the collection and Clannad’s tenure.I have been a long time fan of Clannad – for well over twenty years now. The title refers to the passage of time, similar to the different song by the same name by English folksinger Sandy Denny. In a Lifetime concludes with “Who Knows (Where the Time Goes),” the other new tune. One of two new tracks on the collection, the lyrics refer to the myths and legends of living 10,000 years ago, with a chorus recalling the band’s early days in Donegal. Again, the pipes set the mood, along with Moya’s wistful voice. ![]() ![]() The penultimate song is “A Celtic Dream.” That’s what the 50-year ride has been for Clannad, and for its fans. “The Bridge of Tears” is, as one might expect, a melancholy song about “the last embrace, the final touch, with nothing more to say.” Acoustic guitars and mournful Uilleann pipes help set the mood, with delicate synths and vocals. “A Bridge (That Carries Us Over)” adds soprano sax and electric guitar to great effect. While Moya’s voice is the central instrument, it’s often wrapped with synthetic shadings, so even when vocals reappear, they are gauzy elements of the entire song. It remains one of Clannad’s best-loved tunes.ĭisc two starts off with a pair of tracks whose titles suggest the group’s musical travels, “Atlantic Realm” and “Voyage.” Both, along with the following “A Dream In the Night,” eschew lyrics altogether in favor of atmosphere. The high-profile collaboration, written (like “Theme From Harry’s Game”) by brothers Pol and Ciarán Brennan, was completed in two nights with Bono improvising vocals on the spot. Of course, there’s “In a Lifetime,” with special guest Bono. singles chart the following month and No. It was released as a single in October 1982 and became a surprise hit, reaching No. “Theme From Harry’s Game” was commissioned as the theme for the Yorkshire Television miniseries of the same name, adapted from a 1975 novel about the Troubles in Northern Ireland. When Clannad started writing original songs that integrated modern instrumentation and sounds alongside their voices and acoustic instruments, their popularity began to spread worldwide. Moya Brennan’s lead vocals, complemented by the backing voices of her family, were often the focus. That’s the case for much of the first part of the disc, and for the early part of the band’s career. ![]() It opens with “Thios Cois Na Trá Domh,” a straightforward, mostly acoustic traditional Celtic song sung in Gaelic. So how do you define a career, an era and for all intents and purposes the genesis of a new genre, in just a couple of compact discs? You don’t, really, but In a Lifetime gives an overview of the songs and musical progression of Clannad from its beginnings to finis. The compilation In a Lifetime showcases their development as a band, from traditional music sung in Gaelic to dreamy tunes with multi-tracked voices in English, and everywhere in between. For a short time, Clannad later became a six-piece with the addition of their sister Eithne, who went on to solo fame as Enya.Īlong the way, the group became the torchbearers for Celtic music. The band was formed in 1970 by twin brothers Noel and Pádraig Duggan with their niece Moya (neé Maire) Brennan and her brothers Ciarán and Pól Brennan. ![]() For 50 years, the family that is Clannad has recorded and performed its music, a melding of traditional Irish and Celtic music with modern rock, pop and new age instruments and sounds.
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