Loreena McKennitt
Overview
Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...

, OM
Order of Manitoba
The Order of Manitoba is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Instituted in 1999 when Lieutenant Governor Peter M...

, (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist, accordionist and pianist who writes, records and performs world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...

 with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined, clear soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...

 vocals. She has sold more than 14 million records worldwide.
McKennitt was born in Morden, Manitoba
Morden, Manitoba
Morden is a small town with a population of 6571 located in the Pembina Valley region of southern Manitoba, Canada. Morden is less than ten minutes west of neighbouring Winkler, and a relatively short distance to Pembina Valley Provincial Park...

 of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 and Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 descent to parents Jack (died 1992; a livestock dealer) and Irene McKennitt (1931-2011; a nurse).
Quotations

I can see lights in the distance Trembling in the dark cloak of nightCandles and lanterns are dancing, dancingA waltz on All Souls Night.

Bonfires dot the rolling hillsidesFigures dance around and aroundTo drums that pulse out echoes of darknessAnd moving to the pagan sound.

The thundering waves are calling me home to youThe pounding sea is calling me home to you

Suddenly I knew that you'd have to goYour world was not mine, your eyes told me soYet it was there I felt the crossroads of timeAnd I wondered why.

As we cast our gaze on the tumbling seaA vision came o'er meOf thundering hooves and beating wingsIn clouds above.

As you turned to go I heard you call my name,You were like a bird in a cage spreading its wings to fly"The old ways are lost," you sang as you flewAnd I wondered why.

 
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