Moya Brennan
Encyclopedia
Moya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin (mˠaːrʲə nʲiː vɾˠiːn̪ˠaːn), also known as Máire Brennan (born 4 August 1952), is an Irish
folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist
who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad
, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music". Moya released her first solo album in 1992 called Máire
, a successful venture, her solo career has remained successful to this day, many years after Clannad took a hiatus in 1996. She has been nominated for two Grammys and has won an Emmy Award
. She has recorded with many world-famous musicians and has provided music for several soundtracks, including Titanic
, To End All Wars
and King Arthur
.
(Gaoth Dobhair), in Ireland's northernmost county, Donegal
, a Gaeltacht
area in which the Irish language
and tradition continue to flourish. Her mother Máire (better known by her nickname, Baba)(née Ní Dhúgáin or Duggan in English) was a music teacher and her father Leo Brennan was a member of a cabaret band with whom she performed as a child. Moya is the eldest of nine children, her sisters are Deirdre, Eithne (better known as Enya
), Olive, Brídín
and her brothers are Ciarán
, Pól
, Leon and Bartley. She sang along with her siblings in the family pub, Leo's Tavern
, in the village of Meenaleck, a short distance from the family home. 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 at the Royal Irish Academy of Music
in Dublin studying the harp
, the piano and singing. She later taught music at Holy Cross College in Falcarragh
, County Donegal
.
. Brennan was at the forefront of the group's success and her voice suddenly became synonymous with celtic music
and Irish music at the time. Brennan 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, continues to pursue a very successful solo career under the name Enya
.
Following their 2008 reunion tour, it was later announced that Moya would be working on a new unplugged
album with Clannad for release in 2009, however, this never came to fruition.
, 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 Celt
ic. 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 centring on maintaining a relationship with Jesus Christ. Some of her songs show influences from her Roman Catholic upbringing or seem relational due to her own views concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In 2000, her autobiography, The Other Side of the Rainbow
. was published and she also performed her song "Perfect Time" live at World Youth Day
in Rome
in front of crowds of pilgrims and Pope John Paul II. There were 2.1 million people present, making it the largest crowd ever gathered in the Northern Hemisphere
. She considered it an honour as she believes in mutual respect among Christians. Moya also recorded on the event's album, One. She recorded a duet with Booley, now known as Duke Special
. The song, titled "Peace Has Broken Out", is about the Troubles
in Ireland.
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 MacGowan
with "You're the One" for the movie Circle of Friends. Brennan has collaborated with many other musicians, including Chicane
, Alan Parsons
, Bono
, Robert Plant
, Van Morrison
, Michael McDonald
from the Doobie Brothers
, Bruce Hornsby
, Joe Elliott
, The Chieftains
, Paul Young
, Paul Brady
, Michael Crawford
, Joe Jackson
and Ronan Keating
.
In total Brennan has recorded 25 albums, and has sold 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 — and, in 2009, she legally changed her name by deed poll
. Under this moniker she released an album entitled Two Horizons in 2003 under her new label, Universal. She has also collaborated with dance artist Chicane for performing the vocals on 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 17 March 2004, she performed at the Speaker's Luncheon on Capitol Hill in front of President George W. Bush
and Irish dignitaries.
During the World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne she performed with Pope Benedict XVI
in the Vigil in front of a million people and was also part of the official WYD CD Building On World.
2006 saw the release of her Christmas album, simply entitled 'An Irish Christmas
', although it was originally planned to bear the title 'Love Came Down. A year later, Brennan released her album 'Signature
', which she described as a collection of snapshots of (Brennan's) life. The album featured only one Irish song but featured choruses and backing vocals in her native language throughout.
While touring with the latter album, during 2007 and 2008, Moya recorded several collaborations and guest vocals on albums by Iona
, Joanne Hogg
and with Grand Canal on Ireland's Official Olympic Anthem, "Green to Gold. All three recordings were in aid of several charities.
Her 2008-2009 live album Heart Strings
was recorded with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
and Julie Feeney
. Moya has toured to promote the album extensively in the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and England.
In 2009, Brennan recorded the official soundtrack on Maryland Public Television
documentary film 'Intrepid Journal' which documents 50 years of American foreign policy, from WWII to 9-11.
In April 2010, Moya released a new studio album with harpist and live band member Cormac de Barra
. My Match Is A Makin'
was recorded for her Spring 2010 tour of the Netherlands, and is available only during her tours. The album is expected to become more widely available in 2010.
Moya Brennan has announced that she is working on a hymns album, possibly for 2010 release and will release a new acoustic music album with Clannad in 2010 or 2011.
. Between August 2008 and February 2009, two new members joined Moya's band, the first changes since her Two Horizons Tour, including Irish singer Daithí Rua.
, 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's 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 vocalisation 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: "I think Moya has one of the greatest voices the human ear has ever experienced." Brennan is also famous for her harp playing, which she has featured on many Clannad records, with her album Two Horizons
being based on the discovery of the harp
.
.
In it Brennan recalls her upbringing as the eldest of nine siblings in rural County Donegal, Ireland. Along with the highs of success in the music business she also recounts low periods where alcohol, drugs and an abortion made her re-evaluate her life. She emerged from dark years as a committed Christian with rekindled faith. She remarried in 1991 (having previously been married to a Dublin musician) and now lives in Dublin, Ireland with husband, photographer Tim Jarvis, and children, Aisling and Paul. Brennan and her family are practising members of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship.
for the international charity, Christian Blind Mission
, and travels worldwide with the organisation, including recent trips to the Congo, Brazil and America. Moya has, since rekindling her faith, been a supporter of Teen Challenge, a charity operating in Ireland and the USA and in 2008 she performed a concert to raise funds to build a new drug rehabilitation centre for the children.
(CBM). Brennan's first trip was to Congo-Kinshasa
, with a group of five others. Due to violence, Moya and her team fled civil unrest and were evacuated to Kenya
. She later promised to return to the Congo, which she did in 2005 to airlift three children from isolated jungle villages to Kinshasa
.
In that same year, she travelled to Rwanda, where she kept a diary of her experiences. In 2005, she made an Irish-language documentary for TG4
during her visit to Congo, which was broadcast in 2007, and again in 2008 on both TG4 and RTÉ
.
Moya also travelled to shanty-towns in Brazil and performed a fund-raising event in the country with Assiria Nascemento in 2007. From there Moya travelled to Belize
for the opening of a school for abused children, run by the Liberty Foundation and backed by CMB. At the opening, Brennan brought together the Belizean Prime Minister Said Musa
, Minister of Finance, Leader of the Opposition and UK Conservative Party
member and businessman with extensive business interest in Belize, Michael Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft.
The following year, Brennan travelled to Tanzania
and has played a major role in bringing the missions of the charity to the forefront. She has also performed concerts worldwide with other Christian Blind Mission Goodwill Ambassadors from Europe.
, at a church which also reaches out to young people affected by drug and alcohol misuse.
In July 2005, Brennan took part in a protest alongside poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh
and locals of County Donegal
to protest against the installation of electric cables across various areas of the county due to the harm it could cause to both people and the landscape.
" to Children In Need
, becoming the British charity appeal's first official single.
In 1986, Brennan performed alongside Bono, Bob Geldof and Chris de Burgh for Self Aid. She also performed with Clannad at the concert. Moya and Clannad have long been supporters of Amnesty International
and contributed their single Rí na Cruinne to the organisation. Brennan has also attended various benefits in both Ireland and England, most notably alongside Van Morrison
in 1996.
Moya has recorded dozens charitable singles and on many more albums with various artists, including Raphael's Journey by Joanne Hogg
in 2008, Songs for Luca and Songs for Luca 2 by Iona
and the official anthem for Ireland's 2008 Olympic bid, "Green to Gold". Moya also donated her b-side, Ceolfaidh Mé to the Field of Hope album, which also features Bono and The Corrs
. In October 2008, Brennan was appointed director for Ireland's first Christian satellite radio
station, UCB Ireland, which operates from Dublin. Moya also recorded a song under her birth name Máire Ní Bhraonáin on the 2009 Ceol Cheann Dubhrann
album with Manus Lunny
to raise funds for Áislann Rann na Feirste and Scoil Náisiúnta Rann na Feirste.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad
Clannad
Clannad are an Irish musical group, from Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Their music has been variously described as bordering on folk and folk rock, Irish, Celtic and New Age, often incorporating elements of an even broader spectrum of smooth jazz and Gregorian chant...
, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music". Moya released her first solo album in 1992 called Máire
Maire (album)
Máire is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan. It was released in 1992.Recordings were made at:*Castle Sound Studio, Pentcaitland - *Metropolis, London-Track listing:#"Cé Leis" – 4:05#"Against the Wind" – 5:34...
, a successful venture, her solo career has remained successful to this day, many years after Clannad took a hiatus in 1996. She has been nominated for two Grammys and has won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
. She has recorded with many world-famous musicians and has provided music for several soundtracks, including Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
, To End All Wars
To End All Wars
To End All Wars is a 2001 war film starring Robert Carlyle, Kiefer Sutherland and Sakae Kimura and directed by David L. Cunningham.- Storyline :...
and King Arthur
King Arthur (film)
King Arthur is a 2004 film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Franzoni. It stars Clive Owen as the title character, Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot, and Keira Knightley as Guinevere....
.
Musical upbringing
Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin (mˠaːrʲə nʲiː vɾˠiːn̪ˠaːn) was born and grew up as the eldest child of a very musical family in the remote parish of GweedoreGweedore
Gweedore is an Irish-speaking district located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. Gweedore stretches some 16 miles from Meenaclady in the north to Crolly in the south and around 9 miles from Dunlewey in the east to Magheraclogher in the west, and...
(Gaoth Dobhair), in Ireland's northernmost county, Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, a Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
area in which the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and tradition continue to flourish. Her mother Máire (better known by her nickname, Baba)(née Ní Dhúgáin or Duggan in English) was a music teacher and her father Leo Brennan was a member of a cabaret band with whom she performed as a child. Moya is the eldest of nine children, her sisters are Deirdre, Eithne (better known as Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
), Olive, Brídín
Brídín Brennan
Brídín Ní Bhraonáin , professionally known as Brídín Brennan, is an Irish pop singer from Dobhar , Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. She is the sister of Moya Brennan and Enya and has also toured with family-band Clannad.-Upbringing:...
and her brothers are Ciarán
Ciarán Brennan
Ciarán Brennan is an Irish singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist from Gweedore, Co Donegal...
, Pól
Pól Brennan
Pól Brennan is an Irish singer, songwriter and producer. He is the brother of Enya and Moya Brennan. He is a member of the family band Clannad, and co-wrote the hit song "Theme from Harry's Game". He left the group in 1990, but rejoined in 2011...
, Leon and Bartley. She sang along with her siblings in the family pub, Leo's Tavern
Leo's Tavern
Leo's Tavern is a restaurant and pub in the Donegal Gaeltacht, best known as the home of music artists Clannad, Enya and Moya Brennan. The pub opened in 1968 and held Irish traditional music sessions nightly, becoming the musical starting block for the children of Leo Brennan, the pubs' founder...
, in the village of Meenaleck, a short distance from the family home. She also took part in many pantomimes in Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair
Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair
Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair , anglicized as Gweedore Theatre, is a local theatre in the Gaeltacht region of Derrybeg in the parish of Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland. It seats over 200 hundred patrons, and ever since it was opened by actress Siobhán McKenna, it has staged hundreds of plays in the...
, the local theatre, usually dancing and singing. After leaving secondary school Brennan spent a few years at the Royal Irish Academy of Music
Royal Irish Academy of Music
The Royal Irish Academy of Music is a linked college of Dublin City University located in Dublin, Ireland.It was founded in 1848 by a group of music enthusiasts and moved to its present address in Westland Row in 1871. The following year it was granted the right to use the title "Royal"...
in Dublin studying the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, the piano and singing. She later taught music at Holy Cross College in Falcarragh
Falcarragh
An Fál Carrach , sometimes called Na Crois Bhealaí is a small Gaeltacht town and townland in northwest County Donegal, Ireland. The settlement is in the old parish of Cloughaneely.-Etymology:...
, County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
Years with Clannad
It was during this time in 1970 that Brennan joined her two brothers Pól and Ciarán and their mother's twin brothers Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin and eventually 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 RingMagical Ring
Magical Ring is the seventh album by Irish folk group Clannad. It was released in 1983.-Track listing:# "Theme from Harry's Game" – 2:30# "Tower Hill" – 3:51# "Seachrán Chairn tSiail" – 2:20# "Passing Time" Magical Ring is the seventh album by Irish folk group Clannad. It was released in...
. Brennan was at the forefront of the group's success and her voice suddenly became synonymous with celtic music
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
and Irish music at the time. Brennan recorded 17 albums with Clannad and has won a Grammy, a BAFTA and an Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello
David Ivor Davies , better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter...
award with the quintet. Her sister Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, who spent a while with Clannad, continues to pursue a very successful solo career under the name Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
.
Following their 2008 reunion tour, it was later announced that Moya would be working on a new unplugged
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
album with Clannad for release in 2009, however, this never came to fruition.
Solo career
Brennan released her first solo album in 1992, MáireMaire (album)
Máire is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan. It was released in 1992.Recordings were made at:*Castle Sound Studio, Pentcaitland - *Metropolis, London-Track listing:#"Cé Leis" – 4:05#"Against the Wind" – 5:34...
, on Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. Misty Eyed Adventures
Misty Eyed Adventures
Misty Eyed Adventures is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan, now known as Moya Brennan. This was the second solo outing for her and features many of her family and friends on the recording...
on BGM followed three years later. In 1998, Brennan signed with Word Records
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
and released Perfect Time
Perfect Time
Perfect Time is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan . This recording was for the Word Records company. It was released in 1998...
, and Whisper to the Wild Water
Whisper to the Wild Water
Whisper to the Wild Water is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan, now known as Moya Brennan. This was the fourth solo outing for her, released in 1999.Recordings were made in various studios in Ireland during 1999:...
a year later. The album was nominated in the Grammy Awards of 2001
Grammy Awards of 2001
The 43rd Grammy Awards were held on February 21, 2001. Steely Dan was the biggest winner winning three awards including Album of the Year for Two Against Nature. U2 was also a big winner winning three awards as well; including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for Beautiful Day. Dr...
for Best New Age Album
Grammy Award for Best New Age Album
The Grammy Award for Best New Age Album is presented to recording artists for quality albums in the New Age music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
. Brennan is managed by her husband Tim Jarvis and her brother Leon Ó Braonáin. Her music is usually classified as New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
or Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic. 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 centring on maintaining a relationship with Jesus Christ. Some of her songs show influences from her Roman Catholic upbringing or seem relational due to her own views concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In 2000, her autobiography, The Other Side of the Rainbow
The Other Side of the Rainbow
The Other Side of the Rainbow: The Autobiography of the Voice of Clannad is Máire Brennan's 2001 autobiographical account of her life up until 2000...
. was published and she also performed her song "Perfect Time" live at World Youth Day
World Youth Day
World Youth Day is a youth-oriented Catholic Church event. While the event itself celebrates the Catholic faith, the invitation to attend extends to all youth, regardless of religious convictions....
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in front of crowds of pilgrims and Pope John Paul II. There were 2.1 million people present, making it the largest crowd ever gathered in the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
. She considered it an honour as she believes in mutual respect among Christians. Moya also recorded on the event's album, One. She recorded a duet with Booley, now known as Duke Special
Duke Special
Duke Special, real name Peter Wilson, is a songwriter and performer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A piano-based songwriter with a romantic style and a warm, distinctly accented voice, he has a distinctive look, with his long dreadlocks, eyeliner and outfits he describes as "hobo chic"...
. The song, titled "Peace Has Broken Out", is about the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Ireland.
In film, she was featured vocalist on King Arthur
King Arthur (film)
King Arthur is a 2004 film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Franzoni. It stars Clive Owen as the title character, Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot, and Keira Knightley as Guinevere....
(2004), co-writing the title theme "Tell Me Now (What You See)" with Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
and wrote additional music score for To End All Wars
To End All Wars
To End All Wars is a 2001 war film starring Robert Carlyle, Kiefer Sutherland and Sakae Kimura and directed by David L. Cunningham.- Storyline :...
(2001). In 1995 she duetted with Shane MacGowan
Shane MacGowan
Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish musician and singer, best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues.-History:...
with "You're the One" for the movie Circle of Friends. Brennan has collaborated with many other musicians, including Chicane
Chicane
A chicane is an artificial feature creating extra turns in a road, used in motor racing and on city streets to slow cars to lower speeds.- Motor Racing :...
, Alan Parsons
Alan Parsons
Alan Parsons is a British audio engineer, musician, and record producer. He was involved with the production of several significant albums, including The Beatles' Abbey Road and Let It Be, as well as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon for which Pink Floyd credit him as an important contributor...
, Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
, Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald (singer)
Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
from the Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold over 40 million units worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.-Original incarnation:...
, Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Randall Hornsby is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. Known for the spontaneity and creativity of his live performances, Hornsby draws frequently from classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Motown, rock, blues, and jam band musical traditions with his songwriting and...
, Joe Elliott
Joe Elliott
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott Jr is an English singer-songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the British rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of David Bowie cover band, the Cybernauts and the Mott the Hoople cover band, Down...
, The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
, Paul Young
Paul Young (singer and guitarist)
Paul Antony Young is an English pop musician. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & The Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, his following solo success as a solo recording artist turned him into a 1980s teenage pop idol...
, Paul Brady
Paul Brady
Paul Joseph Brady is an Irish singer-songwriter, whose work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age...
, Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
, Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson (musician)
Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
and Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
.
In total Brennan has recorded 25 albums, and has sold 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 — and, in 2009, she legally changed her name by deed poll
Deed of Change of Name
A deed of change of name is a legal document in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, which enables a single person or a family to officially change his or her name...
. Under this moniker she released an album entitled Two Horizons in 2003 under her new label, Universal. She has also collaborated with dance artist Chicane for performing the vocals on the single "Saltwater
Saltwater (Chicane song)
"Saltwater" is a song by Chicane featuring the vocals of Irish singer Máire Brennan. The track uses parts of Clannad's 1982 hit "Theme From Harry's Game" with both re-recorded and newly-written lyrics....
", which was also featured in the VisitScotland advertising campaign, as well as having been used by Fáilte Ireland
Fáilte Ireland
Fáilte Ireland is the National Tourism Development Authority of the Republic of Ireland. This authority was established under the National Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003 and replaces and builds upon the functions of Bord Fáilte, its predecessor organization...
to promote Ireland, and by Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
city council, both in television adverts.
On 17 March 2004, she performed at the Speaker's Luncheon on Capitol Hill in front of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Irish dignitaries.
During the World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne she performed with Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
in the Vigil in front of a million people and was also part of the official WYD CD Building On World.
2006 saw the release of her Christmas album, simply entitled 'An Irish Christmas
An Irish Christmas
An Irish Christmas is a music album by Irish musician Moya Brennan. According to Moya, the idea for the album first came to her some time ago: "I’ve been involved in number of other people’s Christmas projects in recent years," explains Moya, "but I wanted to capture a truly Celtic Christmas...
', although it was originally planned to bear the title 'Love Came Down. A year later, Brennan released her album 'Signature
Signature (Moya Brennan album)
Signature is a music album by Irish musician Moya Brennan. This is her seventh solo album to be released. It was released on the 9 October 2006 in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands...
', which she described as a collection of snapshots of (Brennan's) life. The album featured only one Irish song but featured choruses and backing vocals in her native language throughout.
While touring with the latter album, during 2007 and 2008, Moya recorded several collaborations and guest vocals on albums by Iona
Iona (band)
Iona is the name of a progressive Celtic rock band from the United Kingdom, which was formed in the late 1980s by lead vocalist Joanne Hogg and multi-instrumentalists David Fitzgerald and Dave Bainbridge....
, Joanne Hogg
Joanne Hogg
Joanne Hogg is an Irish singer and songwriter for the band Iona.-Biography:Hogg was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland and is best known as the lead singer and songwriter with the Christian progressive Celtic/pop/rock band Iona . Her father is a Presbyterian minister, her mother a nurse; her...
and with Grand Canal on Ireland's Official Olympic Anthem, "Green to Gold. All three recordings were in aid of several charities.
Her 2008-2009 live album Heart Strings
Heart Strings (Moya Brennan album)
Heart Strings is a live album by Irish singer Moya Brennan. The album was released in September 2008, but was previously available to fans throughout Brennan's Spring 2008 tour of the Netherlands. It was recorded at her concerts on 21 October 2007 in the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool and in November...
was recorded with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society is a society based in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, that organises concerts and other events mainly in the field of classical music. The society is the second oldest of its type in the United Kingdom and its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic...
and Julie Feeney
Julie Feeney
Julie Feeney, award-winning Irish composer, song-writer, singer and music producer.-Overview:Feeney is an award-winning and critically acclaimed Irish composer, singer, record producer, musician, songwriter, theatre artist and educator. She composes both instrumental and electronic music, and...
. Moya has toured to promote the album extensively in the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and England.
In 2009, Brennan recorded the official soundtrack on Maryland Public Television
Maryland Public Television
Maryland Public Television is a non-profit, state-licensed Public Broadcasting Service non-commercial educational public television state network which serves U.S. state of Maryland. Its six transmitters cover nearly all of the state, plus Washington, D.C...
documentary film 'Intrepid Journal' which documents 50 years of American foreign policy, from WWII to 9-11.
In April 2010, Moya released a new studio album with harpist and live band member Cormac de Barra
Cormac de Barra
Cormac de Barra is a harpist, singer and television presenter and is part of the Moya Brennan Band.-Biography:De Barra comes from a family of traditional musicians and singers from Dublin but with roots in County Cork...
. My Match Is A Makin'
My Match Is A Makin'
My Match Is A Makin' is a music album by Irish musicians Moya Brennan and Cormac de Barra. This is Moya's eighth album to be released. It was released on the 14 April 2010 exclusively to concert goers on her Spring 2010 tour of The Netherlands...
was recorded for her Spring 2010 tour of the Netherlands, and is available only during her tours. The album is expected to become more widely available in 2010.
Moya Brennan has announced that she is working on a hymns album, possibly for 2010 release and will release a new acoustic music album with Clannad in 2010 or 2011.
Moya Brennan Band
Moya Brennan tours with a large band of musicians who have each recorded solo projects in the past or have recorded with their own bands. The band includes harpist and television presenter Cormac de BarraCormac de Barra
Cormac de Barra is a harpist, singer and television presenter and is part of the Moya Brennan Band.-Biography:De Barra comes from a family of traditional musicians and singers from Dublin but with roots in County Cork...
. Between August 2008 and February 2009, two new members joined Moya's band, the first changes since her Two Horizons Tour, including Irish singer Daithí Rua.
| Current Members | Former Members |
|---|---|
|
Máire Breatnach Máire Breatnach is one of the most prominent fiddle players in Ireland. She also sings in Irish on some of her albums. Since the early 1990s, she has had five solo albums, participated in many other albums , with substantive contributions in some cases, and contributed to many music CDs, as well as... |
Legacy
Brennan and Clannad are credited with the creation of contemporary Celtic music and are held in high esteem for their vast contribution to bringing new life to old Irish songs. They have been compared to Seán Ó RiadaSeán Ó Riada
Seán Ó Riada , was a composer and perhaps the single most influential figure in the revival of Irish traditional music during the 1960s...
, 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's 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 vocalisation is considered the archetypal sound of Ireland and strains of her style have been acquired in the soundtracks to Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
and Riverdance
Riverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
. Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
said of her voice: "I think Moya has one of the greatest voices the human ear has ever experienced." Brennan is also famous for her harp playing, which she has featured on many Clannad records, with her album Two Horizons
Two Horizons
Two Horizons is the fifth solo album by Irish singer Moya Brennan. It is her first full-length release under the name Moya Brennan, as opposed to Máire Brennan. The album was predominantly recorded in her home studio in Dublin and was nominated for a Grammy award. The album was recorded between...
being based on the discovery of the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
.
Autobiography
In 2000, she wrote an autobiography called The Other Side of the RainbowThe Other Side of the Rainbow
The Other Side of the Rainbow: The Autobiography of the Voice of Clannad is Máire Brennan's 2001 autobiographical account of her life up until 2000...
.
In it Brennan recalls her upbringing as the eldest of nine siblings in rural County Donegal, Ireland. Along with the highs of success in the music business she also recounts low periods where alcohol, drugs and an abortion made her re-evaluate her life. She emerged from dark years as a committed Christian with rekindled faith. She remarried in 1991 (having previously been married to a Dublin musician) and now lives in Dublin, Ireland with husband, photographer Tim Jarvis, and children, Aisling and Paul. Brennan and her family are practising members of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship.
Post-autobiography
Brennan is Goodwill AmbassadorGoodwill Ambassador
Goodwill Ambassador is a collective term sometimes used as a substitute honorific title or a title of honor for an Ambassador of Goodwill; but, most appropriately for a generic recognition, it is a job position or description that is usually indicated following the name of the individual recognized...
for the international charity, Christian Blind Mission
Christian Blind Mission
The Christian Blind Mission is a Christian humanitarian organization aiming to improve the lives of people with disabilities. It considered one of the world's oldest and largest religious organization serving the blind and disabled...
, and travels worldwide with the organisation, including recent trips to the Congo, Brazil and America. Moya has, since rekindling her faith, been a supporter of Teen Challenge, a charity operating in Ireland and the USA and in 2008 she performed a concert to raise funds to build a new drug rehabilitation centre for the children.
Christian Blind Mission
In 2003, Moya Brennan became Goodwill Ambassador to Christian Blind Mission IrelandChristian Blind Mission
The Christian Blind Mission is a Christian humanitarian organization aiming to improve the lives of people with disabilities. It considered one of the world's oldest and largest religious organization serving the blind and disabled...
(CBM). Brennan's first trip was to Congo-Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, with a group of five others. Due to violence, Moya and her team fled civil unrest and were evacuated to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. She later promised to return to the Congo, which she did in 2005 to airlift three children from isolated jungle villages to Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
.
In that same year, she travelled to Rwanda, where she kept a diary of her experiences. In 2005, she made an Irish-language documentary for TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
during her visit to Congo, which was broadcast in 2007, and again in 2008 on both TG4 and RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
.
Moya also travelled to shanty-towns in Brazil and performed a fund-raising event in the country with Assiria Nascemento in 2007. From there Moya travelled to Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
for the opening of a school for abused children, run by the Liberty Foundation and backed by CMB. At the opening, Brennan brought together the Belizean Prime Minister Said Musa
Said Musa
Said Wilbert Musa is a Belizean lawyer and politician. He was the Prime Minister of Belize from August 28, 1998 to February 8, 2008.-Early life and education:Said Musa was born in San Ignacio, Cayo District, Belize...
, Minister of Finance, Leader of the Opposition and UK Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
member and businessman with extensive business interest in Belize, Michael Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft.
The following year, Brennan travelled to Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and has played a major role in bringing the missions of the charity to the forefront. She has also performed concerts worldwide with other Christian Blind Mission Goodwill Ambassadors from Europe.
Addiction
Brennan performs various concerts in aid of charities and groups that work to rehabilitate those affected by drug addiction and alcohol dependency. She also practices religion with her family in Dún LaoghaireDún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
, at a church which also reaches out to young people affected by drug and alcohol misuse.
Nature preservation
With family band Clannad, Brennan has recorded numerous songs about the needed protection of the landscapes in Ireland and the devastation of pollution around the world. The first song about the matter was recorded for their début album and was called An Pháirc. Throughout Moya's solo career, she has recorded various songs on the issue including Big Yellow Taxi.In July 2005, Brennan took part in a protest alongside poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh
Cathal Ó Searcaigh
Cathal Ó Searcaigh is an Irish poet who writes in the Irish language .Ó Searcaigh was born in Gort a' Choirce, a town in the Gaeltacht region of Donegal, and lives at the foot of Mount Errigal...
and locals of County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
to protest against the installation of electric cables across various areas of the county due to the harm it could cause to both people and the landscape.
Other appointments and music
In 1985, Brennan along with her band members in Clannad donated their song "Almost Seems (Too Late To Turn)Almost Seems (Too Late To Turn)
"Almost Seems " is a 1985 single by Irish group Clannad. It is the second single from their album Macalla.The song was used as the official Children in Need charity single for 1985. On its release it was tipped by bookmakers as one of the favourites for the Christmas Number One...
" to Children In Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
, becoming the British charity appeal's first official single.
In 1986, Brennan performed alongside Bono, Bob Geldof and Chris de Burgh for Self Aid. She also performed with Clannad at the concert. Moya and Clannad have long been supporters of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
and contributed their single Rí na Cruinne to the organisation. Brennan has also attended various benefits in both Ireland and England, most notably alongside Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
in 1996.
Moya has recorded dozens charitable singles and on many more albums with various artists, including Raphael's Journey by Joanne Hogg
Joanne Hogg
Joanne Hogg is an Irish singer and songwriter for the band Iona.-Biography:Hogg was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland and is best known as the lead singer and songwriter with the Christian progressive Celtic/pop/rock band Iona . Her father is a Presbyterian minister, her mother a nurse; her...
in 2008, Songs for Luca and Songs for Luca 2 by Iona
Iona (band)
Iona is the name of a progressive Celtic rock band from the United Kingdom, which was formed in the late 1980s by lead vocalist Joanne Hogg and multi-instrumentalists David Fitzgerald and Dave Bainbridge....
and the official anthem for Ireland's 2008 Olympic bid, "Green to Gold". Moya also donated her b-side, Ceolfaidh Mé to the Field of Hope album, which also features Bono and The Corrs
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the...
. In October 2008, Brennan was appointed director for Ireland's first Christian satellite radio
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
station, UCB Ireland, which operates from Dublin. Moya also recorded a song under her birth name Máire Ní Bhraonáin on the 2009 Ceol Cheann Dubhrann
Ceol Cheann Dubhrann
-Singers:* Máire Ní Bhraonáin* Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh* Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill* Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill* Gearóidín Breathnach* Dónall Mac Ruairí* Connie Mhary Mhicí Ó Gallchóir* Bernard Ó Duibheannaigh* Aodh Óg Ó Duibheannaigh* Aodh Mac Ruairí...
album with Manus Lunny
Manus Lunny
Manus Lunny is an Irish producer and multi-instrumentalist from County Donegal, Ireland. He is the brother of multi-instrumentalist and producer Dónal Lunny.-Biography:...
to raise funds for Áislann Rann na Feirste and Scoil Náisiúnta Rann na Feirste.
Studio albums
- 1992 – MáireMaire (album)Máire is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan. It was released in 1992.Recordings were made at:*Castle Sound Studio, Pentcaitland - *Metropolis, London-Track listing:#"Cé Leis" – 4:05#"Against the Wind" – 5:34...
- 1994 – Misty Eyed AdventuresMisty Eyed AdventuresMisty Eyed Adventures is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan, now known as Moya Brennan. This was the second solo outing for her and features many of her family and friends on the recording...
- 1998 – Perfect TimePerfect TimePerfect Time is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan . This recording was for the Word Records company. It was released in 1998...
- 1999 – Whisper to the Wild WaterWhisper to the Wild WaterWhisper to the Wild Water is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan, now known as Moya Brennan. This was the fourth solo outing for her, released in 1999.Recordings were made in various studios in Ireland during 1999:...
- 2003 – Two HorizonsTwo HorizonsTwo Horizons is the fifth solo album by Irish singer Moya Brennan. It is her first full-length release under the name Moya Brennan, as opposed to Máire Brennan. The album was predominantly recorded in her home studio in Dublin and was nominated for a Grammy award. The album was recorded between...
- 2005 – An Irish ChristmasAn Irish ChristmasAn Irish Christmas is a music album by Irish musician Moya Brennan. According to Moya, the idea for the album first came to her some time ago: "I’ve been involved in number of other people’s Christmas projects in recent years," explains Moya, "but I wanted to capture a truly Celtic Christmas...
- 2006 – SignatureSignature (Moya Brennan album)Signature is a music album by Irish musician Moya Brennan. This is her seventh solo album to be released. It was released on the 9 October 2006 in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands...
- 2010 – My Match Is A Makin'My Match Is A Makin'My Match Is A Makin' is a music album by Irish musicians Moya Brennan and Cormac de Barra. This is Moya's eighth album to be released. It was released on the 14 April 2010 exclusively to concert goers on her Spring 2010 tour of The Netherlands...
(with Cormac de BarraCormac de BarraCormac de Barra is a harpist, singer and television presenter and is part of the Moya Brennan Band.-Biography:De Barra comes from a family of traditional musicians and singers from Dublin but with roots in County Cork...
) - 2010 – T with the MaggiesT with the Maggies (album)-Release:The album was launched in Dublin on 29 October 2010 by actor Stephen Rea. Friends of the singers in attendance included musicians Luka Bloom, Neil Martin and Paul Brady and broadcaster Miriam O'Callaghan...
(with T with the MaggiesT with the MaggiesT with the Maggies are an Irish traditional supergroup from County Donegal, Ireland. The group first performed together at a tribute concert to folk singer and guitarist Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, older brother of Triona and Maighread, and released their debut album in October 2010.-Background:Band...
) - 2011 – Voices & HarpsVoices & HarpsVoices & Harps is a music album by Irish musicians Moya Brennan and Cormac de Barra. It was released on 28 June 2011 in the United States. The album is a remastered and remixed version of the 2010 album My Match Is A Makin'.-Release:...
(with Cormac de BarraCormac de BarraCormac de Barra is a harpist, singer and television presenter and is part of the Moya Brennan Band.-Biography:De Barra comes from a family of traditional musicians and singers from Dublin but with roots in County Cork...
)
Live albums
- 2005 – Óró - A Live SessionÓró - A Live SessionÓró - A Live Session is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan, now known as Moya Brennan. Just before the start of the German tour, Moya and her band recorded a "live session" album to have available for fans on the tour. She's tried to recreate some of the live feel with the band in the...
- 2007 – Signature Special Tour EditionSignature (Moya Brennan album)Signature is a music album by Irish musician Moya Brennan. This is her seventh solo album to be released. It was released on the 9 October 2006 in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands...
- 2008 – Heart StringsHeart Strings (Moya Brennan album)Heart Strings is a live album by Irish singer Moya Brennan. The album was released in September 2008, but was previously available to fans throughout Brennan's Spring 2008 tour of the Netherlands. It was recorded at her concerts on 21 October 2007 in the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool and in November...
Singles
- 1992 – "Against the WindAgainst the Wind (Máire Brennan song)"Against the Wind" was Máire Brennan's first solo single, taken from her album Máire released the same year. Two covers were made available, one with a sand pattern and the title of the single, the other with a photograph by Tim Jarvis, of Máire and three dancers, superimposed on the sand pattern...
" - 1992 – "Jealous HeartJealous heart single"Jealous Heart" was Máire Brennan's second solo single, taken from her album Máire released the same year. The cover features a photograph by the Douglas Brothers. A promotional video directed by the Douglas Brothers was also produced...
" - 1993 – "Big Yellow Taxi"
- 1995 – "You're the OneYou're the One (Shane MacGowan & Máire Brennan single)"You're the One" is a duet by Máire Brennan and Shane MacGowan taken from the soundtrack to the motion picture Circle of Friends. A promotional video was made to accompany the single featuring clips from the film in addition specially recorded shots of Máire and Shane. The two B-sides to the single...
" (with Shane MacGowanShane MacGowanShane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish musician and singer, best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues.-History:...
) - 1998 – "Heal This Land"
- 1998 – "The Big RockThe Big Rock (Máire Brennan single)"The Big Rock" was the second single taken from Máire's album Perfect Time released the same year. The cover features a photograph by Mathew Barnes.- Track listing :Compact Disc#"The Big Rock" #"The Big Rock"...
" - 1999 – "SaltwaterSaltwater (Chicane song)"Saltwater" is a song by Chicane featuring the vocals of Irish singer Máire Brennan. The track uses parts of Clannad's 1982 hit "Theme From Harry's Game" with both re-recorded and newly-written lyrics....
" (with ChicaneChicaneA chicane is an artificial feature creating extra turns in a road, used in motor racing and on city streets to slow cars to lower speeds.- Motor Racing :...
) - 2000 – "Follow the WordFollow the Word (Máire Brennan single)"Follow the Word" was the only single taken from Máire's album Whisper to the Wild Water released the previous year. This was the final single released under the name "Máire Brennan", with future releases going under the easier-to-pronounce "Moya Brennan"...
" - 2003 – "Show MeShow Me (Moya Brennan single)"Show Me" was the only commercial single taken from Moya's Grammy-nominated 2003 album Two Horizons. This was Moya's first single under her new name , and her first single available to download...
" - 2003 – "TaraTara (Moya Brennan single)"Tara" is the second single from Moya Brennan's Grammy-nominated album Two Horizons, released in the same year. The cover shows a photography by Peer Lindgreen....
" - 2003 – "Saltwater" (with Chicane - re-issue)
- 2005 – "I'll See You Again/Hidden" (with Hazel O'ConnorHazel O'ConnorHazel O'Connor is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of a soldier from Galway who settled in England after World War II to work in a car plant...
) - 2006 – "No One TalksNo One Talks (Moya Brennan single)"No One Talks" was the first commercial single taken from Grammy award-winning singer, Moya Brennan's album Signature released the same year. This was Moya's first single available to download from more than one online shop...
" - 2007 – "Merry-Go-RoundMerry-Go-Round (Moya Brennan single)"Merry-Go-Round" was the second commercial single taken from Moya Brennan's album Signature, released in the same year. The cover shows a photograph by Mella Travers.The song was also recording for Moya Brennan's Heart Strings album....
" - 2007 – "Holiday TrioHoliday Trio (Moya Brennan single)"Holiday Trio" was an EP released to promote the newly released Signature album released the same year in the USA. This EP featured a newly recorded version of the Clannad classic "I Will Find You". The cover shows a photograph by Mella Travers....
" - 2008 – "Green to Gold" (with Grand Canal)
Charitable albums
- 2005 – A Future for the MichelA Future for the MichelA Future for the Michel is a compilation album supporting charity by Moya Brennan and Schiller. The album was released in December 2005 to raise money for St. Michel's Church in Hamburg. The compilation features collaborations between the two artists and solo works...
(with SchillerSchiller (band)Schiller is the main project of Christopher von Deylen , a German musician, composer and producer. He won the ECHO award in 2002 for the Best Dance Single of the Year.. Schiller has sold over 7 million albums worldwide.Christopher Von Deylen does not provide vocals for any of his compositions...
) - 2008 – SanctuarySanctuary (Irish charity album)Sanctuary is an album supporting charity which was recorded in July 2007 at Glenstal Abbey, Co. Limerick, Ireland. The album features artists Moya Brennan, Mary Coughlan, Nóirín Ní Riain, Cara O'Sullivan, Jimmy O'Brien-Moran, the Monks of Glenstal and many others...
(Various artists) - 2009 – Ceol Cheann DubhrannCeol Cheann Dubhrann-Singers:* Máire Ní Bhraonáin* Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh* Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill* Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill* Gearóidín Breathnach* Dónall Mac Ruairí* Connie Mhary Mhicí Ó Gallchóir* Bernard Ó Duibheannaigh* Aodh Óg Ó Duibheannaigh* Aodh Mac Ruairí...
(Various artists)
Compilations and Collaborations
- 1987 The Awakening - with Paul BradyPaul BradyPaul Joseph Brady is an Irish singer-songwriter, whose work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age...
(from Primitive DancePrimitive DancePrimitive Dance is a 1987 album by Irish singer/songwriter Paul Brady, his fifth solo album. The song "The Awakening" features the vocals of Irish singer Moya Brennan.-Track listing:#Steal Your Heart Away - 5:45#The Soul Commotion - 3:39...
) - 1990 Put 'em Under Pressure Single - Put 'em Under Pressure (single)
- 1991 Bring It All Back Home - with An Emotional Fish (from Blue)
- 1993 Come Into My Life - with Robert PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
(from Fate of NationsFate of NationsFate of Nations is Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant's sixth studio album. It was released in 1993 and re-released in a remastered edition on March 20, 2007. It features former Cutting Crew guitarist Kevin Scott MacMichael. The lead singer of Clannad, Máire Brennan is featured on the track "Come...
) - 1993 Dream Fields - with RunrigRunrigRunrig are a Scottish Celtic rock group formed in Skye, in 1973 under the name 'The Run Rig Dance Band'. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The current line-up also includes longtime members Malcolm Jones, Iain Bayne, and more...
(from Amazing ThingsAmazing ThingsAmazing Things is a 1993 album, the eighth by Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig.Amazing Things was ranked the #3 best album of the 1990s in the music review column The War Against Silence by Glenn McDonald: "The most life-affirming album ever made...
) - 1994 Almond Skin - with Sonny CondellSonny CondellSonny Condell is an Irish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and graphic artist. He is mainly known as a member of the Irish bands Tír na nÓg and Scullion. He released some hits in Ireland as a solo artist like "Down in the city" in 1977 that he covered later with the Belgian singer Micha...
(from Someone To Dance WithSomeone to Dance WithSomeone To Dance With is the second solo album by Irish musician Sonny Condell. It was released in 1994 by STARC.-Reception:-Track listing:-Personnel:...
) - 1994 Dream Sequence - with Sonny Condell (from Someone To Dance With)
- 1994 The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy - with Joe JacksonJoe Jackson (musician)Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
(from Night MusicNight Music (album)Night Music is an 1994 album by Joe Jackson.With Night Music and the subsequent effort, Heaven and Hell , his retirement from the mainstream seemed permanent. Night Music attempted to fuse his pop and classical tastes, including instrumentals and guest vocals by Máire Brennan of Clannad, but it did...
) - 1994 As Tears Go ByAs Tears Go By (song)"As Tears Go By" is a song written by The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, and their manager Andrew Loog Oldham, and was a popular hit for both British singer Marianne Faithfull in 1964 and The Rolling Stones in 1965.-History:...
- with London Symphony OrchestraLondon Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
(from Symphonic Music Of The Rolling Stones) - 1995 You're The One - with Shane MacGowanShane MacGowanShane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish musician and singer, best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues.-History:...
(from Circle of FriendsCircle of Friends (1995 film)Circle of Friends is a 1995 film directed by Irish filmmaker Pat O'Connor and based on the novel of the same name written by Maeve Binchy.-Plot:...
soundtrack) - 1995 Luman Michael O'Suilleabhain from Between Worlds (Moya & Brian Kennedy sing on Luman)
- 1996 Ó Bhean a' Tí - with Dónal LunnyDónal LunnyDónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician. Lunny has been at the forefront of the evolution of traditional Irish music for more than thirty-five years and has participated within the renaissance of traditional Irish music in that time period...
, Brídín BrennanBrídín BrennanBrídín Ní Bhraonáin , professionally known as Brídín Brennan, is an Irish pop singer from Dobhar , Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. She is the sister of Moya Brennan and Enya and has also toured with family-band Clannad.-Upbringing:...
& Deirdre Brennan (from Common Ground: The Voices Of Modern Irish Music) - 1996 Everything Changes (and various tracks) - with IonaIona (band)Iona is the name of a progressive Celtic rock band from the United Kingdom, which was formed in the late 1980s by lead vocalist Joanne Hogg and multi-instrumentalists David Fitzgerald and Dave Bainbridge....
(from Journey into the MornJourney into the MornJourney Into The Morn is a progressive rock album by Iona. Released in 1996. It was their first studio album since Beyond These Shores in 1993.Recordings were based in the north of England again:*The Soundfield, Derbyshire -...
) - 1998 Amazing GraceAmazing Grace"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
- with Michael CrawfordMichael CrawfordMichael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
(from On Egales Wings) - 1998 Come Josephine in My Flying MachineCome Josephine in My Flying Machine"Come Josephine In My Flying Machine" is a popular song.The music was written by Fred Fisher, the lyrics by Alfred Bryan. The song was published in 1910. It was originally recorded by Blanche Ring in 1910 and was, for a while, her signature song...
(from Back to TitanicBack to Titanic- Trivia :* "An Irish Party In Third Class" includes "The Blarney Pilgrim" & "John Ryan's Polka".* "Jack Dawson's Luck" includes "Humours of Caledon", "The Red-Haired Lass", "The Boys On The Hilltop", & "The Bucks Of Oranmore"....
soundtrack) - 1999 SaltwaterSaltwater (Chicane song)"Saltwater" is a song by Chicane featuring the vocals of Irish singer Máire Brennan. The track uses parts of Clannad's 1982 hit "Theme From Harry's Game" with both re-recorded and newly-written lyrics....
- with ChicaneChicaneA chicane is an artificial feature creating extra turns in a road, used in motor racing and on city streets to slow cars to lower speeds.- Motor Racing :... - 1999 Don't Give Up - with Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald (singer)Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
(from Streams & Whisper to the Wild WaterWhisper to the Wild WaterWhisper to the Wild Water is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan, now known as Moya Brennan. This was the fourth solo outing for her, released in 1999.Recordings were made in various studios in Ireland during 1999:...
) - 1999 The Call Of The Wild - with Alan ParsonsAlan ParsonsAlan Parsons is a British audio engineer, musician, and record producer. He was involved with the production of several significant albums, including The Beatles' Abbey Road and Let It Be, as well as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon for which Pink Floyd credit him as an important contributor...
(from The Time Machine) - 1999 Lullabies (on Silent Night) - with The ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
& Paola Cecchi (from Silent Night: A Christmas In Rome) - 2000 Saylon Dola - with Russell WatsonRussell WatsonRussell Watson is an English tenor who has released singles and albums of both operatic-style and pop songs. The self-styled "People's Tenor" had been singing since he was a child, and became known after performing at a working men's club...
(from The Voice) - 2000 No Scenes of Stately Majesty (from The Greatest Story Ever Sung)
- 2000 Fairytale Of New YorkFairytale of New York"Fairytale of New York" is a song by the Irish rock group The Pogues, released in 1987 and featuring the British singer Kirsty MacColl. The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God...
- with Ronan KeatingRonan KeatingRonan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
(from The Way You Make Me FeelThe Way You Make Me Feel (Ronan Keating song)"The Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter and Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating from his debut solo album, Ronan. It was released as the third single from the album on November 20, 2000. The song peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by English...
) - 2000 Peace Has Broken Out - with BooleyDuke SpecialDuke Special, real name Peter Wilson, is a songwriter and performer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A piano-based songwriter with a romantic style and a warm, distinctly accented voice, he has a distinctive look, with his long dreadlocks, eyeliner and outfits he describes as "hobo chic"...
(from One) - 2000 Ceolfaidh Mé (from Fields Of Hope: Fight Against Famine)
- 2000 The Light On The Hill (from St. Patrick: The Irish Legend soundtrack)
- 2000 Over Blue City - with Skypark (from Over Blue City)
- 2000 Rose of Bethlehem (from One Silent Night)
- 2001 New Irish HymnsNew Irish HymnsNew Irish Hymns is the first in a series of themed albums created and produced by Keith Getty. This album features vocalists Máire Brennan, Margaret Becker and Joanne Hogg performing songs by Keith Getty and others...
album - with Margaret BeckerMargaret BeckerMargaret Becker is an American Christian rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She has had twenty-one No. 1 Christian radio hits, won four Dove Awards, and been nominated for four Grammy Awards.-Biography:...
& Joanna HoggJoanna HoggJoanna Hogg is a British film maker and screenwriter. She made her directorial and screenwriting feature film debut in 2007 with Unrelated.-Early TV Work:... - 2001 O Jesus Friend Unfailing (from The Sound of Grace: Focusfest 2001)
- 2001 To End All Wars soundtrack
- 2001 Band of Brothers Requiem - with Michael KamenMichael KamenMichael Arnold Kamen was an American composer , orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician.-Background:...
(from Band of Brothers soundtrack) - 2003 Ave Maria - with Dominic MillerDominic MillerDominic Miller is an Argentine-English guitarist who toured and recorded with World Party and King Swamp, worked on Phil Collins' solo album ...But Seriously and played guitar on every Sting album and tour since 1990...
(from Shapes) - 2003 Codail A Linbh (Sleep O Child) - with Phil CoulterPhil CoulterPhil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
(from An Irish Holiday) - 2004 Tell Me Now (What You See), All Of Them & Woad to Ruin tracks - with Hans ZimmerHans ZimmerHans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
(from King ArthurKing Arthur (film)King Arthur is a 2004 film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Franzoni. It stars Clive Owen as the title character, Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot, and Keira Knightley as Guinevere....
) - 2004 Labyrinth Prelude, Labyrinth - with Liam LawtonLiam LawtonFr. Liam Lawton is an award winning multi platinum, Irish, singer-songwriter and Roman Catholic priest.-Education:He received his theological training at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he was influenced by Sean Lavery, the Director of Sacred Music...
(from Another World) - 2005 Hidden - with Hazel O'ConnorHazel O'ConnorHazel O'Connor is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of a soldier from Galway who settled in England after World War II to work in a car plant...
(from Hidden Heart) - 2005 Beautiful Dreamer - with Brian KennedyBrian Kennedy (singer)Brian Edward Patrick Kennedy is an Irish singer-songwriter and author, known for his ballads, and has represented Ireland at Eurovision 2006. He is the younger brother of musician Bap Kennedy.-Personal life:...
(from On Song 2: Red Sails In The Sunset) - 2005 Miles And Miles, Falling - with SchillerSchiller (band)Schiller is the main project of Christopher von Deylen , a German musician, composer and producer. He won the ECHO award in 2002 for the Best Dance Single of the Year.. Schiller has sold over 7 million albums worldwide.Christopher Von Deylen does not provide vocals for any of his compositions...
(from Day and Night (Tag Und Nacht)) - 2005 Away, The Rubicon - with The DuggansThe DuggansThis is about the duo. For information on the members see Noel Duggan and Pádraig DugganThe Duggans are an Irish musical duo from Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland...
(from Rubicon) - 2005 I'll See You - with Delirious?Delirious?Delirious? were an English Christian rock and worship band. For the majority of their career, the lineup featured Martin Smith on vocals and guitar, Stu G on guitar and backing vocals, Jon Thatcher on bass guitar, Tim Jupp on keys and piano, and Stew Smith on drums and percussion...
(from The Mission BellThe Mission BellThe Mission Bell is the sixth studio album by Delirious?. It was released in the UK on 7 November 2005. It was released in the US on December 27, 2005.-Singles:...
) - 2005 Kiss The Book, Like the Baseless Fabric & Set Me Free (from the Book Of Watermarks video game)
- 2008 The Two Of Us: The Duet Album (Christie HennessyChristie HennessyChristie Hennessy was an Irish folk singer-songwriter.-Early life:...
)-I Will Never Love Again (Duet With Christie HennessyChristie HennessyChristie Hennessy was an Irish folk singer-songwriter.-Early life:...
) - 2008 The Worship Lounge-You Are Beautiful
- 2008 Rafael's Journey-Joanne Hogg (Moya sings back up on a couple tracks on this album)
- 2008 Green To Gold Single Green To Gold (with Grand Canal)
- 2008 Sanctuary-Various Artists-(Moya Performs on many of the tracks)
- 2008 Down By The Sea-Ashley Davis-This I Do (background vocals)
- 2009 Ceol Cheann Dubhrann-Various Artists-Ceol Cheann Dubhrann
- 2009 Love Will Bring You Home-Sharon Kips Welcome Home (duet with Sharon Kips)
- 2009 Honey Promises Sinead Madden (Moya sings back up on "Shadows" & "Take Me")
- 2010 Welcome Home: The Music Of Ireland-Various Artists-(Moya performs on several tracks and hosts the DVD special)
- 2010 San Patricio-Various Artists-Lullaby For The Dead
- 2010 Nowhere to Now Here (from the Nowhere to Now Here Soundtrack)
- 2010 Welcome To America: The Music of Ireland (Moya sings "Down By The Sally Gardens with Ronan Tynan)
- 2010 Re-Joyce The Hazel O'Connor Collective (Moya sings a brief along with a number of other artists)
- 2011 "Morning Star" with Producer DJ Roger Shah
- 2011 "The Dream" with Secret GardenSecret Garden (duo)Secret Garden is an award-winning Irish-Norwegian duo playing New Instrumental Music, also sometimes erroneously known as Neo-classical music.Secret Garden features the Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry and the Norwegian composer/pianist Rolf Løvland...
(from "Winter Poem")