Thieves and Robbers: Clannad and "Strange Land"

From the soundtrack to a British TV series called Robin of Sherwood comes today's random song. The music to this series was provided by Clannad, an Irish band whose music draws from Celtic, traditional Irish, new age, folk and folk rock. The band was formed, according to local story, when Ciarán, Pól, and Máire Brennan were performing late at night in their uncle's pub and a police sergeant walked in - they feared a summons for excessive noise but instead he had a form to participate in a music contest. After winning a local folk festival, they scored a record contract. Subsequent years saw them shooting to fame, and providing music for television and film and collaborating with superstars such as Bono. They are considered pioneers in the fusion of Celtic and new age music, creating an earthly yet spiritual sound. This song, Strange Land, is from their 1984 album Legend, which is all of the music from the British TV series about the famous outlaw.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clannad

Wearing a Medieval Hoodie: Clannad and "Robin (The Hooded Man)"

Today's random tune is from the soundtrack to a British TV series called Robin of Sherwood. The music to this series was provided by Clannad, an Irish band whose music draws from Celtic, traditional Irish, new age, folk and folk rock. The band was formed, according to local story, when Ciarán, Pól, and Máire Brennan were performing late at night in their uncle's pub and a police sergeant walked in - they feared a summons but instead he had a form to participate in a music contest. After winning a local folk festival, they scored a record contract. Subsequent years saw them shooting to fame, providing music for television and film and collaborating with superstars such as Bono. They are considered pioneers in the fusion of Celtic and new age music, creating an earthly yet spiritual sound. This song, Robin (the Hooded Man), is from their 1984 album Legend, which is all of the music from the British TV series Robin of Sherwood.

Into the Mystic: Clannad and "Ancient Forest"

Today's random tune is from the soundtrack to a British TV series called Robin of Sherwood. The music to this series was provided by Clannad, an Irish band whose music draws from Celtic, traditional Irish, new age, folk and folk rock. The band was formed, according to local story, when an underage Ciarán, Pól, and Máire Brennan were performing late at night in their uncle's pub and a police sergeant walked in - they feared a summons but instead the sergeant had a form to participate in a music contest. After winning a local folk festival, they scored a record contract. Subsequent years saw them shoot to fame, provide music for television and film and collaborate with superstars such as Bono. They are considered pioneers in the fusion of Celtic and new age music, creating an earthly yet spiritual sound. This song, Ancient Forest, is from their 1984 album Legend, which is all of the music from the Robin of Sherwood series.

Departure: Moya Brennan and "Sailing Away"

Today's random tune is by Moya Brennan and is entitled Sailing Away. In an interview, she describes the song as invoking the feelings of Irish people during the 1800s as they emigrated from their homeland, possibly never to return. An Ireland native, Brennan comes from a musical family (one of her sisters, Eithne, is better known as the singer Enya) and the family's band Clannad have been credited with creating the contemporary Celtic sound. Brennan is the eldest of the siblings, and started her own solo career in 1992. She is often classified as Celtic or New Age, though she feels uncomfortable with the New Age label as her music often has Christian themes. She has recorded 25 solo albums, her music has been featured in film, and she has collaborated with numerous other musicians in a variety of genres. She has also been very candid about her life - in her autobiography The Other Side of the Rainbow she recounts her upbringing in her family and her struggles with alcohol, drugs and an abortion which made her reevaluate her life and become a committed Christian. To help others with similar problems, she has given much to philanthropic endeavors and is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Christian Blind Mission. Sailing Away can be found on her album Two Horizons (2004) and on the 2011 live album Heart Strings.

It Never Stops: Moya Brennan and "Merry Go Round"

A downtempo Celtic rock song from Irish singer Moya Brennan greets you as the random tune for today. The song is titled Merry Go Round and is from her 2006 album Signature. Brennan comes from a musical family (one of her sisters, Eithne, is better known as the singer Enya) and the family's band Clannad have been credited with creating the contemporary Celtic sound. Brennan is the eldest of the siblings, and started her own solo career in 1992. She is often classified as Celtic or New Age, though she feels uncomfortable with the New Age label as her music often has Christian themes. She has recorded 25 solo albums, her music has been featured in film, and she has collaborated with numerous other musicians in a variety of genres. She has also been very candid about her life - in her autobiography The Other Side of the Rainbow she recounts her upbringing in her family and her struggles with alcohol, drugs and an abortion which made her reevaluate her life and become a committed Christian. To help others with similar problems, she has given much to philanthropic endeavors and is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Christian Blind Mission. Merry Go Round can also be found on the 2011 live album Heart Strings.

Going with the Flow: Enya and "Orinoco Flow"

The random song for today is one you'll recognize. Orinoco Flow is by Enya, the performing name of Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, and is off of her 1989 best selling album Watermark. Enya was a brief member of her family's well known Celtic/New Age band Clannad before going off on her own. She wrote the music for the 1986 BBC television series The Celts before releasing Watermark, which brought her worldwide recognition. Her next album, 1992's Shepherd Moons, won her a Grammy. Her music is distinctive for its layered vocals, folk melodies, synthesized backdrops and an ethereal quality of reverberation.

The First Lady: Moya Brennan and "Theme from Harry's Game"

Moya Brennan, singer of today's random tune, is an Irish folksinger, songwriter and harpist. Often called the "First Lady of Celtic Music," she was a founding member of the band Clannad along with her family. She released her first solo album in 1992, and continued a successful solo career when Clannad when on hiatus in 1996, and has recorded 25 solo albums. She and Clannad are credited with developing contemporary Celtic music. She is the eldest of nine children in a musical family that also includes her sister Eithne Brennan (better known as Enya). She also became a committed Christian and philanthropist after examining a dark period in her life marked by drugs, alcohol and an abortion. This song, Theme from Harry's Game, is from a 1982 British television miniseries about a British soldier sent undercover to Northern Ireland to capture an IRA gunman. It can be found on her 2011 live album Heart Strings, and the original version performed by Clannad is on their 1983 album Magical Ring. This video is from a live performance Brennan made at the University of Limerick.

Legend: Clannad and "Robin (the Hooded Man)"

Today's random tune is from the soundtrack to a British TV series called Robin of Sherwood. The music to this series was provided by Clannad, an Irish band whose music draws from Celtic, traditional Irish, new age, folk and folk rock. The band was formed, according to local story, when Ciarán, Pól, and Máire Brennan were performing late at night in their uncle's pub and a police sergeant walked in - they feared a summons but instead he had a form to participate in a music contest. After winning a local folk festival, they scored a record contract. Subsequent years saw them shooting to fame, providing music for television and film and collaborating with superstars such as Bono. They are considered pioneers in the fusion of Celtic and new age music, creating an earthly yet spiritual sound. This song, Robin (the Hooded Man), is from their 1984 album Legend, which is all of the music from the British TV series Robin of Sherwood.