Clannad, the Irish family group responsible for such timeless music as ‘Theme From Harry’s Game’, ‘In A Lifetime’, ‘I Will Find You’ and the soundtrack to the ‘Robin Of Sherwood’ TV series, make a long awaited return to New Zealand in October 2013 to mark their 40th Anniversary. It has been 18 years since the legendary Celtic folk heroes toured New Zealand
Ethereal and otherworldly, Clannad makes music to be transported by. Haunting ballads and virtuosic musicianship that conjures a captivating echo of Ireland past. Framed by Moya Brennan’s heavenly voice, their music carries the listener across oceans and aeons to a time when a proud culture was first born. Clannad’s groundbreaking fusion of traditional Celtic music with modern folk and rock needs almost no introduction, having created a genre almost to itself – a sound at the crest of the ‘world music’ wave that surged across the globe in the 80s and 90s.
Clannad have given a unique voice to modern Irish music. They have combined a deep love of traditional strains with a bold approach to writing and recording. Their legacy is a hugely impressive collection from 18 albums, touching on folk, rock, ambient, jazz and world music. Many of these records have featured lyrics in their native Gaelic tongue, while others have been performed in English. Either way, those vocals have plugged directly into the popular imagination.
For this close-knit group, their musical journey is both remarkable in its personal accomplishment and historic in its contributions to Irish culture. It is indeed fascinating to consider that what today is so widely regarded as Celtic music was first called Clannad music. There is perhaps no greater testament to the impact of this groundbreaking group than that.
Now, after over four decades, 18 albums, 15 million record sales and a slew of industry awards to their name, Grammy Award winning Clannad finally return to New Zealand with a new tour and CD.
