Celtic Works

from Amazon.com:
This magnificently orchestrated Celtic fantasy soundtrack inspired by the beautiful and tragic medieval Irish legend of Deirdre brings together the best elements of Celtic folk, classical, ambient and film music. Cinematic in scale, mythic in dimension, romantic in concept - A Celtic Tale sets a bold new standard for the popular Celtic genre.

"The mists are rolling in and the High King of Ireland, the court druid, and the most beautiful maiden in the land are embroiled in an unfolding medieval legend. Ultimately, it's a tragic tale: true love, epic battles, the magickal powers of the druids, and the sorrow of love lost. The brothers Danna bring us a CD that is cinematic in scope, inspired by the tragic legend of Deirdre. The results of this mix-- of Celtic folk, classical music, movie score, and the legend itself-- are richly textured and colorful. A wide array of traditional instruments were employed in this recording: fiddle, tin whistle and flute, guitar and mandolin, uillean and highland pipes, wire-strung harp, concertina and bodhran. The packaging is really exceptional, with accompanying liner notes that are a modern retelling of the original legend, translated and adapted by John Stuart Dick. Highly recommended if you like Celtic music and the myths and legends of the Emerald Isle." - RT (NAPRA Review Vol. 7, No. 4)

from Amazon.com:
JEFF and MYCHAEL DANNA's A Celtic Romance is the imaginary soundtrack for the poignant 9th century Irish legend of Liadain and Curithir. It combines the moods of Celtic folk instrumentation with monastic choral chants and the majesty of symphonic orchestration. Once MYCHAEL and JEFF DANNA set their "Celtic legend" wheels in motion, there was no turning back. Their luminous 1996 Hearts O'Space debut, A Celtic Tale, set a lofty standard for popular Celtic music. Their new collaboration, A Celtic Romance, raises the bar even higher, merging the melancholy strains of traditional Celtic folk instrumentation with the choral magic of early music chants and the majesty of symphonic orchestration.

The album also includes "The Blood of Cu Chullainn", which has gained international fame as the stirring theme from The Boondock Saints motion pictures.

"The lilting beautiful music of A Celtic Romance stirs emotions within the soul, a memory of feelings, images of Druid rites, bonfires, monks in procession, and the gathering of the clans. The music creatively depicts "The Legend of Liadain and Curithir," a 9th-century Irish romance of faith, love and loss by John Stuart Dick. Mychael and Jeff Danna have demonstrated their compositional talents by merging the melancholic moods of Celtic folk instrumentation and monastic choral chants with the majesty of symphonic orchestration. I was enchanted with the album and found it a spiritually uplifting journey into the past." -PS (NAPRA Review Vol. 9, No. 5)

One-Sheet for A Celtic Tale: The Legend of Deirdre by Mychael Danna & Jeff Danna, Hearts of Space, 1995

Derk Richardson, One-Sheet for A Celtic Romance: The Legend of Liadain and Curithir by Mychael Danna & Jeff Danna, Hearts of Space, 1997