Parallel Dreams (Remastered) Loreena McKennitt

• 1 Samain Night 04:29
• 2 Moon Cradle 04:31
• 3 Huron 'Beltane' Fire Dance 04:21
• 4 Annachie Gordon 08:25
• 5 Standing Stones 06:56
• 6 Dickens' Dublin (The Palace) 04:44
• 7 Breaking the Silence 06:26
• 8 Ancient Pines 03:38
• Total Runtime 43:30

Info for Parallel Dreams (Remastered)

Parallel Dreams is Canadian musician Loreena McKennitt's third studio album, released on March 7, 1989. Features McKennitt’s own original compositions along with her interpretations of traditional material. One of the most successful independently-released Canadian albums ever.

One of the most successful independent releases ever in McKennitt’s native Canada, the self-produced 1989 album Parallel Dreams is also her first recording to feature the artist’s own lyrical contributions. From the poignant traditional ballad “Annachie Gordon” to the fiery Native American/Celtic fusion of “Huron ‘Beltane’ Fire Dance” to the evocative tale of a child’s yearning for home in “Dickens’ Dublin (The Palace)”, Loreena’s third recording shows a marked evolution beyond the realm of traditional Celtic music and heads down the road on an eclectic musical journey.

“Beyond the transportation into fantasy, dreams have served as a vehicle through which we have integrated our conscious and subconscious, the real and the surreal, the powerful and the intangible.

The dreams found in this recording span a wide range from the contemporary to the historical, as in the Romeo and Juliet story of Jeannie and her lover in “Annachie Gordon”, the singular as in the little Dublin street girl who dreams of having a home, to the plural in those who dream of freedom as reflected in “Breaking The Silence”, or the earth’s yearning for release from the oppression of the human hand in “Ancient Pines”. In the “Huron ‘Beltane’ Fire Dance”, I have tried to recall the reverence for dreams of the North American first peoples and the early Celts. If there is a recurrent thread that runs through these dreams, it is one of yearning toward love, liberty and integration. Of all the variations of dreams we may have, these surely are our parallel dreams.” (Loreena McKennitt)

Loreena McKennitt, vocals, harp, keyboards, synthetic textures, ukelin, bodhran
Brian Hughes, guitar, electric bass, synthetic textures
Oliver Schroer, violin
George Koller, cello, bass
David Woodhead, mandolin
Rick Lazar, udu drum, congas
Shelly Berger, bass, pzud
Patrick Hutchinson, uillean pipes
Ratesh Dasj, tablas
Al Cross, percussion
Jimmy-behind-the-fridge, crickets

Digitally remastered

Loreena McKennitt
is well known as a composer and singer. In a recording career spanning more than three decades, Ms. McKennitt’s ‘eclectic Celtic’ music has received critical acclaim world-wide, and gold, platinum and multi-platinum sales awards in 15 countries across four continents. To date, she has sold over 14 million albums with a catalogue that includes seven studio recordings, three seasonal recordings, a live in-concert DVD and two DVD documentaries. She’s won two Junos, Canada’s premiere music award, and has performed for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Less well known is the fact that Ms. McKennitt is a highly successful businesswoman who has created an independent record label with celebrated international success.

Born in Morden, Manitoba, Canada, she moved to Stratford, Ontario in 1981, where she initially worked with Canada’s renowned Stratford Festival. In 1985 she established her own record label, Quinlan Road, a move which has made her a rarity in the music industry.

In the early years, Ms. McKennitt ran the operation from her kitchen table, selling her recordings by mail order and producing her own concert tours. Today, she leads her own company with responsibilities that include everything from creating strategic business plans to overseeing marketing and promotion.

Ms. McKennitt’s business acumen is also applied to the three charitable foundations she established. Her Three Oaks Foundation provides financial support to cultural, environmental, historical and social groups.

The Cook-Rees Memorial Fund for Water Search and Safety, founded in 1998, has raised more than $4 million in support of water safety education, as well as search, rescue and recovery operations.

In 2000, Ms. McKennitt purchased a recently-closed public school in Stratford and transformed it into the Falstaff Family Centre. Responding to concerns identified by the local community, the Centre focuses on the needs of families and children in Perth County, Ontario, which is where she resides.

Ms. McKennitt’s passion for business is matched by her passion for human rights. In 2006 and 2007 she was involved in a landmark human rights privacy case in Britain, where the courts ruled in her favour. The judgment, which was upheld by the House of Lords, has helped to advance privacy law around the world.

Ms. McKennitt is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Manitoba. In 2002 and 2012 she was the recipient of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals and in 2013 she was appointed to the rank of Knight of the National Order of Arts and Letters by the Republic of France.

From 2006 to 2013 Ms. McKennitt held the position of Honorary Colonel of the 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron in the Royal Canadian Air Force and upon completion of the appointment was awarded the RCAF Commander’s Commendationin recognition of outstanding professionalism and dedication.

She also holds honourary degrees from the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg), Sir Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo), Queen’s University (Kingston) and George Brown College (Toronto).

Booklet for Parallel Dreams (Remastered)