Music Review
Copyright (c) 1994, Thomas Van Hook
All rights reserved



Parallel Dreams by Loreena McKennitt
Quinlan Road Limited  QRCD 103
 Copyright 1989 Stratford, Ontario Canada

Track Listing
  1.  Samain Night
  2.  Moon Cradle
  3.  Huron 'Beltane' Fire Dance
  4.  Annachie Gordon
  5.  Standing Stones
  6.  Dickens' Dublin (The Palace)
  7.  Breaking The Silence
  8.  Ancient Pines

    "Beyond the transportation into fantasy, dreams have served as a vehicle 
through which we have integrated our conscious and subconcious, 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 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 which 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.  --L.M." (1)

I first heard of Loreena McKennitt when I visited Dallas during the Christmas 
of 1993.  I had just come back from Germany with my wife (now my ex-wife) and 
my son Corey for his first Christmas.  Wanting to renew some of the 
friendships that I had lost touch with over the past two years, I had asked 
Tamara (STTS House-Poet) to arrange some "get-togethers" with our mutual 
friends.  One of these "meetings" was with our illustrious editor, Joe 
DeRouen, and his wife Heather.  During that night, Joe continually pumped CDs 
into his stereo system as we all caught up on the gossip.  One CD featured a 
glorious feminine voice floating over some of the most exquisite music I had 
ever heard.  I asked who the artist was and was told it was Miss McKennitt.  
From that moment on, I was hooked.

This is one of the prized CDs in my collection.  Not a single track keeps my 
heart from being stirred, awakening deep within my soul the dreams that I have
 pushed further and further away.  If there were a soundtrack to my soul...this
 is it.  If you love Celtic-style music...you cannot afford to not have this 
artist in your collection.  If you enjoy music along the vein of Andreas 
Vollenweider and Yanni, you will more than likely fall in love with this 
artist as well.  Being that she is still not very well known as an artist (her
 latest album was released on Warner Brothers with zero publicity), it will be 
through mediums such as this that she will gain her fame.

In my opinion, she is one of the best artists of her genre.  Give her CD a 
spin in your deck and see if you don't agree.

(1) Taken from the liner notes to the Compact Disc

Outstanding Track -- Standing Stones
Lackluster Track -- You have got to be kidding!!!
Grade -- A+

