@ALBUM: Parallel Dreams Loreena McKennitt 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 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. 1 L.M. All pieces produced and arranged by Loreena McKennitt except as noted. Recorded at Grant Avenue Studios, Hamilton, and the Quinlan Farmhouse, Stratford, by John Whynot and One-Eyed-Jack the cat. Very special thanks to the many who shared this dream and in particular to: Brian H., John W., Jeff Wolpert, my mother, Larry Mayson and 'family', Richard Flohil, Clark Miller, Elisabeth Feryn, Scott McKowen, Walter Scheuer, Roxanne Standefer, the staff at Grant Avenue Studios, Metalworks, Inception Sound, Mary and the staff at Dyna-Pak, Kathy at McClear. Cover photo by Elisabeth Feryn Package design by Scott McKowen (C)(P) 1989 QUINLAN ROAD PRODUCTIONS, BOX 933 STRATFORD, ONTARIO CANADA N5A 7M3 All songs SOCAN @SONG: Samain Night 4:27 Music and Lyrics by Loreena McKennitt When the moon on a cloud cast night Hung above the tree tops height You sang me of some distant past That made my heart beat strong and fast Now I know I'm home at last You offered me an eagle's wing That to the sun I might soar and sing And if I heard the owl's cry Into the forest I would fly And in its darkness find you by. And so our love's not a simple thing Nor our truths unwwavering But like the moon's pull on the tide Our fingers touch our hearts collide I'll be a moonsbreath by your side. L.M.: Vocals, Harp, Keyboards BRIAN HUGHES: Guitar OLIVER SCHROER: Violin GEORGE KOLLER: Cello Co-produced by L.M. and Brian Hughes Mixed by Jeff Wolpert at Inception Sound, Toronto. @SONG: Moon Cradle 4:29 Music by Loreena McKennitt, Lyrics by Padraic Colum, arr. Loreena McKennitt The moon-cradle's rocking and rocking Where a cloud and a cloud go by Silently rocking and rocking The moon-cradle out in the sky. Then comes the lad with the hazel And the folding star's in the rack 'Night's a good herd' to the cattle, He sings, 'she brings all things back' But the bond woman down by the boorie Sings with a heart grown wild How a hundred rivers are flowing Between herself and her child 'The geese, even they trudge homeward That have their wings and the waste, Let your thoughts be on Night the Herder. And be quiet for a space.' The moon-cradle's rocking and rocking, Where a cloud and a cloud go by, silently rocking and rocking The moon-cradle out in the sky, The snipe they are crying and crying Liadine, liadine, liadine. Where no track's on the bog they are flying- A lonely dream will be mine! L.M.: Vocals, Harp, Synthetic Textures, Ukelin Crickets: Jimmy-behind-the-fridge. Mixed by John Whynot at Metal Works, Toronto @SONG: Huron 'Beltane' Fire Dance 4:20 Music by Loreena McKennitt L.M.: Vocals, Harp, Bodhran BRIAN HUGHES: Guitar DAVID WOODHEAD: Mandolin GEORGE KOLLER: Bass RICK LAZAR: Udu Drum and Congas SHELLY BERGER: Pzud OLIVER SCHROER: Fiddle @SONG: Annachie Gordon 8:22 Music and Lyrics Traditional, arr. Loreena McKennitt Harking is bonny and there lives my love My heart lies on him and cannot remove It cannot remove for all that I have done And I never will forget my love Annachie For Annachie Gordon he's bonny and he's bright He'd entice any woman that e'er he saw He'd entice any woman and so he has done me And I never will forget my love Annachie. Down came her father and he's standing at the door Saying Jeannie you are trying the tricks of a whore You care nothing for a man who cares so much for thee You must marry Lord Sultan and leave Annachie For Annachie Gordon is barely but a man Although he may be pretty but where are his lands The Sultan's lands are broad and his towers they run high You must marry Lord Sultan and leave Annachie. With Annachie Gordon I beg for my bread And before I marry Sultan his gold to my head With gold to my head and straight down to my knee And I'll die if I don't get my love Annachie And you who are my parents to church you may me bring But unto Lord Sultan I'll never bear a son To a son or a daughter I'll never bow my knee And I'll die if I don't get my love Annachie. Jeannie was married and from church was brought home When she and her maidens so merry should have been When she and her maidens so merry should have been She goes into her chamber and cries all alone. Come to bed my Jeannie my honey and my sweet To stile you my mitress it would be so sweet Be it mistress or Jeannie it's all the same to me but in your bed Lord Sultan I never will lie And down came her father and he's sopoken with reknown Saying you who are her maidens Go loosen up her gowns And she fell down to the floor And straight down to his knee saying Father look I'm dying for my love Annachie. The day that Jeannie married was the day that Jeannie died And the day that young Annachie came home on the tide And down came her maidens all wringing of their hands Saying oh it's been so long? You've been so long on the sands So long on the sands so long on the flood They have married your Jeannie and now she lies dead You who are her maidens come take me by the hand And lead me to the chamber where my love she lies in And he kissed her cold lips till his heart it turned to stone And he died in the chamber where his love she lies in. L.M.: Vocals, Harp, Keyboards Mixed by John Whynot at Metal Works, Tornto [sic!] @SONG: Standing Stones 6:56 Music by Loreena McKennitt Lyrics Traditional, arr. Loreena McKennitt In one of these lonely Orkney Isles There dwelled a maiden fair. Her cheeks were red, her eyes were blue She had yellow curling hair. Which caught the eye and then the heart Of one who could never be A lover of so true a maid Or fair a form as she. Across the lake in Sandwick Dwelled a youth she held most true, And ever since her infancy He had watched those eyes so blue. The land runs out into the sea 1 It's a narrow neck of land 1 Where weird and grim the Standing Stones In a circle where they stand. One bonny moonlight Christmas Eve They met at that sad place. With her heart in glee and the beams of love Were shining on her face. When her lover came and he grasped her hand And what loving words they said. They talked of future's happy days, As through the stones they straid. They walked toward the lover's stone And through it passed their hands. They plighted there a constant troth Sealed by love's steadfast bands. He kissed his maid and then he watched her That lonely bridge go o'er. For little, little did he think He wouldn't see his darling more. Chorus: Standing Stones of the Orkney Isles Gazing out to sea Standing Stones of the Orkney Isles Bring my love to me. He turned his face toward his home That home he did never see. And you shall have the story As it was told to me. When a form upon him sprang With a dagger gleaming bright. It pierced his heart and his dying screams Disturbed the silent night. This maid had nearly reached her home When she was startled by a cry. And she turned to look around her And her love was standing by, His hand was pointing to the stars And his eyes glazed at the light, And with a smiling countenance He vanished from her sight. She quickly turned and home she ran Not a word of this was said, For well she knew at seeing his form That her faithful love was dead. And from that day she pined away, Not a smile seen on her face. And with outstreched arms she went to meet him In a brighter place. L.M.: Vocals, Keyboards, Harp BRIAN HUGHES: Guitar, Electric Bass, Synthetic Textures DAVID WOODHEAD: Mandolin GEORGE KOLLER: Bass OLIVER SCHROER: Violin PATRICK HUTCHINSON: Uillean Pipes RATESH DASJ: Tablas AL CROSS: Percussion Co-produced by L.;. and Brian Hughes Mixed by Jeff Wolpert at Inception Sound, Toronto. @SONG: Dickens' Dublin (The Palace) 4:40 Music and Lyrics by Loreena McKennitt I walk the streets of Dublin town It's 1842 It's snowing on this Cristmas Eve Think I'll beg another bob or two I'll huddle in this doorway here Till someone comes along If the lamp lighter comes real soon Maybe I'll go home with him Maybe I can find a place I can call my home Maybe I can find a home I can call my own The horses on the cobbled stones pass by Think I'll get one one fine day And ride into the country side And very far away. But now as the daylight disappears I best find a place to sleep Think I'll slip into the bell tower In the church just down the street Maybe I can find a place I can call my home Maybe I can find a home I can call my own Maybe on the way I'll find the dog I saw the other night And tuck him underneath my jacket So we'll stay warm through the night And as we lie in the bell tower high Ad dream of days to come The bells o'er head will call the hour The day we will find a home. L.M.: Vocals, Harp, Keyboards GEORGE KOLLER: Cello, Bass BRIAN HUGHES: Guitar DAVID WOODHEAD: Accordion OLIVER SHROER: Violin Mixed by Jeff Wolpert at Inception Sound, Toronto Dicken's Dublin Transcript: Joyful mystery, the birth of our lord... This night our Lady and St. Joseph was going up to get registered and um they were going down the road and they met this man... and he said have you any room and he said 'Not but there's an old stable over there that I owned... If yous want to go into it... And they went over and the Lord came down from heaven at twelve o'clock and loads of beautiful angels was with them... and when they were walkin... These three wise kings... um... they were all from different countries. And they always looked up at the sky and they looked up this night and saw this beautiful star up in the sky... and when they were going they all meeted together... and they had to pass King Herod's, not that we much care for him... and they went in and he said 'Where ye going with yer best stitches on ye.' And they said 'Did you not hear the news' and say he says ' What News' he says 'This day the Saviour is born' and he said to them ' When you find him come back and tell me cause I want to go and adore him too' and he was only codddin' them. He wanted to kill him and when they were going, they stopped and they said 'Surely not this old stable that our King is born in. We was expecting a palace. There was these shepherds and shepherds are fellas that mind the foals and cows and sheeps and little lambs and all and um they hears this beautiful music up in the sky and they were wondering what was so fun... an angel disappated them and he said I was wonderin' what so fun' and he said ye, and he said 'The Saviour is born. If yous want to go to see him, follow that star up in the sky, and it was a beautiful star. @SONG: Breaking The Silence 6:23 Music and Lyrics by Loreena McKennitt I hear some distant drumbeat A heartbeat pulsing low Is it coming from within A heartbeat I don't know A troubled heart knows no peace A dark and poisoned pool Of liberty now lost A pawn an oppressors tool Oh my heart be strong And guide when eyes grow dim When ears grow deaf with empty words When I know there's life within A gunfire shatters silence Where birds once sweetly sang A mother cradles a child now dead Now death where life began >From the troubled heart of South Africa Nicaragua's festering sore The turmoil on the streets of China Death crying out for more Chorus A change is slow in coming My eyes can scarcely see The rays of hope come streaming Through the smoke of apathy But oh my heart be strong And guide when eyes grow dim When ears grow deaf with empty words When I know there's life within May the spirit never die Through a troubled heart feels pain When this long winter is over It will blossom once again A tribute to Amnesty International L.M.: Keyboards, Ukalin, Whistle BRIAN HUGHES: Guitars SHELLY BERGER: Bass, Pzud GEORGE KOLLER: Tamboura RICK LAZAR: Udu Drum, Congas Co-produced by L.M. and Brian Hughes. Mixed by John Whynot at Metal Works, Toronto @SONG: Ancient Pines 3:35 from the NFB film GODDESS REMEMBERED Music by Loreena McKennitt L.M.: Vocals, Synthetic Textures GEORGE KOLLER: Cello Mixed by John Whynot at Metal Works, Toronto