 the book of secrets (1997) [ larger cover art ] |
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When in the springtime of the year
When the trees are crowned with leaves
When the ash and oak, and the birch and yew
Are dressed in ribbons fair
When owls call the breathless moon
In the blue veil of the night
The shadows of the trees appear
Amidst the lantern light
We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
We bring a garland gay
Who will go down to those shady groves
And summon the shadows there
And tie a ribbon on those sheltering arms
In the springtime of the year
The songs of birds seem to fill the wood
That when the fiddler plays
All their voices can be heard
Long past their woodland days
We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
We bring a garland gay
And so they linked their hands and danced
Round in circles and in rows
And so the journey of the night descends
When all the shades are gone
"A garland gay we bring you here
And at your door we stand
It is a sprout well budded out
The work of Our Lord's hand"
We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
We bring a garland gay
When the trees are crowned with leaves
When the ash and oak, and the birch and yew
Are dressed in ribbons fair
When owls call the breathless moon
In the blue veil of the night
The shadows of the trees appear
Amidst the lantern light
We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
We bring a garland gay
Who will go down to those shady groves
And summon the shadows there
And tie a ribbon on those sheltering arms
In the springtime of the year
The songs of birds seem to fill the wood
That when the fiddler plays
All their voices can be heard
Long past their woodland days
We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
We bring a garland gay
And so they linked their hands and danced
Round in circles and in rows
And so the journey of the night descends
When all the shades are gone
"A garland gay we bring you here
And at your door we stand
It is a sprout well budded out
The work of Our Lord's hand"
We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
We bring a garland gay
| kingart (Brooklyn NY) | Posted: Apr 24, 2013 - 14:08 Joni is a genius, a great songwriter and talent. But I connect to this track, and others like it, much more than most Joni. |
| mrtuba9 (most likely near Normal) | Posted: Apr 24, 2013 - 14:07 AndyJ wrote: Really enjoying the selections today. Not what I would have chosen, but that's why I return again and again. Thanks... Amen, brother. |
| AndyJ (Oregon) | Posted: Apr 24, 2013 - 14:05 Really enjoying the selections today. Not what I would have chosen, but that's why I return again and again. Thanks... |
| larr | Posted: Mar 08, 2013 - 13:10 like it |
| iTuner | Posted: Mar 08, 2013 - 13:09 karljonasson wrote:  Really… rated 1.2 points higher than the brilliant Joni Mitchell song from a few minutes ago… sometimes I dunno what people are hearing that I'm not. Hard to believe as I find this song as equally annoying as any Joni Mitchell song. PSD. |
| Dave_Mack (Ball of Confusion) | Posted: Mar 08, 2013 - 13:06 I think this is quite pretty. |
| Rmike (Up a creek down a river) | Posted: Feb 20, 2013 - 16:15 mrgus wrote: While I like the song, but Mummers? I grew up near Phila. PA. They have a Mummers Parade every New Year's Day and I cannot imagine any of the Mummers bands playing this song as they strut down Broad St. Its like "Second Line" in New Orleans. So many people just don't get it, but they all have fun. So let'em. |
| 1wolfy (Mission Viejo California) | Posted: Feb 20, 2013 - 16:15 I like this CD. Dante's prayer is my fav |
| butchandfran1957 | Posted: Feb 20, 2013 - 16:14 i loved it sounds to me like the band renasance (sp) im old cant spell but love good old rock and nice fem singers very pretty |
| Rmike (Up a creek down a river) | Posted: Feb 20, 2013 - 16:12 gemtag wrote: More like WAAAAAHHHH!!!! Hey guys, this is not a rock 'n roll station. If you want high powered rock 24/7 go to K or W blah blah blah, all the hits all the time. So simply and clearly stated!! Way to go gemtag |
| wmbmorrison (Austin, TX) | Posted: Feb 17, 2013 - 08:36 I'm thinking Loreena and Bjork ought to go dandelion picking together. On Mars. I can handle about :20 seconds of it, then...can't...fight...mouse....it's.....too.....powerful.......going....for........PSD....button....<> |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Jan 20, 2013 - 08:23 mrgus wrote: While I like the song, but Mummers? I grew up near Phila. PA. They have a Mummers Parade every New Year's Day and I cannot imagine any of the Mummers bands playing this song as they strut down Broad St. Mummer is an old word which Wiktionary defines as: mummer (plural mummers)
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| gemtag (Texas) | Posted: Dec 19, 2012 - 11:12 ckcotton wrote: Everything by her that gets played here sound the same.... over and over.... Just don't need exposure to this anymore... YAAAAWWWWWNNNNNNN More like WAAAAAHHHH!!!! Hey guys, this is not a rock 'n roll station. If you want high powered rock 24/7 go to K or W blah blah blah, all the hits all the time. |
| WonderLizard (2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | Posted: Dec 04, 2012 - 12:18 karljonasson wrote: Really… rated 1.2 points higher than the brilliant Joni Mitchell song from a few minutes ago… sometimes I dunno what people are hearing that I'm not. Music. |
| martinc (Ottawa Canada) | Posted: Dec 04, 2012 - 12:14 Saw her Sunday night. Great show. Her voice was in fine form. Hugh Marsh on violin was spectacular. She is another Canadian national treasure. Catch her if comes into your neck of the woods. |
| gresua (Ukraine, Kiyv) | Posted: Nov 11, 2012 - 11:41 Thank PARADISE! Ocean for me new artists! Hard to evaluate, all perfectly! |
| WonderLizard (2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | Posted: Oct 18, 2012 - 06:46 michaelgmitchell wrote: This is a nice revisit for me. Haven't heard it in a while. Wow, the mix is something. On my little speakers, the percussion sliding back and forth, the vocals, left to right, other instruments bursting through from either side. Rare that I get to crank things up in the office at home. This was a treat. Roger that. I use a Tivoli Audio Model Two buried here in the cubicle farm. The stereo separation is lovely, and the tone is what you would expect from a Henry Kloss design. In the home office, I have Audio Engine A2 powered speakers—just the right size for an otherwise crowded work space with enough oomph that, when the occasion warrants (like this song), you can crank 'em up without worrying about distortion. |
| karljonasson (Edmonton, AB, Canada) | Posted: Oct 18, 2012 - 06:37 Really… rated 1.2 points higher than the brilliant Joni Mitchell song from a few minutes ago… sometimes I dunno what people are hearing that I'm not. |
| MargoMallen (Ontario, Canada) | Posted: Oct 02, 2012 - 18:17 I have seen her perform live several times. The last show I saw was in a church in Stratford, Ontario. It was spellbinding. The performance and music seem to transport the audience to another place in time. Very serene and peaceful music. I love it. |
| michaelgmitchell (Stirling, ON) | Posted: Aug 16, 2012 - 05:44 This is a nice revisit for me. Haven't heard it in a while. Wow, the mix is something. On my little speakers, the percussion sliding back and forth, the vocals, left to right, other instruments bursting through from either side. Rare that I get to crank things up in the office at home. This was a treat. |
| Catecaneverall (Germany, Leipzig) | Posted: Aug 16, 2012 - 05:41  PSD |
| sajitjacob (Christchurch NZ) | Posted: Jul 31, 2012 - 19:18 Reminds be of Clannad. Which is no bad thing. |
| Marzz_13 (Arriving somewhere but not here) | Posted: Jul 15, 2012 - 19:22 jpdribbler wrote: jagdriver wrote:
This is still a great tune, and the production is a knockout! Absolutely! IMHO (wouldn't call myself an audiophile) this works great as a reference tune for testing hi-fi equipment. Agreed. And I would consider myself an audiophile. Sounds great on my modest 2 channel set-up. Wide sound stage, lots of detail and as you mentioned: fantastic production. |
| mgoldman (Wherever you Go, There You Are) | Posted: Jul 15, 2012 - 19:18 SNOoze. Just boring, and I mean really boring. |
| tkosh (Minnesota) | Posted: Jul 15, 2012 - 19:16 This band was so good live that she always sounds great to me. |
| DD rabbi_phil (beach) | Posted: Jul 15, 2012 - 19:16 hey, it could be worse. I'm not sure how...but...it could be....I'm almost positive |
| stevendejong | Posted: Jun 14, 2012 - 04:10 namp wrote: Can the playlist get worse than this? First "Ludovico the terrible" and now "Loreena the unbearable": Loreena McKennitt - The Mummers Dance Ludovico Einaudi - Divenire Maybe some Wailin' Jenny? :) edit: Nope, there is hope, people that are listening to this set again. There will Led Zeppelin after it. |
| stevendejong | Posted: Jun 14, 2012 - 04:08 The first time I heard something from McKennitt I rather liked it. Then, I realized that not only did the song last for an unnecessary 6 minutes or so, but also, all her other songs did, and sounded the same. Yawn, indeed. |
| leafmold | Posted: May 29, 2012 - 11:24 Please. stop. |
| meinthecorner (Past the gravy, far beyond the golden fries) | Posted: Mar 11, 2012 - 00:45 mrgus wrote: While I like the song, but Mummers? I grew up near Phila. PA. They have a Mummers Parade every New Year's Day and I cannot imagine any of the Mummers bands playing this song as they strut down Broad St. It's likely an historical reference. She crafts many of her songs from past legends and folklore. |
| ckcotton (Adding snarky comments since 2007) | Posted: Feb 24, 2012 - 08:01 Everything by her that gets played here sound the same.... over and over.... Just don't need exposure to this anymore... YAAAAWWWWWNNNNNNN |
| mrgus | Posted: Feb 08, 2012 - 06:56 While I like the song, but Mummers? I grew up near Phila. PA. They have a Mummers Parade every New Year's Day and I cannot imagine any of the Mummers bands playing this song as they strut down Broad St. |
| citizenkeith | Posted: Feb 08, 2012 - 06:54 Seriously folks, there are more female artists out there than Kate Bush... I hear her name thrown around whenever somebody wants to describe a slightly quirky female singer. C'mon, if Kate is your only touchstone for this kind of thing you need to listen to a lot more music. I'm not a Loreena fan by the way (zzzzzzz), but I do love Kate. :) |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Dec 22, 2011 - 21:20 Everybody in my hotel room loves this song... |
| oldsaxon (United Kingdom) | Posted: Dec 06, 2011 - 16:46 She's a redhead. She's a Canadian. She's NOT anything like Kate Bush (who I adore, btw) and my little tube amp is doing dreamy things to her vocals. What's not to like? |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Dec 06, 2011 - 16:42 orpheus wrote: this song is sooooooo good for the ears!  I agree! Love this song... |
| gemtag (Texas) | Posted: Oct 04, 2011 - 12:09 All moods have their music. Loreena fills one of those for me perfectly. I can enjoy her just about anytime though. The arrangements and her voice always make me feel better. I'm glad RP has the 'nerve' to play Loreena. |
| hbs47 (SE England) | Posted: Oct 04, 2011 - 12:08 This is superb, sad that people can't separate their instincts to compare her from Kate Bush. So different in so many ways. Still their loss not mine. 9 BTW I think Loreena was talking about 15th C onwards mummers not those overdressed versions. |
| Alexandra (Here and Now) | Posted: Aug 18, 2011 - 12:54 Miss you, Heather.  |
| acidreflucks (Media PA) | Posted: Aug 02, 2011 - 16:21 isayhoomhom wrote:  Yo Philly! Love it - the reality of these Mummers and the wispy stuff on the Loreena song - which I liked well enough to grab for my mp3 collection - are so far apart it boggles the mind that they could have the same name. |
| westslope (BC coast) | Posted: May 31, 2011 - 15:42 Nice song, great writing and great 'production values'. :-) |
| Dojo1049 | Posted: May 31, 2011 - 15:42 whtahtefcuk wrote: Best set ever to worst set ever.... KILLIN' ME... This sucks Amen Brother. Gotta kill the soft crap. |
| Businessgypsy (Deepest, Darkest Florida) | Posted: May 31, 2011 - 15:42 ziakut wrote: Sounds like a more approachable Kate Bush. C'mon -Kate's just a normal girl! |
| ziakut (A place with air, water and chocolate.) | Posted: Apr 14, 2011 - 07:29 Sounds like a more approachable Kate Bush. |
| whtahtefcuk (Flagstaff, AZ, USA) | Posted: Mar 29, 2011 - 11:28 Best set ever to worst set ever.... KILLIN' ME... This sucks |
| jpdribbler (Northern Germany) | Posted: Feb 10, 2011 - 11:42 jagdriver wrote: This is still a great tune, and the production is a knockout! Absolutely! IMHO (wouldn't call myself an audiophile) this works great as a reference tune for testing hi-fi equipment. |
| citizenkeith | Posted: Jan 25, 2011 - 17:57 Never been much of a Loreena fan. I want to like it, but her music falls short for me. |
| mepierce (Flagstaff, AZ) | Posted: Dec 09, 2010 - 14:39 annoying. i can't wait for the next song to start. |
| moonsaura (Baltimore, Maryland) | Posted: Nov 07, 2010 - 19:53 great. great. great! |
| cohifi (Denver) | Posted: Oct 22, 2010 - 23:53 Nice cover art! 6 |