Loreena McKennitt - 'An Ancient Muse'

Having just completed yet another Canadian Tour in September 2007 (last one being in Spring), Loreena McKennitt, the eclectic Celtic singer/composer will be embarking on a U.S. Tour, officially starting October 5 through the entire month. Her tour is in support of her latest studio recording, An Ancient Muse, which has sold millions of copies worldwide since its release in November 2006.

Loreena McKennitt is an internationally-celebrated Canadian folk singer/composer, pianist, harpist and accordionist. McKennitt's thriving career is completely self-directed with her being the head of her own internationally successful record label, Quinlan Road.

Born in the province of Manitoba, Canada, Loreena moved to Stratford, Ontario, Canada in 1981, where she still resides. She has acted and sung in, and composed music for, Stratford Festival of Canada productions ranging from The Tempest (1982) to The Merchant Of Venice (2001).

In a recording career which began in 1985 with the album Elemental and spanning nearly two decades rendering her worldwide recognition, McKennitt's "eclectic Celtic" music has won critical acclaim internationally and has - to date - sold 13 million albums with gold, platinum and multi-platinum sales awards in fifteen countries across four continents, over a catalogue spanning seven studio recordings and one double live CD.

"The recording cycle does not feel complete until we have the opportunity to share the music with a live audience, just as one might share a favorite meal with friends," McKennitt said.

Her acclaimed nine-piece band - she informally calls them the Idling Porsches - is an international group, including players from Canada, the United States and Britain.

Loreena's career-long exploration of Celtic, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern instrumentation continues on her new disc, An Ancient Muse, which The New York Times calls, "A reverent, resonant blend of Celtic-rooted ballads and exotica."

The Boston Globe praises: "McKennitt skillfully weaves different strains of musical tradition into a tapestry that underscores her plea for diversity and acceptance." As with her earlier albums, McKennitt's inspiration came from the Celtic peoples, fusing the melodic sensibility of Scottish and Irish balladry with musical traditions from Greece, Turkey, Spain, and even Scandinavia. This recording is McKennitt's first new studio album since 1997's multi-platinum The Book of Secrets.

McKennitt is often compared to Enya but her music is more grounded in traditional and classical invocations using literary works as sources of lyrics and springboards for interpretation. According to the notes of her latest album, An Ancient Muse was inspired primarily by travels among and reading about the various cultures along the Silk Road.

A complete list of Loreena McKennitt's U.S. Autumn Ancient Muse Tour venues, can be found at: AN ANCIENT MUSE TOUR - U.S. AUTUMN 2007