A Celtic tale: the legend of Deirdre --- Mychael and Jeff Danna --- 1996 (Valley Entertainment)
We've already looked at Horslips' musical treatment of one old Irish legend, the Tain, and here brothers Mychael and Jeff Danna tackle another, the starcrossed love story of Deirdre, often known as Deirdre of the Sorrows. It's part of the Ulster Cycle, some of Ireland's most important and well-known myths, and concerns the daughter of the royal storyteller, or seanachai, at the court of the king of Ulster. The king is told that Deirdre will grow up to be very beautiful, but will be the cause of war (ain't it always the case (cough) Helen of Troy (cough)?) and indeed this proves to come to pass.
Using traditional Irish instruments like oileann pipes, fiddles, harp and tin whistle, mixed with electronic synthesisers and ambient influences, the brothers paint a haunting and stunning picture of the legend, gripping the imagination and firing the soul. The album opens dramatically with synth and choral vocals, as “The prophecy” takes us into the legend, with lovely flutes, whistles and lush keyboards, against a background of tolling bells foretelling the birth of the beautiful Deirdre, and the conflict this will one day lead to. A beautiful harp passage a little more than halfway is joined by whistle and powerful, rolling drums, which really paints a scene of drama and majesty.
Harp and whistle joined by low fiddle create the soundscape against which Deirdre's young life is set, as “The child Deirdre” also adds accordion and acoustic guitar, very pastoral and gentle but with a slight edge of unease as the prophecy of the druids hangs like a dark cloud over the young girl's life. We're then taken into her adult life as she meets the man of her dreams, Naoise (neesha) and although promised to the king of Ulster she falls in love with him and the two steal away, accompanied by Naoise's two brothers. “Sons of Uisnach” details how part of the prophecy is thus fulfilled, as had been foretold that Deirdre's beauty would lead to the exile of three of the land's greatest warriors.
Some lovely brass, possibly trombone, carries this piece, and it's very laidback and gentle as oileann pipes join the tune, for what you would have to assume is the love theme of the album, with powerful, swelling strings and fluid keyboards, the slow, measured beat of the drum ever marking out the time. “Under high branches” sounds like it's based on acoustic guitar and flute, another slow piece, again quite pastoral, and may perhaps refer to the couple's meeting and courting. Very relaxing, then “Loch Etive” opens with birdsong and crashing waves, this being one of the places in Scotland to which the four exiles fled and lived for a while, before being tracked down by the spurned and vengeful king.
A low, humming synth is overlaid by oileann pipes and another, higher-register synth, no percussion to speak of (none that I can hear, anyway) then sparkling piano and oileann pipes lead in “The vision”, one of the longer tracks on the album, just over five minutes. I'm not certain what the vision referred to is, as I have only scanty knowledge of the full legend, but it could be a warning that the king is coming for Deirdre and her lover. Deep, powerful synth very reminscent of Jean-Michel Jarre's opus “Oxygene” then flows in, sea sounds crashing in the background --- probably cymbals on the drumkit, the only percussion heard so far --- then everything fades down and the synth carries the tune until strings and much more powerful percussion swell, lending a real sense of urgency and intensity to the piece.
The return of the quartet to Ireland is represented in “South by sail”, where the king's messenger promises them safe passage if they will come back to Ulster. Beautiful fiddle and what sounds like it could be harpsichord, as well as stunningly gorgeous harp carry this tune, and definitely conveys the impression of a voyage across the sea, from Scotland back to Ireland, as Deirdre and Naoise head towards their destiny, unaware of the betrayal that awaits them at the end of their journey.
The first really uptempo track then is “Defeat of the Red Branch”, where guitars and fiddles join with oileann pipes and harder, more insistent drumming with a great little jig in the middle. The Red Branch were Ulster's top fighting men, the defenders of the North, and perhaps comparable to an outfit like the SAS or the Navy SEALS, the men you turned to when invasion was threatened. Naoise and his two brothers are part of the Red Branch, and the men of Ulster fight with them for a time unti the king evokes their oath of loyalty to him, and the brothers, left to stand alone, are defeated and killed. Bagpipes join the fray with some more solid synth and rolling drums, all culminating in a sort of march as the battle rages.
I'm not really certain where “The Druid” fits in to the story, but it's the longest track on the album, almost six minutes, and very atmospheric and eerie, reminding me of “Neptune, the mystic” off Holst's classic “Planets” suite: very ethereal, very abstract, with some dark, dour horns and very low synth creating a feeling of power and menace, drums slowly rolling in like surf against the beach. Very ambient, the track uses a lot of effects and odd sounds, the heavy synth cutting through everything with some choral vocals adding to the mix, then high bagpipes announce “The drowning plains”, which again I have to say I'm not sure I quite understand in terms of the legend. Perhaps the burial of Naoise?
Either way, it's a powerful piece and whereas the previous was atmospheric and ambient, this is anthemic and moving, with slowpaced heavy, muted drums, which would seem to bear out the theory of a funeral, and lush synth, oileann pipes joining the bagpipes in what must surely be a farewell to Deirdre's lover. Coming as a total surprise is “Lament”, the only vocal track on the whole album, a lovely, soft ballad carried on harp and synth, with oileann pipes and a beautiful vocal which is sadly uncredited, and I can't find out who the lady whose voice graces this song is, which really is a pity. Oh wait, the YouTube has told me: her name is Krysia Kocjan. Oh no! Now I find, researching further, that she is no longer with us, having died at the relatively young age of 53. What a sad loss. She had a beautiful, clear and angelic voice.
The story comes to an end, tragically but somewhat expectedly, with the death of Deirdre, and “Two trees”, opened on gorgeous piano, possibly refers to a legend that where the two lovers died, two trees grew and intertwined so that even in death they would be together. Lovely strings section joins the piano, and together they create a fragile, simple and beautiful ending to a really powerful and emotional album.
It's hard enough to tell a story in music and words, but much harder to do so with just music. Here, I have no doubt whatever that the Danna brothers have succeeded, and succeeded well, in translating the powerful and tragic story of Deirdre of the Sorrows to music, and opening the whole saga to perhaps an entirely new audience, giving the legend new life, and ensuring that, as the myth tells us, Deirdre and Naoise will never in any true sense die.
TRACKLISTING
1. The prophecy
2. The child Deirdre
3. Sons of Uisneach
4. Under high branches
5. Loch Etive
6. South by sail
7. Defeat of the Red Branch
8. The Druid
9. The drowning plains
10. Lament
11. Two trees