Clannad Comes to Columbus, 10/16

In a career spanning four decades, acclaimed Irish group Clannad have made music that entwines the traditional and the modern, the past and the future, with stunningly beautiful results. With their haunting songs, mesmerizing vocals, and captivating sound, the award-winning group has sold more than 10 million records worldwide.

CAPA presents Clannad at 8pm on Tuesday, October 16, at the Capitol Theatre (77 S. High St.). Tickets are $31 and $41 at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Young people between the ages of 13-19 may purchase $5 PNC Arts Alive All Access tickets while available. For more information, visit www.GoFor5.com.

Clannad consists of siblings Moya, Ciaran, and Pol Brennan along with their twin uncles, Noel and Padraig Duggan. In weaving their unique and timeless sound, they drew from the various strands of music which surrounded them as they grew up in the remote northwest coast of Ireland.

During the ‘70s, they recorded six traditional albums, each of which helped to shape and refine the band’s now unmistakable sound. Their young sister, Enya Brennan, joined the band on keyboards for two of those albums before leaving to pursue her own highly successful solo career.

Their first big break came in the early ‘80s in Europe when their “Theme from Harry’s Game” became a chart hit. This same song brought them success in America years later when it was used by Volkswagen in a major advertising campaign.

They also created the music for the highly popular television series “Robin of Sherwood,” the music of which formed their album Legend.

From their album Macalla came the hit song “In a Lifetime” featuring a duet with U2’s Bono.

Through the ‘90s, their popularity in the US grew as they released four albums—Anam, Banba, Lore, and Landmarks. Their music was also featured in movies such as The Last of the Mohicans and Patriot Games. After three previous nominations, they were finally awarded a Grammy for the Landmarks album.

For this close-knit group, their musical journey has been remarkable both for its personal accomplishment and historic contributions to Irish culture.

It is indeed fascinating to consider that what today is so widely regarded as Celtic music was first called “Clannad music.” There is perhaps no greater testament to the impact of this groundbreaking group than that.

www.clannad.ie