The Mask and Mirror
Encyclopedia
The Mask and Mirror is an album by Loreena McKennitt
that was released in 1994. The album has been certified Gold in the United States.
As her introduction to the album, McKennitt wrote:
Accompanying all the selections, as the liner remarks, are some of the entries in a traveler's log that McKennitt kept all throughout her journey.
Loreena McKennitt
Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM, OM, is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist, accordionist and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined, clear soprano vocals...
that was released in 1994. The album has been certified Gold in the United States.
Overview
Like most of Loreena McKennitt's albums, The Mask and Mirror is heavily influenced by her travels. Her experiences in Spain and Morocco, specifically, serve as the inspiration for this album.As her introduction to the album, McKennitt wrote:
Accompanying all the selections, as the liner remarks, are some of the entries in a traveler's log that McKennitt kept all throughout her journey.
Track listing
- "The Mystic's Dream" – 7:40
- "The Bonny SwansThe Twa Sisters"The Twa Sisters" is a murder ballad that recounts the tale of a girl drowned by her sister. It is first known to have appeared on a broadside in 1656 as "The Miller and the King's Daughter." At least 21 English variants exist under several names, including "Minnorie" or "Binnorie", "The Cruel...
" – 7:18 - "The Dark Night of the Soul" – 6:44
- "Marrakesh Night Market" – 6:30
- "Full Circle" – 5:57
- "Santiago" – 5:58
- "Cé Hé Mise le Ulaingt?/The Two Trees" – 9:06
- "Prospero's Speech" – 3:23
Song information
- "The Mystic's Dream" was featured in the 2001 miniseries, The Mists of AvalonThe Mists of Avalon (TV miniseries)The Mists of Avalon is a 2001 miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It was produced by American cable channel TNT and directed by Uli Edel...
, as well as the 1995 film JadeJade (film)Jade is a 1995 erotic thriller film written by Joe Eszterhas, produced by Robert Evans, directed by William Friedkin and starring David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri, Richard Crenna and Michael Biehn. The original music score was composed by James Horner...
. - "The Bonny Swans" has been made into a video.
- "The Dark Night of the Soul" is based on the poem "Dark Night of the SoulDark Night of the SoulDark Night of the Soul is a treatise by Saint John of the Cross containing a commentary explaining his poem of the same name.-Poem and treatise by Saint John of the Cross:...
" by St. John of the Cross. - "Santiago" is named after the Spanish city Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
and by the saint that carries its name. - "The Two Trees" takes its lyrics from a poem by William Butler YeatsWilliam Butler YeatsWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
. - "Prospero's Speech" is the final soliloquyMonologueIn theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
and epilogue by ProsperoProsperoProspero is the protagonist in The Tempest, a play by William Shakespeare.- The Tempest :Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan, who was put to sea on "a rotten carcass of a butt [boat]" to die by his usurping brother, Antonio, twelve years before the play begins. Prospero and Miranda survived,...
in William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play The Tempest. - "Marrakesh Night Market"
Personnel
- Anne Bourne – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, background vocals - Al Cross – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Nigel EatonNigel EatonNigel Eaton is an English hurdy gurdy player. He originally played the piano and cello but switched to the hurdy gurdy in 1981 when his father, Christopher Eaton, began making them. He performed as part of the dance band Blowzabella from 1985 and recorded five albums with them before their split in...
– hurdy gurdy - Ofra HarnoyOfra HarnoyOfra Harnoy is a Canadian cellist.Harnoy moved with her family to Toronto in 1971. When she was six, she began cello lessons with her father, Jacob Harnoy...
– cello - Brian HughesBrian Hughes (musician)Brian Hughes is a Canadian guitarist whose work draws from both the smooth jazz and world music genres. Not restricted entirely to conventional guitars, Hughes has also been known to employ the oud, bouzouki and balalaika...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, balalaika, electric guitar, oud, electric sitar - Patrick Hutchinson – pipe, Uillean pipes
- George KollerGeorge KollerGeorge Koller is a Canadian bassist and multi-instrumentalist who has played professionally and extensively within most genres of music and is best known for his work in jazz, free jazz, folk music, world music and world fusion...
– bass, cello, tamboura - Rick Lazar – dumbek, percussion, drums, udu
- Dónal LunnyDónal LunnyDónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician. Lunny has been at the forefront of the evolution of traditional Irish music for more than thirty-five years and has participated within the renaissance of traditional Irish music in that time period...
– bouzouki, drums, bodhran - Hugh MarshHugh MarshHugh Marsh is a violinist from Toronto, known for his electric violin sound. Marsh was nominated for a 2007 Juno Award in the best contemporary jazz album category.-Early days:...
– fiddle - Loreena McKennittLoreena McKennittLoreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM, OM, is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist, accordionist and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined, clear soprano vocals...
– organ, synthesizer, dumbek, piano, accordion, harp, keyboards, vocals, voices - Ravi Naimpally – tabla
- Abraham Tawfik – oud, nai
- Strings – Kent Teeple, Marc Sabat, Sharon Prater, Douglas Perry, David Miller, Morry Kernerman, Sylvia Lange, Susan Lipchak, Fujiko Imajishi, David Heatherington, Heinz Boshard, Marie Berard, Andy Benac, Adele Armin
- Victoria Scholars – choir, chorus
Production
- Loreena McKennitt – producer, arranger
- Margo Chase – design
- Jerzy Cichocki – director, choir master
- Ann Cutting – photography
- Richard Evans – engineer, mixing
- Russel Kearney – assistant engineer
- Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
– mastering - John Naslen – engineer
- John WelsmanJohn WelsmanJohn Welsman is a Canadian composer. The grandson of conductor Frank Welsman and the brother of jazz singer Carol Welsman, he studied music composition privately with Samuel Dolin and Milan Kymlicka. He is best known for his film and television scores which he has written for production companies...
– arranger, string arrangements, cello arrangement - Jeff Wolpert – engineer, mixing, assistant producer
Chart performance
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 21 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 54 |
| Germany Albums Chart | 18 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 15 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 6 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 25 |
| US Billboard 200 | 143 |
| US World Albums | 1 |
| US New Age Albums | 7 |