Moya Brennan, Máire Ní Bhraonáin, better known as Máire Brennan or phonetic… Read Full Bio ↴Moya Brennan, Máire Ní Bhraonáin, better known as Máire Brennan or phonetically as Moya Brennan (born 4 August 1952, Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland), is a Grammy Award-nominated Celtic folk singer. She began her singing career when her family formed the band Clannad in 1970. She is the mother of Aisling Jarvis and the sister of Enya .

Brennan grew up as the eldest in a very musical family in a remote parish in the northwest of Ireland, a place where the Irish language and tradition was and still is very much alive. She sang along with her siblings in the family pub, Leo's Tavern. She also took part in many pantomimes in Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair, the local theatre, usually dancing and singing.

It was during 1970 that she joined her two brothers Pól and Ciarán and their mother's two twin brothers Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin and eventually formed Clannad. After enjoying a decade of being the world's foremost traditional Irish act, they graduated to chart success in 1982 with the album Magical Ring. Moya Brennan was at the forefront of the group's success and her voice suddenly became synonymous with celtic music and Irish music at the time. She has recorded 17 albums with Clannad and has won a Grammy, a BAFTA and an Ivor Novello award with the quintet.

Moya Brennan released her first solo album in 1992, Máire, on Atlantic Records. Misty Eyed Adventures on BGM followed three years later. In 1998, Brennan signed with Word Records and released Perfect Time, and Whisper To The Wild Water a year later. The album was nominated in the Grammy Awards of 2001 for Best New Age Album. Her music is usually classified as New Age or Celtic. She accepts the Celtic label, but has at times indicated a slight discomfort with being seen as "New Age" as much of her music is strongly Christian, with several of her songs centering on maintaining a relationship with Jesus Christ. Some of her songs show influences from her Catholic upbringing or seem relational due to her own views concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In total Brennan has recorded 25 albums, and has sold over 20 million records. Since 2002, she has promoted herself as Moya Brennan — a spelling closely resembling the phonetic pronunciation of her name for those not familiar with the Irish variant of the spelling.

Brennan, along with Clannad, are considered as the inventors of contemporary celtic music and are held in high esteem for their vast contribution to modernizing old Irish songs. It is Brennan's haunting voice that has left the most lasting legacy, it has become synonymic with Clannad's work and with Irish music in general. Her ethereal vocalization is considered the archetypal sound of Ireland and strains of her style have been acquired in the soundtracks to Titanic and Riverdance. Brennan is also famous for her harp playing, she has featured it on many Clannad records and her album Two Horizons is based on the discovery of the harp.

Moya is also a member of Irish traditional group, T with the Ms.

Carol Of The Bells
Moya Brennan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hark how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away

Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old

Meek and the bold

Ding dong, ding dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling

One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From everywhere
Filling the air

Oh, how they pound
Raising the sound
O'er Hill and Dale
Telling their tale

Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer
Christmas is here

Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas

On, on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To every home

Ding, dong, ding, dong, dong

Overall Meaning

The song "Carol of the Bells" is a celebratory song for the holiday season. The first verse starts with the ringing of bells, symbolizing the joy and happiness of the season. The lyrics also suggest leaving aside all worries and enjoying the festivities with friends and family. The second verse emphasizes the message of bringing cheer to everyone, regardless of their age or stature. The bells continue to ring and resonate through valleys and hills, spreading the message of good cheer and elevating everyone's spirits. The third and final verse talks about the bells' ceaselessness, epitomizing the festive spirit that continues to spread and reach every household, thereby tying in the ideas of joyousness, togetherness, and continuity.

Line by Line Meaning

Hark how the bells
Listen carefully to the ringing of the bells

Sweet silver bells
These are charming, delightful bells

All seem to say
The sounds of the bells convey a message

Throw cares away
Forget about your worries and enjoy the holiday season

Christmas is here
The holiday season has arrived

Bringing good cheer
Christmas brings happiness and joy

To young and old
People of all ages can enjoy the holiday

Meek and the bold
The humble and the brave can both find joy in Christmas

Ding dong, ding dong
The bells ring out with a pleasant sound

That is their song
The bells are singing a happy tune

With joyful ring
The bells sound happy and pleasant

All caroling
The bells are joining a choir of other holiday music

One seems to hear
It sounds like messages of joy are coming from every direction

Words of good cheer
Happy and positive phrases are being spoken

From everywhere
The joyous sounds can be heard all around

Filling the air
The sounds of happiness surround us

Oh, how they pound
The bells are ringing loudly and with enthusiasm

Raising the sound
The bells are growing louder and stronger

O'er Hill and Dale
The sounds of the bells travel far and wide

Telling their tale
The bells are sharing their story of holiday cheer and joy

Gaily they ring
The bells sound happy and lively

While people sing
People are singing along with the joyful sounds

Songs of good cheer
The music being played is happy and full of holiday spirit

Christmas is here
The holiday season has arrived

Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Wishing everyone a very happy holiday

On, on they send
The happy sounds continue to travel and spread joy

On without end
The joyful ringing never stops

Their joyful tone
The bells sound happy and cheerful

To every home
The holiday cheer is reaching every household

Ding, dong, ding, dong, dong
The bells continue to ring out their happy tune

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Mykola Leontovych, Luther Henderson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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