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.
Deck the Halls
Moya Brennan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fa la-la la-la la la
'Tis the season to be jolly
Fa la-la la-la la la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa la-la la la la la
Sing the ancient Yuletide carol
Fa la-la la-la la la
See the blazing Yule before us
Fa la-la la-la la la
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Fa la-la la-la la la
Follow me in merry measure
Fa la-la la la la la
While I tell of Yuletide treasure
Fa la-la la-la la la
Fast away the old year passes
Fa la-la la-la la la
Hail the new, you lads and lasses
Fa la-la la-la la la
Sing we joyous all together
Fa la-la la la la la
Heedless of the wind and weather
Fa la-la la-la la la
Moya Brennan's "Deck the Halls" is a Christmas song that embodies the spirit of the season through the joyful commendation of the audience to decorate the hall with holly boughs. The song vividly portrays the merry-making custom, which centers around decorating houses with various greenery as part of the celebration. The song begins with the introduction of the hall's decorations and the sentiment of happiness among the people during the Yuletide season. Yuletide refers to a festival that commemorates the winter solstice, usually celebrated in December.
The next phrase of the song urges everyone to don their gay clothes while further praising the ancient Yuletide carols, an acknowledgement of the role of music in the celebration. The use of the word "gay" is not the present-day usage but rather means festive or ornate clothing in the context of the song. The third part of the song acknowledges the presence of the blazing Yule, which was part of the ancient holiday customs. The song encourages the audience to strike the harp and join the chorus in a merry measure. While doing so, the song narrates of the Yuletide treasures, which is representative of the feast's significance on the occasion.
The final verse of the song speaks of the passing old year and the welcoming of the new year with open arms. It encourages everyone to sing joyfully despite the wind and weather, which could reflect the harsh nature of winter during the season. The song's overall message conveys the joy and delight that comes with celebrating the festive period, emphasizing the importance of music and decorative elements.
Line by Line Meaning
Deck the hall with boughs of holly
Let us decorate the room with holly branches to make it festive
Fa la-la la-la la la
It's a joyful time of year, so let's sing and celebrate!
'Tis the season to be jolly
This is the time of year to be happy and enjoy the holidays
Don we now our gay apparel
Let's put on our festive clothing to celebrate the season
Sing the ancient Yuletide carol
Let's sing the traditional song of Yule
See the blazing Yule before us
Look at the bright and joyful Yule celebration in front of us
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Let's play music and sing together in celebration
Follow me in merry measure
Join me in singing and dancing joyfully
While I tell of Yuletide treasure
As we celebrate, I will share stories of Yule traditions and customs
Fast away the old year passes
The year is ending quickly and we should savor the time we have left
Hail the new, you lads and lasses
Let us welcome in the new year with excitement and enthusiasm
Sing we joyous all together
Let's all sing and celebrate together in happiness
Heedless of the wind and weather
Let's enjoy ourselves regardless of any bad weather or conditions
Contributed by Austin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Autumn Blue
One of my favorites from An Irish Christmas, and among the best holiday albums I've had the fortune of buying. So many of them aren't up to this standard.
zryuification
This song gets me in the Christmas mood. ^_^
Anna Liebers
wonderful song <3