The band has recorded many albums of instrumental Irish folk music, as well as multiple collaborations with popular musicians of many genres, including Country music, Galician traditional music, Cape Breton and Newfoundland music, and rock and roll. They have performed with Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Roger Daltrey, Elvis Costello, Tom Jones, Sinéad O'Connor, James Galway, Jackson Browne, Nancy Griffith and numerous Country-western artists. In 1975, the group won praise for their playing of "Women of Ireland" for Stanley Kubrick's movie Barry Lyndon.
They have won six Grammy Awards and have been nominated eighteen times. In 2002 they were given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the UK's BBC Radio 2. The front covers of the first four albums were designed by Edward Delaney.
Paddy Moloney is the band's leader, and composes or arranges most of the band's music. While the band's members changed numerous times in the band's early history, the membership solidified in 1979 when Matt Molloy replaced Michael Tubridy.
From then until 2002, members included:
Paddy Moloney (uilleann pipes, tin whistle, button accordion, bodhrán)
Matt Molloy (flute, tin whistle)
Kevin Conneff (bodhrán, vocals)
Seán Keane (fiddle, tin whistle)
Martin Fay (fiddle, bones) (born 1938; died 14 November 2012)
Derek Bell (Irish harp, keyboard instruments, oboe) (born 21 October 1935; died 17 October 2002)
In 2002, Fay retired from active membership. In the same year, Bell died due to complications following a minor operation. Fay died on 14 November 2012.
Millennium Celtic Suite
The Chieftains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
J'étais belle et galante
Les amoureux venaient me voir
Le soir dedans ma chambre
Le plus jeuneux des amoureux
M'apporta une orange o-gué
The above lyrics are a French verse from the traditional Celtic song 'Millennium Celtic Suite' by The Chieftains. The verse talks about the memories of a young lady when she was just 18 years old, and how beautiful and charming she was. The young men used to visit her in her room in the evenings, and the youngest of them brought her an orange.
The song reflects upon the cultural complexity of Celtic music, which has been influenced by various traditional music styles originating from Scotland, Ireland, and other European countries. It celebrates the richness of traditional Celtic music, and the enduring charisma of the culture. The lyrics in different languages, including English, French, and Gaelic, also signify the long tradition of Celtic music and its history.
Line by Line Meaning
Quand j'étais jeune à dix-huit ans
When I was young and only eighteen years old
J'étais belle et galante
I was beautiful and charming
Les amoureux venaient me voir
Lovers used to come and see me
Le soir dedans ma chambre
In the evening, inside my room
Le plus jeuneux des amoureux
The youngest of the lovers
M'apporta une orange o-gué
Brought me a sour orange fruit
Contributed by Lucy H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
tom canterbury
on North Amerikay
the great accapella version by kevin on tribute to their harpist