Chris
Conway - Celtic Dreamer
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Chris
Conway - |
Irish
tin & low whistles, piano, keyboards, zither,
electric 9
string guitar, kalimba, vocals, theremin,
bodhran, bells, chimes,
effects. |
Adele
McMahon - violin
- 2, 6 |
Dan
Britton - acoustic
nylon string guitar – 2, 6 |
Mo
Coulson - Celtic
harp – 5, 7 |
Georina
Sear - vocals
– 1, 3, 4 |
Zorpinda
Zorpin - vocals
- 1, 3, 7 |
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1 |
Dream
Portal |
2 |
Swan
Maiden In Flight |
3 |
The
Girl In The Dream |
4 |
From
Shore To Shore |
5 |
Silver
Chains at the Lake |
6 |
Entwined |
7 |
Blissful
Sleep |
8 |
Two
Swans In Flight |
9 |
Dream
Portal Beyond |
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background
Music
for Relaxation and Sleep
One of the aims of this album is to provide music with a Celtic
ambiance for relaxation and to aid sleep. I have used music
regularly to assist me in sleeping for many years. It is commonly
thought that music with a constant sound, or a regular cycle
is beneficial for sleeping. I have not found this to be the
case. For me it is necessary to have evocative music, to take
the mind away from daily cares, and take it along waves and
eddies of imagination to assist it in passing through the
dream portal. Images and stories form in the mind and sleep
can then soon follow.
Caer Ibormeith – The Swan Maiden
In thinking about Celtic mythology and sleep, I chose the
tale of Caer Ibormeith which has many elements of sleep and
dreams in it. Aengus dreams of a girl. After much searching,
she is found to be Caer Ibormeith (whose name translates as
Yew Berry). Her father tells Aengus that she changes into
a swan every other year and that to have her he must find
her from a lake of 150 swans. When they are united, Aengus
also turns into a swan and they sing music so beautiful that
the listeners to it sleep for three days.
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notes |
1.
Dream Portal
Entering the portal of sleep and dreams.
Chris Conway –
Irish tin whistle, zither, keyboards, electric 9 string
guitar, vocals
Georgina Sear – vocals
Zorpinda Zorpin - vocals
2. Swan Maiden In Flight
Caer Ibormeith, daughter of Prince Ethal Anbuail would change
into a swan every alternate year at Samhain – the following
Samhain she would become human again.
Chris Conway –
Irish low whistle, zither, electric 9 string guitar, keyboards
Dan Britton – nylon stringed guitar
Adele McMahon – violin
3. The Girl In The Dream
In a dream Aengus, son of Dagda and Boann, saw and fell
in love with a girl who appeared at the foot of his bed.
He reached out for her but she vanished. She appeared again
in more dreams over the course of a year, sometimes playing
music for him. Aengus fell so much in love with the girl
that he became ill.
Chris Conway –
piano, Irish tin whistles, keyboards, electric 9 string
guitar, bells, chimes
Georgina Sear – vocals
Zorpinda Zorpin - vocals
4. From Shore To Shore
Angus's mother Boann searched for the girl described to
her in his dreams. She searched for a year all over Ireland
from shore to shore. After no result, Aengus's father Dagda
sought help from Bodb, Sidhe of Munster, who searched for
another year.
Chris Conway –
zither, Irish tin whistle, keyboards, theremin, voices,
ocean sound effects
Georgina Sear – vocals
Zorpinda Zorpin - vocals
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5.
Silver Chains at the Lake
Aengus was told to go to Loch Bél Dracon (The Lake of
Dragons Breath) and pick the girl out of 50 maidens who were
there, each pair linked by silver chains. Aengus picked her
out and on asking her father for her hand, he was told that
the girl Caer changed to a swan each alternate year. Aengus
was told to to go to the lake the following year and pick her
out in swan form from 150 other swans, linked by silver chains.
Chris Conway – zither,
kalimba, electric 9 string guitar, keyboards
Mo Coulson – Celtic harp
6. Entwined
Aengus called to Caer at the lakes edge and asked her to come
with him. She did on promise that she could return to the lake.
He threw his arms around her, and thus entwined, he became a
swan and they slept for two days. They then flew over the lake
3 times, keeping his promise.
Chris Conway – Irish
tin & low whistles, keyboards
Dan Britton – nylon stringed guitar, bodhran
Adele McMahon – violin
7. Blissful Sleep
Caer and Aengus flew on to his home at Newgrange. When they
arrived there they sang music so beautiful that it made all
the listeners sleep blissfully for three days and three nights.
Chris Conway – piano,
Irish tin & low whistles, voices, keyboards
Mo Coulson – Celtic harp
Zorpinda Zorpin - vocals
8. Two Swans in Flight
Caer stayed with Aengus from that day onwards, to be seen flying
together as swans every other year.
Chris Conway – Irish
tin & low whistles, zither, keyboards
9. Dream Portal Beyond
Departing through the portal from one dream to the next...
Chris Conway – Irish
tin whistle, zither
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all
music composed and produced by Chris Conway
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reviews |
Eagle Eye One Magazine |
This is a relaxing collection meant to fall asleep by..or journey far away into the lands of your own imagination.
This album really is a story told through the sounds of a multitude of instruments.Good stories bear repeating, and no doubt you’ll listen to this one more than once.
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Mystic Living Today e-zine |
Wow, I got totally taken back to times forgotten while listening to this 9 track CD. Completely what myth and legend are made of. The harp was so clear and the flute lilting and every other instrument in between came together in perfect harmony from one awesome song to the next. My spirit was uplifted and my soul flew everywhere and nowhere all at once. I would recommend this blessed nugget of relaxation to anyone, anywhere, anytime, (except while driving). Thanks Chris, for this truly magical journey.
Love & Light,
Riki Frahmann
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musicdesign |
Filled with shimmering ambience and a burst of Celtic enchantment, multi-instrumentalist and composer Chris Conway presents an album of relaxing, ethereal music for sound sleep and relaxation. Think of it as music that encourages you to close your eyes and take a brief voyage to Tir Na Nog.
The music is very mellow and spacious, with harps, guitar and zither joining with piano keyboards, tin whistle and chimes.
Wordless female vocals occasionally twirl around in the backdrop, while keyboard atmosphere keeps you submerged in pure, flowing bliss. Mix in some atmospheric effects (water, wind) and the resulting musical mix makes for an interesting twist on the typical relaxation music formula - it accentuates the tranquil qualities of traditional Celtic instruments, blends this essence with deep, smooth keyboard ambience and creates a perfect mood for those times when you want to unwind.
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Retailing Insight |
One of the finest multi-instrumentalists in New Age music, Chris Conway, has taken New Age/Celtic fusion music and given it a unique spin. Celtic Dreamer is the first Celtic fusion CD I have heard (or heard of) designed specifically to assist a person in falling asleep. Trust Conway (whistles, piano, keyboards, guitars, zither, and more) to pull off this feat which he does with aplomb and style. Featuring a few guest artists (on vocals, violin, guitar, and harp), and using the Celtic myth “Caer Ibormeith” as a backdrop, Celtic Dreamer wends its way blissfully through nine tracks that softly enchant and gently relax the listener.
Bill Binkelman
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Amazon Editorial Review |
The music is mellow and spacious, with harps, guitar, and zither joining piano, tin whistle, and chimes. Wordless female vocals occasionally twirl around in the backdrop, while keyboard atmospheres keep you submerged in pure, flowing bliss. Mix in some atmospheric effects (water, wind) and the resulting musical mix makes for an interesting twist on the typical relaxation music formula, accentuating the tranquil
qualities of traditional Celtic instruments.
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Awareness Magazine
July/August 2012 |
Multi-instrumentalist Chris Conway has integrated Celtic influences into an ambient new age context to create a blissful soundscape that is supremely relaxing. In fact, as Chris says, “One of the aims of this album is to provide music with a Celtic ambiance for relaxation and to aid sleep.” Having listened to this CD, I can attest to the fact that it has achieved its goal — it is indeed quite lovely and restful. There is also a mythological theme to the album in its telling of a Celtic tale about a princess who becomes a swan every other year, which is described track by track in the liner notes.
On Celtic Dreamer Chris plays Irish tin and low whistles, piano, keyboards, zither, guitar, percussion, and more. Also participating are a number of other musicians on Celtic harp, violin, guitar, and wordless female vocals. This release on the excellent Paradise Music label (www.paradisemusic.us.com) is only one of a staggering 80 CD’s he has released either solo or with bands covering a wide range that includes pop, rock, folk, jazz, world, new age, ambient, and electronic. Celtic Dreamer is a gorgeous recording that is sure to please fans of Celtic and new age music alike.
Michael Diamond - www.michaeldiamondmusic.com
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Celtic
music is the incarnation of the two - on the one hand, it's pretty fiery and
joyful songs, sparkling energy of the people, who can be subjected to a
variety of tests, but can not break ever. On
the other hand - it's deeper integration into the mythical world, tracking the
deep and often hidden links between the simple eyes of history, legend and
reality. Ties
that are difficult to express in words, but that people have always felt and
tried to describe when a dreamy melody of Irish flute, and when quiet soothing
whisper, uttered the matter over the cradle in the hope that her child when
she grows up, breaks the bond of time and generations.
I
think not much mistaken, if we assume that such a mission took over and Chris
Conway, when, together with a group of like-minded people working on this
album «Celtic Dreamer». He
chose the topic of sleep, because in this condition, man is left alone with
his subconscious and his memory, extracting from the images and visions,
moreover, the dreamer better assimilate the incoming information. And,
last but not least, modern society has created many problems and disorders
that are not spared, and sleep. So,
the problem is very easy to decide if the trust in a gentle flow of sounds and
just close your eyes, when the musicians start to the fabric an elegant
design, in which their whining thread weaves Irish flute, harp, zither,
guitar, piano and other traditional instruments, wrapped in a warm blanket
atmospheric and
mysterious electronic ambient.
Conway
has long established himself as a brilliant melodist, arranger and composer
who knows how to create a soulful, harmonious works, every note of which
causes vibrations in the soul of the listener, making the experience a whole
range of positive emotions, from total relaxation to experience thrilling and
romantic longing in my chest - and this disc was no exception to the rule. Also,
while your eyes are closed, and even breathing will bring out all the negative
energy of the body, the musicians will tell you a story about an ancient
princess, the swan, her lover, his search through the veil of time and dreams. Each
track of the album - this chapter of history, and you can live with its
heroes, plunging ever deeper into a fairy tale, following the inviting voices
of the elves and fairies, atmospheric themes, subtle vibrations of the strings
and mesmerizing whisper of wind instruments, wandering echoes in misty shroud
of ancient forests and stony slopes. Beautiful
drive.
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