Moya Brennan

JOY TO THE WORLD

As it is the 8 th. of December and as I saw this lady perform in Rathkeale the other night, what better way to launch the Christmas festival than with this spirited version of Isaac Watts timeless classic, 'Joy to the World'.Moya Brennan is known of course as the 'voice of Clannad' the family group who came out of Donegal and became a worldwide phenomenon with their mix of Celtic music and swirling synthesisers. Moya herself went on to publicly announce her Christian commitment and has made several solo albums with songs that reflect her faith. The performance last week at Saint Mary's church in County Limerick was stunning and while I had always enjoyed her music I was struck by her powerful (yet gentle) stage presence which added another layer to the songs. About 3 years ago she released 'An Irish Christmas' from which this particular hymn is taken, if you can get hold of a copy it will enhance your celebration of Christ's birth.

Gerard O'Shea