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1989's Parallel Dreams proved to be her first real breakthrough album. It unveiled a more upbeat mood with the addition of percussion in the form of bodhran , congas and uda drum, alongside synths and a blend of acoustic and electric stringed instruments. This progression continues on her most recent release, 1991's The Visit. While the new album veers even further from earlier efforts, her penchant for Celtic music remains strong as ever, something clearly evident when conversing with her. McKennitt's recordings are immensely popular in Canada and she's succeeding in converting many indoctrinated into the world of routine radio rock over to her sweet Celtic elixir. "To be a catalyst, that's one of my life's objectives. I've been inspired by many people who have in their turn been catalysts," says the performer, who cites harpist Alan Stivell as a prime influence. "It's quite interesting to see the waves of interest come and go in Celtic territory, so if I can be that for other people, that's wonderful." Instead of performing in a traditional mode, McKennitt prefers to integrate jazz , classical, eastern influences, and even a hint of pop into her music. "I want to expand on the whole theme and imagery that a lot of folk music evokes. There are a lot of people that perform traditional music using traditional instruments and arrangement that do it much better than I could," she says in her clear, confident tone. "I'm interested in expanding the contemporary relevance perhaps." Right from The Visit's first track, "All Souls Night," it's clear that McKennitt is moving in new directions. The sound is much larger as a full fledged drum kit lies under her gorgeous, soaring vocals. This isn't to say that McKennitt has abandoned her more delicate inclinations. In fact, the album's finest moment can be found on the 11-minute epic "The Lady of Shalott," which finds her serene side accompanied by the poetry of Alfred Lord Tennyson. "There have been people that have kidded me about drawing upon the Dead Poet's Society because I've set poetry like Yeats and Tennyson to music," she says, breaking into laughter. "It's set in the Arthurian time of Camelot. It's an epic poem in terms of performance because it has fifteen verses. I just like the rural imagery very much which I tap into because I live on a farm just north of Stratford [Ontario]." Another sumptuous moment can be found in McKennitt's reworking of "Greensleeves." It evolved from an improvised session in which she imagined Tom Waits performing the song. While her vocals are a far cry from the raspy, gravelly Waits, she does take a few liberties with her usually smooth and flowing voice. Amazingly enough, the track has proven to be an unlikely radio hit in Canada, garnering serious airplay at adult-oriented radio. In addition to its evocative songs, The Visit features two engaging instrumentals. "Between the Shadows" finds harp, synth, guitar, balalaika, bass and fiddle converging for the albums most exotic piece. Living up to it's name, "Tango to Evora" features some similar elements accompanied by beautiful chanting from McKennitt. For McKennitt, the album title has many meanings. She describes a "visit" as a time of discovery, in which new places, people and ideas are uncovered. Another meaning deals with the beliefs and rituals of the Celts, who in essence consider life itself as a "visit." Perhaps most importantly, McKennitt believes "The creative impulse is a kind of visit. There's a certain energy that your body becomes a vehicle through which something else happens. I think everyone experiences that in their work." McKennitt is accompanied by a cast of stellar musicians on The Visit. Performers include jazz-fusion guitarist Brian Hughes, ex-Shuffle Demons bassist George Koller, percussionist Rick Lazar, cellist Ann Bourne and fiddler extraordinaire Hugh Marsh. In the Canadian folk and pop realm, these players are well known as some of the highest-caliber musicians around. Aside from working on her new album, McKennitt has found time to score a number of government-sponsored National Film Board of Canada productions. Her most recent being The Burning Times. "Working in film I really quite adore," she says. "It's a very challenging kind of medium. It's fascinating to see how the music affects the visuals and vice versa." Many consider it astonishing that McKennitt is Canadian, considering how deeply Celtic culture is entrenched in her. Although she has Irish ancestors, she wasn't exposed to Celtic music while growing up in Morden, a farming community in the province of Manitoba. "It existed in an instinctive kind of way in that I didn't seek out Celtic music. I maintain that it really chose me," she explains, tossing back her red locks. "There was something about the ingredients and the span of passion and liveliness about the music that I was just instinctively drawn to." Another revelation many find unfathomable is that she only took up the harp in 1983. When listening to her music, it's clear that her talents on the instrument far exceed her years on it. "There's a versatility to the harp and a poetic sound about it that's gentle and has a lot of articulation, and can be quite dynamic. So, you can go from being very subtle to being very dramatic with it," she says, pausing to further ponder the thought. "A lot of things are hard to explain. It's like trying to explain what your favourite colour is and why. There's a lot of mysterious things about it. In a way I must admit I'm loathed to probe too far into the mystery because I'm fearful that it's a human weakness to probe into the mysteries of life so we can manipulate them to our own agenda." Now in her early 30s, McKennitt was hardly a musical novice prior to 1983. Ten years of classical piano instruction, five years of voice lessons, extensive stage training and experience in musical theatre provided an excellent framework with which to learn the harp, and master the fine art of performance. McKennitt recently began a new distribution deal with Warner Music of Canada. It's a large step for an artist who has managed to accomplish the incredible feat of selling over 50,000 albums through her own record label, Quinlan Road. By 1991, it became apparent that she required the aid of a larger label, especially with Parallel Dreams alone selling almost 30,000 copies. "In the independent realm, I'm told that's a considerable number," she says modestly. "It was apparent that the demand for things was reaching a level that I wasn't able to service." In addition to her musical endeavors, McKennitt is involved with Amnesty International. She's given benefit performances for the organization, and has deep respect for it's accomplishments. "It's and organization that I think is vital to the whole concept of democracy. It's a very key ingredient for a world where people are being imprisoned for their political and religious beliefs who have never advocated violence. We have to make sure people can stand up and speak that way." Since this interview took place, the Loreena McKennitt story has taken a few more positive turns. The Visit has just passed the platinum status in Canada (100,000 copies), a true rarity for a non-pop release in that country. In addition, Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney has recently requested a private concert by the performer. The Visit is scheduled to be released through Warner Bros. in the United States come March and worldwide by spring's end. With widespread exposure up ahead, it may not be long before McKennitt's impassioned music sheds it status as "Canada's best kept secret." One can only hope.
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