An enchanted night of Celtic music beneath the stars in Moorish Spain, Nights from the Alhambra presents Loreena McKennitt’s first-ever live concert film.The performances were filmed in Granada, Spain at the Palacio de Carlos V in the Alhambra Palace historic monument in September 2006. McKennitt is one of very few artists in the modern era to have been granted permission to perform in this breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage site.Over 18 songs, Loreena leads viewers through her best-selling catalogue, from traditional Celtic ballads to literary narratives. The film includes debut performances of material from her album An Ancient Muse, as well as newly orchestrated renditions of familiar favourites including “The Mummers’ Dance,” “All Souls Night,” “The Bonny Swans” and “Cymbeline.”In Nights from the Alhambra, McKennitt shares the stage with a diverse lineup of world musicians including all-Britain champion on uilleann pipes Steáfán Hannigan, noted composer and jazz violinist Hugh Marsh, Syrian-born oud virtuoso Haig Yazdjian, classically-trained lyra player Sokratis Sinopoulos, cellist Caroline Lavelle, who has worked with everyone from Celtic traditionalists De Dannan to dance group Massive Attack, and renowned contemporary jazz guitarist Brian Hughes.This international cast of players reflects the far-flung musical influences that have gone into McKennitt’s Celtic-based recordings. “You really see the interplay with the musicians and how they spark each other,” McKennitt says of the recorded performances.Thanks to the camera work of director Julia Knowles’ crew, viewers at home will clearly see how those instruments are played, and play together. McKennitt is understandably excited by what she has achieved with the performances on this film. As she puts it, “To be able to reach from a really full-blown piece like ‘The Mummers’ Dance’ and then come down to something very intimate with the harp—it’s wonderful to have that full range of dynamics, sounds and textures.” Nights from the Alhambra offers tantalising glimpses into the sights, sounds and poetry of other cultures and other times.
