Loreena McKennitt "Living Room Concert" -The Lady of Shalott

***lyrics below***
A performance of "The Lady of Shalott" from her third album "The Visit" The song is on a "bootleg" file that has been all about the internet. Called "Living Room Concert", I've no idea who recorded it, but I believe it's from 1994.

*I think she is tuning her harp in the beginning... That's what it sounds like. I do not know who the man is who speaks, but I love Loreena's "yes" it's sounds like... "of course it has a lot of strings! It's a harp!" Sorry I just thought that was interesting.*

If anyone has any information on who recorded this or who the man is in the clip, would you please tell me?

**Thanks to Peregrin27 for telling me that this is from a radio show**

Lyrics:

On either side of the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the world and meet the sky;
And thro' the field the road run by
To many-towered Camelot;
And up and down the people go,
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below,
The island of Shalott.


Only reapers, reaping early,
In among the bearded barley
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly
Down to tower'd Camelot;
And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers "'tis the fairy
The Lady of Shalott."

A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,
He rode between the barley sheaves,
The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,
And flamed upon the brazen greaves
Of bold Sir Lancelot.
A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd
To a lady in his shield,
That sparkled on the yellow field,
Beside remote Shalott.

His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;
On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;
From underneath his helmet flow'd
His coal-black curls as on he rode,
As he rode back to Camelot.
From the bank and from the river
he flashed into the crystal mirror,
"Tirra Lirra," by the river
Sang Sir Lancelot.

She left the web, she left the loom,
She made three paces taro' the room,
She saw the water-lily bloom,
She saw the helmet and the plume,
She looked down to Camelot.
Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror cracked from side to side;
"The curse is come upon me," cried
The Lady of Shalott.

Who is this? And what is here?
And in the lighted palace near
Died the sound of royal cheer;
And they crossed themselves for fear,
All the Knights at Camelot;
But Lancelot mused a little space
He said, "She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Loreena
• McKennitt
• Lady
• of
• Shalott
• Live
• Concert
• Celtic
• Music
• Irish
• Medieval
• Gothic
• Elaine
• KIng
• Arthur
• Legend
• Alfred
• Lord
• Tennyson

[audreychou83]

"So many strings" . Love the interviewer ! lol 

[CelticMusings]

@audreychou83

That always makes me giggle too! XD

[fanatasystar]

Are you Wiccan witch? I'm too, if you're... and sorry for the grammar, but i'm not english, i'm italian... )O(

[CelticMusings]

hello :) thank you for asking. No I'm not a Wiccan, just a pagan witch. I don't identify with Wicca. :) And your grammar is fine! :)

Blessings!!

[fanatasystar]

Thanks, and blessings too... Are you Irish? (sorry for all those quest, but i'm so curious)

Sorry still )O(

[CelticMusings]

oh gosh sorry for being so late! I just noticed this! and no... :( I wish I was though! :D

[Peregrin27]

it's from a radio show ...

[Peregrin27]

I guess it's title is "echoes"

[GrapefruitAndChaiTea]

God!! I knew I had seen that picture somewhere!!! It's a John William Waterhouse painting!!! My favorite paint artist:D And this is my favorite song from Loreena-3

[jarabaa]

Thanks for this. Interesting to hear Loreena McKennitt herself say just how many verses there were in Tennyson's poem (20) and her original full version (15), and explain how the "abridged abridged" versions came into being. I feel it's important to listen to her long version - as on the album "The Visit". I first saw her perform it on stage in London 20 years ago. It's a unique experience to hear the full thing (12 minutes or thereabouts) - to allow oneself to become transfixed, swept along.

[chewchewchewing]

angel voice! XD

[novokarpati]

A 'Living Room Concert' is a feature of John de Loberto, yes ......!

[conceptualclarity]

The male voice does sound like the host of Echoes, which does Living Room Concerts. But wow, I never heard an LRC of someone of Loreena's stature.

[agb444]

Lovely song, very atmospheric ^-^

[scorpdewd]

I was entranced by this song as it was playing in a shop at Fisherman's Wharf years ago in SF, and of course I had to have it. This is not the entire song, merely pared down for the radio show it is purported to have been played for as some other posts indicate. The lyrics are from the "Lady of Shallot" by Lord Alfred Tennyson, and it is and remains a wonderful adaptation of that literary piece. LM fans owe themselves the aural treat of listening to her work in its entirety.