Though she’ll forever be associated with the family firm that is Clannad, it’s easy to forget that Moya Brennan has enjoyed a successful solo career for the past 16 years, releasing over half a dozen albums as well as touring regularly.
Heartstrings – recorded live last year – spans her career, from the early Clannad days to her solo outings. The orchestra (with arrangements scored by Julie Feeney) is supplemented by a fantastic band that includes the De Barra brothers – Cormac (harp/vocals) and Fionan (guitar/vocals) – as well as violist Sinéad Madden.
Time has been kind to Moya and her rich haunting vocals show little sign of ageing: a song like ‘Perfect Time’, the exquisite title-track to her 1998 album, is on a par with anything from the Clannad canon. Also very much in the Clannad vein is the uptempo ‘Against The Wind’, from her first solo album, while a medley of ‘Eleanor Plunkett’, ‘Hobknobs’ and ‘Father Frances Cameron’ half-way through the show addresses her trad roots.
Other highlights are the ethereal ‘Gone Are The Days’ and ‘In A Lifetime’, which, surprisingly, doesn’t suffer too much from the absence of Bono’s extraordinary vocals. The inevitable concert closer is ‘Theme From Harry’s Game’, the song that started it all for Clannad and remains a true sonic wonder.

Key Track: 'Theme from Harry's Game'