Singer and musician who was a founder member of Clannad and lent an ethereal beauty to the theme of the TV series Harry’s Game
Moya Brennan, who has died aged 73, was a founder member, lead singer and harpist with the Irish folk band Clannad. It was Moya’s ethereal singing voice that contributed to the band’s distinctive sound, particularly on the theme music for the television series Harry’s Game in 1982. Moya later pursued a successful solo career, collaborating and recording with an impressive number of performers across the musical spectrum.
Formed in 1970, the band was initially called Clann As Dobhar (the family from Dore), which was soon shortened to Clannad. The band members were all related: Moya’s brothers, Ciarán and Pól Brennan, were joined by Pádraig and Noel Duggan, identical twins who were Moya’s uncles, though very similar to her in age. For a time, Moya’s sister Enya was also a member, until she left to pursue her highly successful solo career.
In 1973, Clannad won a competition at the Letterkenny folk festival: their prize was a record deal with Philips Records. Their first, eponymous album received a mixed reception in Ireland because singing in Irish was, at the time, associated with poverty, although it was their normal, everyday language. This made them more determined to continue, finding new audiences in Europe and the US. Clannad 2 (1974) featured a synthesiser and folk-rock influences from groups such as Steeleye Span. This blend of the old songs, plus recently written material, mainly sung in Irish, in a contemporary style using harmonies and electronic sounds, upset the purists but attracted new audiences.
