The album contains a selection of music from the BBC documentary series The Celts. It was first released in 1987 as ‘ENYA’ and then reissued and remastered in 1992 as ‘The Celts.’

Tracklist

01 The Celts 2:56 Gaelic
02 Aldebaran 3:05 Gaelic
03 I Want Tomorrow 4:03 English
04 March of the Celts 3:15 Gaelic
05 Deireadh an Tuath 1:42 Gaelic
06 The Sun in the Stream 2:57 Instrumental
07 To Go Beyond (I) 1:19 Instrumental
08 Fairytale 3:02 Instrumental
09 Epona 1:36 Instrumental
10 Triad (St. Patrick, Cú Chulainn, Oisin) 4:23 Gaelic
11 Portrait / Portrait (Out of the Blue) 1:23 / 3:12 Instrumental
12 Boadicea 3:30 Instrumental
13 Bard Dance 1:23 Instrumental
14 Dan Y Dwr 1:41 Welsh
15 To Go Beyond (II) 2:58 Instrumental

The Celts Credits

produced by Nicky Ryan
engineered by Nigel Reid
except tks. 2, 4. Nicky Ryan
electric guitar Arty McGlynn
uillean pipes by Liam O’Flionn
violin Patrick Halling
music composed by Enya
arranged by Enya and Nicky Ryan
lyrics by Roma Ryan
published by EMI Songs Ltd
mastered by Arun
photography by David Scheinmann
designed by Sooky Choi

ENYA Credits

All music composed by Enya and Published by Aigle Music.

Words for "I Want Tomorrow" and "Dan y Dwr"
written by Roma Ryan; words for "The Celts", "March
of the Celts", "Aldebaran" and "Deireadh an
Tuath" written by Enya and Roma Ryan. Words to "St.
Patrick" are traditional.

This is a selection of the music heard in the BBC-TV Series
"THE CELTS".
Enya: Vocals, Piano, Juno 60, DX7, Emulator II and Kurtzweil
Arty McGlynn: Electric Guitar
Liam O’Flionn: Uillean Pipes
Patrick Halling: Violin

Music arranged by Enya and Nicky Ryan.
Engineered by Nigel Read.
Recorded at BBC Enterprises Studio Woodlands, London, and Aigle
Studios, Dublin.

PRODUCED BY NICKY RYAN
Executive Producer: Bruce Talbot
(ALDEBARAN Dedicated to Ridley Scott)

ENYA and AIGLE MUSIC would like to thank:
Julian Mitchell-Dawson
Gordon Menzies
Lance England
Those Nervous Animals
Na Casaidigh
Noel Bridgeman
Nollaig Casey
Tony McHugh
Pat Coleman
and especially Mr. lan Donald
and Opel/General Motors for their generosity and assistance.

A Very special thanks to:
Bruce Talbot and Humphrey Walwyn
David Richardson and Tony McAuley

It is impossible for us to include all those we would like to
thank. We would, however, like to take this opportunity to express
our gratitude to the staff of BBC.

Enterprises involved in this project for their encouragement and
hospitality. 

Sleeve Design and Art Direction: Mario Moscardini
Photography: Martyn J. Adleman
Re-Mastered by Sam Feldman at Atlantic Studios, NYC

Review

The Celts is actually a repackaged re-release of a soundtrack Enya did for BBC series in 1987. She was asked to contribute a couple of songs, and producers were so enchanted they her asked to do the whole thing. It’s easy to see why. The album is gently, chillingly beautiful.

There’s a bit more of a mystic, New Age feel (synthesizers) than on her blockbuster Watermark and Shepherd Moons records but if you like the feeling of those, you’ll treasure The Celts. It’s her grand warmup, and soundtracks proved to be the perfect place for her very specific sound to develop.

The only straightforward track in English is “I Want Tomorrow” – the rest are chiefly instrumentals or sung in Celtic tongues. The title track is a gentle gallop and “The Sun in the Stream” is a showcase for some pretty uillean piping by Liam Og O’Flionn, with just a shadow of vocals toward the end. “To Go Beyond (I)” turns the simplest of sounds into something gorgeous; “Fairytale” is a magical turn on what sounds like a carousel organ; gorgeous layers of humming and vocalizations weave throughout “Triad: St. Patrick, Cu Chulainn, Oisin” and the chantlike “Boadicea.” The Reprise version (the album’s original domestic release was on Atlantic) has been remastered, but the only real sonic change is a re-recording of the shy piano instrumental “Portrait (Out of the Blue).” Warner has done a nice job of packaging – there are luminous photos and Enya and lyricist Roma Ryan provide explanations, inspirations and insights. Cathy Maestri, The Press-Enterprise, 1995
enyabookofdays.com