Photos / Description / Past Shows / Reviews / Discography / Soundclips / Airplay

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Photos / Description / Past Shows / Reviews / Discography / Soundclips / Airplay

Brocelïande is
Margaret Davis, Kristoph Klover, Karl Franzen, and Kris Yenney.

Brocelïande plays Celtic music from the British isles and the Medieval and Renaissance music of the European courts and countrysides, with an emphasis on music inspired by or traditionally performed during each of the four seasons. Featuring stellar vocal and instrumental harmonies, their entrancing sound is built on the interweaving of up to 4-part vocals with the lyrical music of the Celtic harp, octave mandolin, cello, guitar, flutes, whistles, percussion, harmonica, and melodeon.

Brocelïande tours throughout the West Coast, giving performances at club venues, festivals, concert series, house concerts, colleges and universities, as well as live radio performances.

Their seasonal repertoire includes original arrangements of traditional and Early music and ranges in feel from upbeat Irish dances to beautiful ballads to exciting 4-part a capella madrigals. Their evocative lyrics, including some in Medieval French and Portuguese, speak of love and longing, quests and revels, magic and transformation.

Our mission: to use historical music in a socially progressive way, to depict mankind in a healthy relationship to the environment, and to seek the liberation of the human spirit, both present and primordial, in as much as can be accomplished, by music and song...and to have too much fun doing it!

Brocelïande was founded in 1999, but the members of Brocelïande have been performing together since 1993.

Photos / Description / Past Shows / Reviews / Discography / Soundclips / Airplay

Photos / Description / Past Shows / Reviews / Discography / Soundclips / Airplay

Of Sir Christèmas:
"Broceliande is a very capable four-piece ensemble in the early-music/Baroque/Celtish mold. On this Christmas recording, the players cover a very broad range of music from Western Europe, everything from an interesting hymn in Middle English to French carols, English wassails, Bach tunes, and even familiar Christmas songs. Margaret Davis has a high, clear voice and considerable talent on the harp. A pleasant blend of guitars, cello, oboe, flute, and so forth combine with some fine harmony singing to make this an enjoyable CD to put on while trimming trees, baking cookies, and all those other midwinter tasks. The CD booklet also includes a recipe for wassail punch. 

Of Brocelïande :
"The disc has tasty vocal harmonies in plenty, including two selections featuring some beautiful four-part a cappella singing. The vocal leads are full and strong, never fear, but it's the harmonizing that makes this so delightful to hear. In addition, each the band members is also a fine instrumentalist ... While the members are quite good individually, their true strength is in their ability to support and blend with each other. On every track, it's obvious that you are listening to a team..."

Of Gathering May:
"...Such a hopeful season inspires bright cheer in any ear, and the playfulness of "It was a Lover & His Lass" or "The Helston Furry" will bring the smell of fresh earth and early flowers to the driest summer or the coldest winter ... Fans of French music will take delight in "La Rouse du Moy de May," the sad story of a green coat, and the bright "A l'Entrade del Tens Clar." Spanish and Italian tunes represent warmer climes with moving tunes like "Salterello" ... Though most of the album is taken by a cappella songs suitable for impromptu picnic sing-alongs, there are some intimidatingly complex ensemble pieces, with handfuls of singers and instruments layering their skills to produce a sound to please a king."

Of The Starlit Jewel:
"...Brocelïande has captured the soul and spirit of these poems, like no one else. If you could only own one CD of Tolkien's works, this would be the one. I have listened to it almost non-stop since it was purchased. Bravo Brocelïande, and thank you for creating such a wonderful CD."

Of one of their shows:
". . . They are hard to define but ultra artistic. If they come into your town, I urge you to hear them. They are masters of musical art and originality. I NEVER praise this way unless I mean it and I'm very critical... ...damn they are good . . ."

Photos / Description / Past Shows / Reviews / Discography / Soundclips / Airplay

Brocelïande has produced 5 CDs. They were engineered and mastered at Flowinglass Music in Oakland. Musicians: Margaret Davis, Karl Franzen, Kristoph Klover, Kris Yenney

The Starlit Jewel - 1996
A collection of Tolkien's poetry set to music by Marion Zimmer Bradley and friends. FM007

Brocelïande - 2000
Debut 12 track asortment of Celtic, Early and Folk Music. FM006

Sir Christemas - November 2001
'Songs of the Season' Volume 1. A collection of Winter music. FM009

Gathering May - April 2003
'Songs of the Season' Volume 2. A collection of Spring music. FM010

Barley Rigs - August 2004
'Songs of the Season' Volume 4. A collection of Autumn music. FM012

Photos / Description / Past Shows / Reviews / Discography / Soundclips / Airplay

Barley Rigs - The Barleycorn / Margot Labourait
Gathering May - John Riley / Rossignolet du Bois
Sir Christemas - Gloucestershire Wassail / Entre le Boeuf
Broceliande - Broom of the Cowdenows / Il Est Bel et Bon
Starlit Jewel - Merry Old Inn / Lay of Nimrodel

Photos / Description / Past Shows / Reviews / Discography / Soundclips / Airplay

DOMESTIC AIRPLAY
Broceliande's 5 CDs have been heard on the following U.S. radio programs:

KPFA 94.1 FM Hear and Now, Berkeley, California

KALW 91.7 FM Folk Music & Beyond, San Francisco, California

KALW 91.7 FM A Patchwork Quilt, San Francisco, California

KPOO 89.5 FM La Verdad Musical San Francisco, California

KKUP 91.5 FM Friday Folk Off, Cupertino, California

KKUP 91.5 FM No Pigeonholes, Cupertino, California

KKUP 91.5 FM New Wood, Cupertino, California

KKUP 91.5 FM Don't Panic (It's Just Us Folks), Cupertino, California

KUSP 88.9 FM The Open Road, Santa Cruz, California

KUSP 88.9 FM Global Village, Santa Cruz, California

KLAS 89.7 FM Radio Fandom, Los Angeles, California

WGBH 89.7 FM Sound & Spirit, Boston, Massachusetts

WXPN 88.5 FM Sleepy Hollow, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WDVR 89.7 FM The Mists of Avalon, Sergeantsville, New Jersey

WDCE 90.1 FM All-Most Folk, Richmond, Virginia

WRST The Christmas Show, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

KBOO 90.7 FM Dharma Wheel, Portland, Oregon

KBOO 90.7 FM The Celtic Hour, Portland, Oregon

KRVM 91.9 FM Acoustic Junction, Eugene, Oregon
INTERNATIONAL AIRPLAY
Broceliande's music has been heard internationally at:

CKJS Prairie Ceilidh, Winnipeg, Canada

Radio Centraal, Psyche Van Het Folk 106.7 FM, Antwerp, Belgium

Logatec, Livin' Folk, Slovenia

Radio Galtee, Regan's Rambles, Limerick, Ireland

Folk Music Road, Torino, Italy

Contact Information:
Booking: Margaret Davis
Web Page: http://www.broceliande.org
Email: margaret@flowinglass.com
Address: 2821 Truman Avenue, Oakland, CA 94605
Phone: (510) 569-0437
 

 

Email Margaret

For questions
about the band,
call Margaret at
(510) 569-0437.

Brocelïande is an Early Music group (Celtic, Medieval, Renaissance & Folk) that organizes their material around the four seasons of the year.

They are known for their rich vocals, and varied instrumentation (Celtic harp, cello, 6 & 12-string guitar, octave mandolins, flute, whistle, recorder, melodeon, percussion
& more.)