The following is a review of the March 17th Máire Brennan concert in Boston from the Boston Herald newspaper:

Music Review: Airy ballads float away from singer

Maire Brennan at The Copley Theater, Boston, Wednesday. In theory, Maire Brennan was a perfect choice for a St. Patrick's Day concert in Boston. The Irish singer has written several songs inspired by St. Patrick's role in bringing Christianity to Eire. And Brennan's own beliefs bridge Catholic and Protestant faiths.

Yet in practice, Brennan was just too low-key for the occasion. Without her famous band, Clannad, Brennan isn't a draw: The 685-seat Copley Theater was a bit more than half filled. And the 100-minute show was sometimes lovely, but never caught fire.

Brennan's 1998 album "Perfect Time" (Word) captures a hushed, spiritual grandeur. Its angelic peace recalls Brennan's sister, Enya, but it is also distinct.

Yet live, the approach came off as tame Celtic pop. Her seven- piece band was surely tight enough, but many of the airy ballads wafted blandly along like mood music. Even some upbeat numbers, such as "Heal This Land," were like New Age bubble gum pop, too lightweight to enrapture, much less heal.

Brennan was appreciated, but she is not an exciting stage presence. What she does possess is a calm, sublime voice. Clannad songs such as "I Will Find You," from the film "The Last of the Mohicans," and her own gloriously harmonious "Perfect Time" were dramatic. Brennan's sister, Dierdre, added celestial vocals, as did fiddler Sinead Madden.

Brennan's spiritual nature is real, but it doesn't make for commanding music. On a few upbeat songs, her voice seemed tenuous on the upper reaches. But whenever she wrapped her soft soprano around a glowing, airy ballad, she sounded lush. The sound dynamics were too compressed, and while a few jigs energized the night, even those could sound less than vivid.

The refurbished Copley Theater's sound system seemed of high quality, though the overall sound was much more crisp and lively in the balcony. The theater's seats were comfy, the sightlines clean. The lobby gleamed. This old, gracious hall has a new, busy concert schedule. It deserves to be a top-rated venue.

Copyright 1999, The Boston Herald