Enya, the Irish singer-songwriter and composer, has a sound uniquely her own. Her music has been used in several films, including Lord of the Rings (“May It Be”) and she has released five consecutive albums placed at the top ten and has won four grammy awards. Her breakthrough came with the 1988 album Watermark, which included several multi-layered, well-crafted songs that took her almost a year to record.
Enya’s persona is almost as enigmatic as her music. She rarely performs, tours or grants interviews and prefers a peaceful, private yet busy life in her Irish castle. She has developed a reputation as a recluse but doesn’t like being thought of that way. In a 2015 interview she explained, “The media put tags on people. With Oprah Winfrey, it’s the weight issue. What is the spin they have on me? ‘Oh, she’s a recluse.'” In another interview she said, “My private lifestyle bothers a lot of people. I love the music to be known, but I’m not after fame for myself.”
Considering her rare appearances, I consider myself extremely lucky to have once met her. As a teenager, I was visiting friends in Ireland with my family. I spent a day as a visitor at my friend’s private school and their special guest that day for music class was Enya. I had unknowingly picked the perfect day to visit my friend’s school! Enya was kind, genteel, and shared with the class about her musical journey.
Some people describe Enya’s music as New Age but the artist herself doesn’t consider it so. Her music has elements of Irish folk, Celtic and classical. It is ethereal, ambient, and other-worldly. I love the rich layered textures of vocals, percussion, piano, and synthesized sounds.
Enya’s song, “Miss Clare Remembers,” named after the book by Miss Read, is from her Watermark album. It is a short, beautiful piece for piano that a beginner or intermediate player can easily learn. It is deeply relaxing, a fantastic piece to play to un-wind or de-stress, and very satisfying to learn on the keyboard.
Here is my piano lesson on how to play Enya’s “Miss Clare Remembers”