I’ve liked Celtic music for as long as I can remember. I don’t think my parents listened to it when I was little and I don’t remember at the exact age I heard my first Celtic song, but I have quite the collection now! I’ve scanned through the play list on my long list of music I have on the computer and came up with 8 relaxing Celtic songs to listen to when you get the chance. They are all great for when you have had a stressful day or just need to quiet down before bedtime.
I tend to find Celtic songs that are sung by men to be a bit more soothing. There’s something about most women’s high voices that make me enjoy the song less. However, this tune is rather enjoyable, despite the high female voice accompanying the relaxing tune.
Enya seems to offer an excellent combination of songs in her native tongue and in English. This one is sung in English and has a very gentle rhythm to it.
I really like the instrumental Celtic music the most, especially when it consists of the harp, penny whistle, and drums. This is an excellent song! Some might consider it to be a bit more up beat than the slower songs people like to relax to, but it makes be relaxed and very happy when I listen to it.
For a band that is considered to be Celtic Folk Rock, this song is a rather mellow one for them. If you watch the video for this particular song, which can be found on YouTube, you’ll see a few traditional instruments that are played in many Celtic songs.
The English title for this song is ‘Kishor’s Tune’. It is a very mellow song with lots of great drum beats in it and some very nice acoustic strumming as well. I could put this song on repeat and not tire of it for quite some time, it’s that appealing. I actually feel that way about quite a few songs by Tony McManus. I first heard about this Scotsman in the mid-90s and have followed his work ever since.
I love listening to Scots talk. The way they roll their Rs and such makes their speech even more melodic. Jim Reid’s Scottish accent can clearly be heard when he sings this song, as well as when he sings his others of course. I really like this traditional Celtic song. I tend to listen to more instrumental songs when looking for relaxing music, but this one is still soothing even though there is singing throughout the entire song.
Ensemble Galilei has some great instrumental Celtic music on their album The Mystic and the Muse. This particular song starts off with a very deep tone that later becomes lighter once the harp is introduced. It does tend to get a bit lively towards the middle of the song, but it is still a relaxing tune.
This has always been my favorite song by Enya. I’m not sure if it was on the radio a lot when I first purchased the cassette back in the late 80s, but I know it’s one I listened to over and over again once I had the tape in my hot little hands.
If you get the chance to hear some of these songs, you just might find you like the entire album they are each from. I’m always excited when I come across new music to listen to. It’s even better when I find an album that I like more than one song on. Out of the 8 relaxing Celtic songs to listen to that I listed, are any of them your favorites as well?
Top Photo Credit: Marco Cortesi