The Mask and Mirror


The Mask and Mirror is the fifth studio album by Loreena McKennitt. Released in 1994, the album has been certified Gold in the United States.

Overview

Like most of Loreena McKennitt's albums, The Mask and Mirror is heavily influenced by her travels. Her experiences in Spain and Morocco, specifically, serve as the inspiration for this album.
As her introduction to the album, McKennitt wrote:
Accompanying all the selections, as the liner remarks, are some of the entries in a traveler's log that McKennitt kept all throughout her journey.
The album's cover uses a collage made from the medieval The Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries.

Tracks

Loreena McKennitt wrote the lyrics and composed the music for all the songs except as noted.
  1. "The Mystic's Dream" – 7:40
  2. "The Bonny Swans" – 7:18
  3. "The Dark Night of the Soul" – 6:44
  4. "Marrakesh Night Market" – 6:30
  5. "Full Circle" – 5:57
  6. "Santiago" – 5:58
  7. "Cé Hé Mise le Ulaingt?/The Two Trees" The opening of this song is "Cé Hé Mise Le Ulaingt". It was written and performed by Patrick Hutchinson on Uilleann pipes. The second part of the song is Loreena's version of "The Two Trees." Hence the two titles. – 9:06
  8. "Prospero's Speech" – 3:23

    Song details

Chart Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart21
Dutch Albums Chart54
Germany Albums Chart18
New Zealand Albums Chart15
Spanish Albums Chart6
Swedish Albums Chart25
US Billboard 200143
US World Albums1
US New Age Albums7

Certifications and sales