Enchanting Celtic Melodies From Clannad’s Maire Brennan

Before “Riverdance,” before “Lord of the Dance,” before “Titanic,” there was Clannad. And many of the atmospheric Celtic sounds drifting through those big-budget, high-visibility stage and screen productions trace back to the seminal Irish group, one of the pioneers in blending traditional elements with contemporary electronic devices.

Maire Brennan’s performance at the El Rey Theatre on Saturday wasn’t exactly a Clannad appearance, but it was close. A principal in Clannad for nearly three decades (along with her sister Enya, who, of course, moved on to a solo career), she stamped much of her performance with the trademark lush-textured, vocal-oriented Clannad sound.

Leading a youthful eight-piece ensemble, Brennan balanced her program with Clannad numbers (including “Harry’s Game” and the song “I’ll Find You,” from “The Last of the Mohicans”) and selections from her new album, “Perfect Time.” The latter, especially the lovely title track, reflected Brennan’s Celtic Christian beliefs, but without proselytizing--rather with a generic spirituality that merged perfectly with her soaring melodies.

Brennan has one of the most appealing voices in contemporary Celtic music, a dark-toned, pliant instrument as effective with lighthearted songs as with the more melancholy material.