Ceredwen

Ceredwen, the New Age ensemble whose name derives from the Celtic goddess of inspiration and is pronounced kur-ED-win, unites vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Renee Gray with songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer Andrew Fryer. Gray, who originates from South Wales, also performs with the Celtic folk-rock band the Lucys, while Fryer, an Englishman, assembled his first group at the age of 13 and continues to work as a songwriter and independent record producer. The pair’s 1997 debut album O'r Mabinogi drew on the legends of heroic exploits that ancient Celtic storytellers recounted about their rulers and blended real and sampled Celtic instruments including the bodhran, pennywhistle, flute, and uilleann pipes with contemporary rhythms and Gray’s vocals. Their next release, 1999’s Golden Land, pursued a comparable musical direction and took its thematic material from the Druids’ resistance to the invading Roman army.