The Memory of Trees

The Memory of Trees
Studio album by Enya
Released	5 December 1995[1]
Recorded	Aigle Studios, Ireland
Genre	New age celtic pop
Length	43:24
Label	WEA
Producer	Enya Nicky Ryan
Enya chronology
The Celts (1992) The Memory of Trees (1995) A Day Without Rain (2000)
Singles from The Memory of Trees
"Anywhere Is" Released: 20 November 1995 "On My Way Home" Released: 22 November 1996

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B[2]
Los Angeles Times	[3]
Q	[4]
Rolling Stone	[5]

The Memory of Trees is the fourth studio album by Irish musician Enya, released in December 1995 on WEA Records. Four years after the release of her previous album, Shepherd Moons, Enya began work on a new album with lyricist Roma Ryan and arranger and producer Nicky Ryan.

The Memory of Trees continued Enya's commercial success in the 1990s, reaching No. 5 in the UK and No. 9 in the US, where it went on to sell over 3 million copies. Two singles were released, "Anywhere Is" and "On My Way Home". In 1997, the album won a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.^[1][6] A limited remastered edition was released in Japan on Super High Material CD with bonus tracks.^[7]

Songs

"The Memory of Trees" originated from Roma Ryan after she read about Druids and Irish mythology. Ryan wrote the lyrics to "Hope Has a Place" after she visited the Silent Valley Reservoir in the Mourne Mountains of Ireland. Enya visited the reservoir and recorded her voice outdoors. Rob Dickins of WEA Records was invited to listen to the album at a time when Enya and Nicky Ryan felt it needed more work. He liked the material recorded, but felt "Anywhere Is" needed further development as it "had the makings of an obvious single". Dickins is credited on the album's sleeve in Gaelic.^[8]

Critical reception

The Memory of Trees received mixed to positive reviews from music critics.

Track listing

All lyrics written by Roma Ryan, all music composed by Enya and all songs produced by Enya and Nicky Ryan. All instruments and vocals performed by Enya.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Memory of Trees" (Instrumental)	4:18
2.	"Anywhere Is"	3:58
3.	"Pax Deorum"	4:58
4.	"Athair ar Neamh"	3:39
5.	"From Where I Am" (Instrumental)	2:20
6.	"China Roses"	4:47
7.	"Hope Has a Place"	4:44
8.	"Tea-House Moon" (Instrumental)	2:41
9.	"Once You Had Gold"	3:16
10.	"La Soñadora"	3:35
11.	"On My Way Home"	5:08
12.	"Oriel Window" (Bonus track on WEA Japan release)	2:22
Total length:		43:24

All lyrics are in English except those of "Pax Deorum" (Latin: "Peace of the Gods"), "Athair Ar Neamh" (Irish: "Heavenly Father"), and "La Soñadora" (Spanish: "The Dreamer"). "From Where I Am" and "Oriel Window" are piano solos; "Tea-House Moon" is an instrumental.

"The Memory of Trees" was used in the score of the American television film Shot Through the Heart (1998); "Once You Had Gold" was used in the score of the American romantic comedy film Knocked Up (2007); and "Pax Deorum" was used in the score of the American documentary film For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) and also as an unreleased track on the 1986 BBC documentary 'The Celts'. On 24 July 2011, Yamagata Broadcasting Company of Japan used "China Roses" in its sign-off on the occasion of its final analogue television broadcast. An instrumental version of the song "Athair Ar Neamh" was played when Sofia Hellqvist walked down the aisle during her wedding to Sweden's Prince Carl Philip.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart Peak position Australian ARIA Albums Chart 1 Austrian Albums Chart 3 Belgian Ultratop 50 Albums (Flanders) 3 Belgian Ultratop 50 Albums (Wallonia) 6 Dutch Albums Chart 1 Finnish Albums Chart 11 German Albums Chart 4 Irish Albums Chart 1 New Zealand Albums Chart 3 Norwergian Albums Chart 1 Spanish Albums Chart 1 Swedish Albums Chart 1 Swiss Albums Chart 3 UK Albums Chart 5 U.S. Billboard 200[9] 9 Certifications Region Certification Sales/shipments Argentina (CAPIF)[10] Platinum 60,000^x Australia (ARIA)[11] 4× Platinum 280,000^^ Austria (IFPI Austria)[12] Platinum 50,000^x Brazil (ABPD)[13] Platinum 250,000^* Canada (Music Canada)[14] Platinum 100,000^^ Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[15] Gold 21,714[15] France (SNEP)[16] Gold 100,000^* Germany (BVMI)[17] Gold 250,000^^ Japan (RIAJ)[18] 3× Platinum 600,000^^ Netherlands (NVPI)[19] Platinum 100,000^^ New Zealand (RMNZ)[20] Platinum 15,000^^ Poland (ZPAV)[21] Gold 50,000^* Spain (PROMUSICAE)[22] 3× Platinum 300,000^^ Sweden (GLF)[23] Platinum 100,000^^ United Kingdom (BPI)[24] 2× Platinum 600,000^^ United States (RIAA)[25] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^^ Summaries Europe (IFPI)[26] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^* Worldwide 10,000,000 ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone Notes The Memory of Trees at AllMusic Browne, David (1995-12-08). "The Memory of Trees Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2013-09-22. Heckman, Don (1995-12-02). "ALBUM REVIEWS : Musical Spirits Continue to Inspire Enya". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-09-22. "Enya - Memory of Trees CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 2013-09-22. Gardner, Elysa (1996-01-25). "Enya: The Memory of Trees : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone: 73. Archived from the original on 2008-06-09. Retrieved 2013-09-22. Warner Brazil: Enya Biography http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=459822 Gritten, David (7 January 1996). "Enya Dreams". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 January 2016. "The Memory of Trees - Enya". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-06-29. "Argentinian album certifications – Enya – The Memory of Trees". Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. "Austrian album certifications – Enya – Memory of Trees" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter Enya in the field Interpret. Enter Memory of Trees in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen "Brazilian album certifications – Enya – The Memory of Trees" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. "Canadian album certifications – Enya – The Memory of Trees". Music Canada. "Enya" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. "French album certifications – Enya – The Memory of Trees" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Enya; 'The Memory of Trees')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. "RIAJ > The Record > June 1997 > Certified Awards (April 1997)" (PDF). Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 January 2014. "Dutch album certifications – Enya – The Memory of Trees" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. "New Zealand album certifications – Enya – The Memory of Trees". Recorded Music NZ. "Polish album certifications – Enya – The Memory of Trees" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. "Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados > 1995–1999". Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 8480486392. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. "British album certifications – Enya – The Memory of Trees". British Phonographic Industry. Enter The Memory of Trees in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search "American album certifications – Enya – The Memory of Trees". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1996". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. External links The Memory of Trees at Discogs