Ommadawn
Missing image Mike_oldfield_ommadawn_album_cover.jpg Album cover
LP by Mike Oldfield
Released	21 October 1975
Recorded	The Beacon, January - September 1975
Genre	World music
Length	?? min ?? s
Label	Virgin
Producer	Mike Oldfield
Professional reviews
Forthcoming
Mike Oldfield Chronology
Hergest Ridge (1974)	Ommadawn (1975)	Incantations (1978)

Ommadawn is a record album written and mostly performed by Mike Oldfield. It is his third album. The cover photograph was by David Bailey.

As with Hergest Ridge and Tubular Bells, Ommadawn is another two-movement work. Here Oldfield sought out the ancient Celtic influence on English music and composed for traditional instruments such as Uilleann pipes. He also involved musicians noted for their work in folk music including Clodagh Simmonds and Paddy Moloney.

The word ommadawn appears to be related to the Gaelic word amadan meaning "fool". This results in the supposed translation of the chant at the end of the first movement, transcribed as ta me an ommadawn le cheoil, as "I am the fool with the music".

Though the actual work Ommadawn is two parts, there is a third track found on the album, a short vocal song by Mike Oldfield and William Murray called "On Horseback".

Mike Oldfield plays

acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, banjo, bazouki, bodhrán, classical guitar, electric bass, electric guitars, electric organs, glockenspiel, harp, mandolin, percussion, piano, spinet, steel guitar, synthesizers, twelve-string guitar and vocals.

Other performers

• Don Blakeson - trumpet
• Herbie - Northumbrian bagpipes
• The Hereford City Band - brass
• Jabula - African drums
• Pierre Moerlen - timpani
• Paddy Moloney - Uilleann pipes
• William Murray - percussion
• Sally Oldfield - vocals
• Terry Oldfield - Panpipes
• Leslie Penning - recorders
• "The Penrhos Kids" (Abigail,Briony, Ivan and Jason Griffiths) - vocals on "On Horseback"
• Clodagh Simmonds - vocals
• Bridget St John - vocals
• David Strange - cello