She stands as an Irish icon. Whether it’s as singer for Clannad or as a solo artist, Moya Brennan has a wealth of Celtic melody at her fingertip.

But it hasn’t all been plain sailing. When she was at her lowest she knew where to turn. Her Christian parents had laid the foundations. She made a commitment to Jesus Christ. ‘Not that I’m perfect,’ she tells Challenge readers. ‘My faith is how I can cope with my life, finding my way with the Lord. Without him I’d be totally lost.’

This Christmas you can enjoy two albums that reflect Moya’s great talent. Heart Strings is Moya’s first live solo album recorded with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in Liverpool and on her German tour.

‘It’s to show folks the variety of music I do at a concert,’ says Moya. ‘There’s traditional music, Clannad’s (including ‘Harry’s Game’ and ‘I Will Find You’) and my own.’ There is one new song which has special links. ‘It’s the song that I wrote for the Chelsea Flower Show. Diarmuid Gavin (the celebrity gardener) is a good friend of mine so I did a song for him.’

Heart Strings gives a real feel of her live performances, with improvisations though you won’t hear much of Moya’s reminisces as she doesn’t like to hear her own speaking voice. ‘If live shows were perfect, they’d be boring! ‘I do feel very privileged that here I am in my 50s and people still want to hear my voice. I have a great fan base.’

Family and Christmas go together for Moya. Her album An Irish Christmas gives the season a Celtic twist. ‘I wanted to capture a truly Celtic Christmas feeling. It is the essence of what I believe in and the album offers both celebration and reflection on that familiar theme.’ ‘There’s always music for me at Christmas, whether it’s in church or with the family. It’s a time to reflect on the simplicity of life as well. We should never underestimate the beauty of what God wants us to be.’