Music
Review: Secret Garden: Once In A Red Moon
Written by: Kage
Alan
Album Rating: A
Don't you just hate it when a music
reviewer feels the need to share part of
his/her life with you when discussing an album? I don't. Listening
to music
is a part of us all and it can serve as a reminder of special moments
in our
own personal history that we rarely get a chance to share with anyone
else.
A bond is created between the artist and the listener, which is
something
they often hope for. Before I go much further, for those of
you looking for
the short version, the album is fantastic and similar to their first
release,
"Songs From A Secret Garden", while having some wonderful
talent add vocals
to a couple of the tracks. They've simply outdone
themselves. Okay, you're
done. For those of you looking for a bit more depth, here
begins my story.
I'd only been dating my other half for two months when he went to Hong
Kong
for 4 months, so needless to say I was missing him. A few
days after he
returned, I carted him off to Toronto for a week. He told
me during the
drive there about all the great new music he'd heard on his trip and
especially about an instrumental he's listened to, but didn't buy
because he
thought he'd have time to go back for and didn't (this is a
reoccurring theme
in our life together). To make a long story short (too
late), we were
walking through Eaton Center when a soft breeze of music hit our ears,
a
combination of lush keyboard/piano and violin. It was
magnificent and my boy
froze. THIS was the song he'd heard in Hong Kong and it was
coming from
somewhere in the mall.
Well, we tracked down that sound with the same fervor Robert Downey
Jr. does
for his next fix and discovered it not in a record store, but in the
middle
of the mall where the duo was playing live. We listened,
mesmerized by their
set, then went and bought the album. Two years later, we
stopped in a
Borders in Chicago and discovered that they'd come out with a second
album,
"White Stones", and would be appearing at that location
later on in the day.
Coincidence? During my first trip to Hong Kong, I wasn't
the least bit
surprised to see a poster for their third effort, "Dawn Of A New
Century",
and a concert date during the time I was there. Secret
Garden released a
compilation after that album, so I've been waiting for a while for
some new
material. Lo and behold, there it was at Media Play just a
week ago. Will I
be seeing them soon? I wonder.
The duo, consisting of Rolf Lovland and Fionnuala Sherry, has had one
goal in
mind since their debut album; help inspire us to find that place
within
ourselves where we go for happiness and tranquility, our own secret
garden.
Each album has a theme running through the music, contains liner notes
in the
booklet, lyrics and a message from the group. They care
about their music,
how it comes across and want to share what it means to them and how it
came
into existence. Aside from their musical contributions,
additional
instruments often include oboes, flutes, whistles, Uilleann pipes,
keyfiddles, clarinets, piano and countless others for an extremely
organic
feel to what I have to say is a combination between classic Norwegian
and
Celtic melodies and harmonies.
I mentioned earlier that this album feels closer to their first
release,
which has been my favorite throughout. The other two albums
were definitely
fine pieces, only I've always felt a connection to "Songs From
The Secret
Garden" that the others just didn't quite duplicate…until
now. "Once In A
Red Moon" begins with a track called "Awakening", a
melodic piano and violin
piece that invites you to step into the garden once more. After
an absence
of several years, this serves as a reminder of who they are and what
we have
been missing. The next track, "You Raise Me Up"
begins with soft music for
the first minute, then features lyrics sung by the talent of Brian
Kennedy
and later Tracey Campbell-Nation with the London Community Gospel
Choir and
Irish choral group. It's a truly a beautiful song with a
very uplifting and
positive romantic message.
After a dreamlike instrumental titled "Silent Wings", we
arrive at the second
track to feature lyrics. "Greenwaves" features
Karen Matheson on vocals and
I had goosebumps from listening to it. This is a song that
just bathes you
in its rich melody and forces you to stop what you are doing and
listen.
"Invitation" has a more upbeat feel and flavor, Karen
Matheson returns on
vocals on "Gates Of Dawn" (another highlight),
"Fairytale" brings images to
mind from Ridley Scott's "Legend" and "Elegie" is
a special treat for fans.
Secret Garden extended an invitation on their website for fans to send
them a
C-chord (of which they received 66), which was then mixed into the
final
moments of the song, creating what they term "…a global
energy of sound".
"Once In A Red Moon" is the most mature of the group's
albums so far, only
they haven't grown so serious in their work that they've forgotten
what they
originally set out to do. No. They have instead
refined their ideas and
brought their knowledge together to create a rich tapestry of music
that
paints images no writer or critic can put words to. It's
their gift to us
and my new favorite album by them. It is unfortunate and
sad that Rolf's
mother passed away during the final days of the album's production,
but the
beauty she possessed as a person and as a mother has been instilled in
her
son and this album is a reflection of that. I'm sure she's
proud. If you've
not taken the time to discover Secret Garden yet, here is your chance
and I'm
sure you'll be going back to pick up their earlier albums. It's
wonderful!
Kage holds degrees in Creative Writing, as well as Film & Video. He has been
featured in a Life Journey Tele-Course, published poems in several national anthologies,
been a contributor to The Third Coast Magazine and written several novels. kage@modamag.com
COMMENTS
Special
comment from members of the group:
Dear
Kage,
Thank
you so much for your mail and the review.
What
a great story!!
Its
a pity we have not met but there may be a possibility of tours in
Canada
in 2003. So if this happens we
will be sure to let you know.
Meanwhile
we hope you continue to enjoy and we much appreciate all your interest
and support.
All
the best
Fionnuala
and Rolf
Date/Time of Posting: Jul 14
2002 / 15:54:00
IP Address: 63.225.236.211
name = Bonnie
where = Hottie27BEG@Hotmail.com
Subject = Lyrics
comments = How can I get lyrics to
Dawn of the New Century ? and other songs by secret garden?
Date/Time of Posting: Jul 15 2002 / 22:11:18
IP Address: 65.103.231.191
name = Bonnie
where = Hottie27BEG@hotmail.com
replyemail = Lyrics
comments = I guess I have the best of and that doesn't have the
lyrics. I'll keep that in mind and buy the erst of the cd's I also
have stepping stones and I love it. I am a Violin player and I plan to
get sheet music. to all the songs eccpecialy The Rap and Celebrations
I love all the rest But those are the two I like the best of all I
heard.If you could help me find sheet music that would be just so very
wonderful.
Thanx
Date/Time of Posting: Aug
07 2002 / 22:52:37
IP Address: 164.77.106.135
name = Alonso
where = lonchus@hotmail.com
Subject = I'm also looking for secret garden lyrics
comments = Hi i've recently listened some secret garden's songs and i
really liked it. So if any of you know where to find some secret
garden lyrics, please let me know.
Thanks.
Date/Time of Posting: Oct 14 2002
/ 13:06:59
IP Address: 64.12.96.46
name = Tracy Flood
where = Artenv@aol.com
SGComments = Hello, I was wondering where I could find sheet music for
the Secret Garden- White Stones album. I would really love to have it
played at my wedding! Thanks.
Date/Time of Posting: Nov 06 2002
/ 22:51:02
IP Address: 203.47.120.135
name = Evita Abrantes
where = delemiavita2002@yahoo.com
SGComments = Hello, how are you´re all doing? I was wondering wher i
could find Words from greenwaves and gates of dawn, tahat´s it, thank
you...and bye...
Date/Time of Posting: Nov 14 2002
/ 12:18:56
IP Address: 64.12.96.46
name = Deborah Olson
where = Olson4deko@aol.com
Subject: Sheet Music Request
SGComments = I would like to buy the piano sheet music of Songs From A
Secret Garden. I am playing the pieces now by ear but I would
love the composer's true arrangements. I am a piano teacher in
Maryland with my own children and students who love the CD. I too love
the music. The music so aptly finds emotions within the listener. I
have been looking for so long. Please email me if you can help!
Thank you. Deborah
Date/Time of Posting: Nov 25 2002
/ 02:53:07
IP Address: 203.218.131.157
name = Ted Anderson
where = psoc2000@hotmail.com
SGComments = Hello! I'm a music student. I plan to arrange a play of
the 'Divertimento' in the coming X'mas day. Please help me to get it.
Thanks.
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