Monday, January 6, 2014

The Hills Are Spookily Alive


This is cosmic music from a truly difference frame of mind.  Here's a review from allmusic.com:

“Many new age harpists come from the Celtic tradition; spiritual harpist Georgia Kelly is classically trained and plays a concert pedal harp. The first half of The Sound of Spirit is a Kelly composition, a choral hymn with harp accompaniment, based on the Sanskrit text of the Rig Veda. The piece does not emulate Indian scales or music, but is lovely and spacious. Kelly's harp seems like rays of dewy light. Edward Cansino is the conductor of his I Cantori Chorale; soloists include soprano Diane Thomas, tenor Byron White, and baritone Kenneth Knight. The second half features a harp solo, "Morning Song," and "Dayana/Bird in Flight," with Joel Soultanian on viola and Peter Kent on violin. The two strings intertwine magically, like birds swirling around Kelly's airy harp. This last piece has the appealing meditative Kelly sound and spiritual tug.”

This is definitely NOT the kind of unrestricted noodling around on a synthesizer which often characterizes "New Age" music ... can I get a Raphael, anybody?

This was deeply thought out, and it certainly sounds deeply felt.  When you're listening to the vocals, you keep thinking that you SHOULD be able to make sense of the words, but of course you can't, they're in Sanskrit.

If you give it the time, you can follow this music to a quiet place inside you.  You may end up like Coleridge at the end of his poem "To William Wordsworth":

Absorbed, yet hanging still upon the sound—
And when I rose, I found myself in prayer.

Start listenin'!

PS I re-did the cover art.  The original is like this:
...and I didn't try to scan it.... Also included is a PDF insert with the album's liner notes and text/translations.

See ya!
 










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