Customer Reviews

Dawn of a New Century

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For me, it is the same as with all of Secret Garden's CDs: I am completely "swept away" by their music to that magical, spiritual "place" within where I freely explore my ideas, my thoughts, my intuitions, my goals and my dreams. I don't feel weighted down by the music; to the contrary, its varied moods and personalities delight my soul and allow my spiritual explorations to take on an even greater dimension. Now, I realize that there are plenty of other reasons why we listen to music. But when I want to play something that helps inspire me and uplift me, as well as carry me away to my inner sanctum, I often play something from Secret Garden. In addition, it's just great listening and great music. Honestly, I couldn't recommend a CD more. This title, as well as their other two (White Stones and Songs from...)are magic-making for me. And to me that's what great music does--it takes us out of the ordinary to experience the extraordinary.

We are from New Jersey and every September we vacation in beautiful Victorian Cape May, NJ. I had never heard of Secret Garden until I was browsing through the lovely Victorian era stores and heard this beautiful, haunting music coming out of speakers placed in a tree in front of the store. I was spellbound by what I was hearing and proceded to search for the store, spellbound, praying that I would be able to purchase this music for myself. I knew I had to hear this again. Buy it, play it, light some candles, turn out the lights and relax.

I bought this CD expecting it to be a continuation of the excellent first two albums. Not so for me -- the styles were a little different and now a lot more vocals were introduced. Some of it struck me as rather trite, in fact, and I had a "been there, done that" feeling from some of the tracks. I want to hear more of their lovely violins... not some unimaginative vocals. They even have one track (the title track, in fact) wherein somebody narrates some passages as an intro to the song... that stuff drives me nuts and breaks up the mood for me.

Still, it's not bad music, just don't expect the smooth styles of the first two CDs to be here for each track.

This was the first Secret Garden CD that I bought. I have since purchased the other two. I love all three, but this one is my absolute favorite. I love to play it the hour before I go to bed. It is unbelievably relaxing. If it's possible to wear out a CD, this will be the one in my collection that goes first. If you love beautiful, haunting music, you can't go wrong with this CD. Looking forward to the next one.

Keyboardist/composer Rolf Lovgren and violinist Fionnuala Sherry continue their musical evolution in this, the third of Secret Garden's albums, accompanied by a plethora of soloists, backups, choirs and orchestras too numerous to mention. Not as lively as their second release nor as poignant as the fourth, "Dawn of a New Century" contains many sweet, slow and sometimes sad pieces reminiscent of their first CD, "Songs from a Secret Garden". I particularly like the hypnotic "Prayer", featuring the voice of Capercaillie's Karen Matheson, and the mysterious, heartfelt "Dreamcatcher". Other selections are more animated--"Elan" is vibrant and percussive, "Divertimento" is a bouncy Baroque-style concerto, "Lore of the Loom" a jaunty celebration of Celtic motifs, and "Children of the River" is also engagingly lively. What I love about all of Rolf Lovland's varied compositions is that while they have wide appeal verging on mainstream, they are just too authentic and well-crafted to sound like "same-old" popular schlock. There's something different about Secret Garden's songs--something special that deserves everyone's notice, from New Age and classical music lovers to those who just accept whatever comes on the radio and know little else. That being said, the one exception to that claim might be the title track of this album, #13. Written to pay homage to humanity's preoccupation with marking the passage of time, this song sounds--to me--more like theme music from a dramatic western. It's not a bad tune, but it doesn't fit well with the rest of the album, and seems a little trite and simplistic for the job of heralding in a "new era". I am admittedly burnt out from the "Y2K" furor of a few years back. But rather than presuming that a major change in one culture's year-numbering system has significance and portends change or opportunity (while ignoring the fact that it's all totally irrelevant to the calendars of other cultures!), people might be better served by views like that of Armenian musician Arto Tuncyboyacian. He entitled one of his albums "Every Day is a New Life". Forget about counting years and contriving significances, and just stand ready to recognize and make the most of whatever opportunities for good come your way. But nonetheless, let the music of Secret Garden help you along in your journey. It's loving, beautiful, inspiring and full of the best sentiments humanity has to offer!

Okay all you Classical, New Age, and Celtic fans, here's your CD. This CD has something for nearly everyone. "Divertimento" is an excellent neo-baroque piece that actually sounds straight from the baroque era. Every time I listen to it I hear something new, like the lower strings playing a legato harmony in some parts. "Sona" is Anuna-like in its vocals AND has a rich texture of instruments making it one of the best songs on the album. "In Our Tears" is a simpler piece, and yet with extreme beauty. It will bring tears to your eyes. "Aria" is a beautiful lament that will bring on even MORE tears. Some of the tracks are more upbeat, reminding me of the music from Riverdance. Karen Mathenson even sings on some of the tracks! Still the song that outshines them all is the final track, "Dawn of a New Century." John Kavanagh is absolutely perfect as the narrator. The music is dramatic, the lyrics are exciting... I love listening to it closely and hearing all the instruments creating a thick texture of melody and harmony. I spent the hyped Y2K eve listening to this over and over... it's the perfect way to ring in ANY new year. In addition to this incredible music, the CD booklet is highly detailed in images, lyrics, and the background of each piece. A real treat is that the actual notes of the music makes the background artwork. I was able to play a bit of "Dawn of a New Century" on the piano. ;) This is one of the best CDs anyone can purchase, and well worth the money.

This is my favorite! I can't wait to hear more and more. With my portable CD player and head phones on, I was on the beach and could not sit still, when I heard song #3 Elan. I must have looked lke a real nut dancing on the beach like some character from an old movie. I didn't care who saw me, it was great! The music on this CD just picks me up and floats me away, away---so beautiful and haunting. Be good to yourself, buy this one for you!

I received the three Secret Garden's CDs for Christmas, they were wonderful. Being a Norwegian American, I love how they combine the Norwegian style with the Celtic. A very powerful combination. Even my second graders love it.

The music in this one is a bit more new-agey and less classical than the group's previous two albums. The music itself is excellent, but the vocals sound so incredibly lame that it's embarrassing. The lyrics, the recording, and the voices themselves are just a mar on every song where they surface. Secret Garden is very talented and, in most ways, a joy to listen to, but the vocals ruin an otherwise wonderful listening experience (Dreamcatcher, especially the beginning, is a perfect example). Here's one slightly-disappointed fan hoping they realize their instrumental roots again in time for their next release.

Dawn of a New Century is beyond the formulaic productions of many other "New Age" artists where the first, last and most of the songs in between all have the same feel. Rolf Løvland takes his creative styles of music to a new level, and the violin performance of Fionnuala Sherry is nothing short of the heart singing a song beyond words. From the deep, sorrowful emotion of "In Our Tears" through the beautiful melody of "Sona" to the upbeat Celtic feel of "Lore of the Loom", Secret Garden once again delivers a spectacular production only they could create.