Songs From a Secret Garden

Secret Garden | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 16, 1996)
• Original Release Date: April 16, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B000001GBJ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (185 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,336 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #2 in Music > Folk > British & Celtic Folk > Irish Folk
  • #35 in Music > New Age > Meditation
  • #41 in Music > Pop > Easy Listening > General

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Picture a square with Clannad, pianist David Lanz, Mannheim Steamroller, and the musicians of Riverdance at its corners. Somewhere within those stylistic borders you will encounter the European duo Secret Garden. The popular twosome--Irish violinist Fionnuala (fi-NOO-la) Sherry and Norwegian pianist/keyboardist Rolf Lovland--have attracted a sizable following with their heart-touching specialty: a wistful, violin-rooted, pop-folk-classical melange that often strikes the ear as a film score in search of some delicate romantic tale. Songs from a Secret Garden is the duo's debut recording from 1995, and it principally offers a series of pensive dialogues between Sherry's stately violin and Lovland's subdued piano, yielding equal measures of sweetness and melancholy. Whistles, pipes, percussion, strings, and ethereal voices serve as embellishments. At times you may sense you're being serenaded by strolling musicians with a heavy sentimental streak; at other times you may feel genuinely moved--perhaps by something as lovely as the reverential "Sigma" and its sublime, Gregorian-like choral passages. Only one uptempo tune, "The Rap," surfaces here; a few others would have been welcomed. And yes, this is the disc where you will find "Heartstrings," the composition that once smote Barbra Streisand's heart. She eventually acquired the rights to the piece, inserted lyrics, renamed it "I've Dreamed of You" (found on A Love Like Ours), and sang it to James Brolin during the couple's 1998 wedding. --Terry Wood

Product Description

Japanese SHM-CD pressing. Universal. 2012. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A relaxing, soulful journey through your own secret garden.., July 1, 2002

By 

Sarah - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Songs From a Secret Garden (Audio CD)

I first heard "Songs from a Secret Garden" playing in a music store eight years ago, and I was entranced from the very first note. The music was a blend of classical, Celtic and Norwegian, a stunning combination of piano, violin, orchestra and voice. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard before: deeply moving, relaxing, meditative, a journey to a secret garden, perfect music for reflection on a rainy day.

Secret Garden is made up of Norwegian composer Rolf Lovland on piano and Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry. They have since released four other CDs: "White Stones," "Dawn of a New Century," "Dreamcatcher" (a best-of compilation taken from the first three releases), and "Once in a Red Moon," but for me "Songs from a Secret Garden" remains their masterpiece. It is by turns gentle, romantic, melancholy, playful and joyous. There is a Celtic element on some of the songs ("Sigma," with an Irish-language chorus and a boy soprano, "The Rap,"), but it is not as marked as their later releases, which to me sound like Riverdance imitations and have lost all of the "Secret Garden" magic for me. "Nocturne" features the stunning vocals of Gunnhild Tvinnereim, and this was the song that first catapulted Secret Garden to fame (it won the 1995 Eurovision song contest for Norway). My other favourite songs from the collection are "Songs from a Secret Garden" and "Sigma."

(I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of the sheet music to "Songs from a Secret Garden" and I play selections from it every day. The foreword is in English and Norwegian, and there are additional notes by Rolf regarding performance tips and inspirations behind the songs. If you play piano, this is a worthy investment for a Secret Garden fan. The collection features all thirteen songs from "Songs from a Secret Garden" and is available at their official website at www.secretgarden.no)

This is still a very popular album even though it was released in 1994: it is one of BMG Music Club's top-selling classical CDs, Barbara Streisand did a cover of "Heartstrings" for her wedding, adding lyrics and renaming it "I've Dreamed of You," and some of my favourite places in Québec City use "Songs from a Secret Garden" as background music (Aux Anciens Canadiens, 34 Rue Saint-Louis, Domaine Steinbach, 2205, chemin Royal
Saint-Pierre de l'Île d'Orléans).

This is the only CD I reach for after a long day. The stress just melts away and my spirits are lifted instantly. "Songs from a Secret Garden" is perfect for anyone seeking a quiet moment in their lives, a moment to reflect, dream, love, and explore their own secret garden.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solitude and Tranquility, November 24, 1999

By 

John (South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Songs From a Secret Garden (Audio CD)

This CD never fails to relax me after a lousy day at work. It is always soothing, not one harsh note or jarring moment. Even the more up-tempo "The Rap", the only really lively tune on the album, is a joyful celebration of life.

When I was choosing a selection of CDs to play during my son's waterbirth, I didn't hesitate to include this one for its calming, gentle sounds to help both my wife and myself to relax. Jonathan was introduced to the world with the beautiful strains of Secret Garden.

This is soul food. If you need to let it all out, this is the music.

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Production with Haunting Melodies, May 11, 2000

By 

"d-moonshadow" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Songs From a Secret Garden (Audio CD)

After hearing "Nocturne" on a local classical station I knew I HAD to pick this CD up. "Nocturne" is such an incredible acheivement, and being a songwriter myself, wish I could write something half as good. With Rolf Lovland on piano and Fionnuala Sherry on violin, the music to this song makes me weep with joy. Gunnhild Tvinnereim, the featured vocalist on "Nocturne", has one of the purest voices I have ever heard. The rest of the CD is almost as beautiful, and has the underpinings of both Norwegian and Celtic culture. Many times, listening to this fabulous music, I can picture myself on a cliff overlooking the wide, expansive Atlantic ocean, and each song brings to mind a different atmosphere to become part of.