Det kan være THE PRAYER CYCLE - lidt info til dig :
Lyrikken finder du her :
http://www.andrealoprado.hpg.ig.com.br/tpc.html
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The Prayer Cycle (US)/(1999)
Sony Classical SK60569
1. Mercy (Alanis Morissette(Hungarian), Salif Keita(Mali), The English
Chamber Chorus(Swahili))
3. Hope (Alanis Morissette (French), The American Boychoir Featuring Devin
Provenzano))
6. Innocence (Salif Keita(Mali), Alanis Morissette(French), The English
Chamber Chorus(French))
9. Faith (Alanis Morissette(Hungarian), Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn(Urdu), The
English Chamber Chorus(German))
Various Artists
The Prayer Cycle
by Dan Peña, Ingenium Staff
In the album notes for The Prayer Cycle, composer Jonathan Elias writes, "As
I worked, my personal views inspired dark visions of where I think we,
globally, are heading. And I found that prayer is what we turn to, when the
only thing we have left is hope. For whatever reason, providence or chance,
we take paths that lead us somewhere we never imagined." That sounds kind of
dark and ominous and yet, at the same time, kind of uplifting, which is
exactly what this album is.
On it's cover, the album is called "A Choral Symphony in Nine Movements." On
the inside you'll find an eclectic mix of artists, music and languages. Some
of the featured artists are Alanis Morissette, Ofra Haza, Perry Farrell,
Linda Ronstadt and the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Either the English
Chamber Orchestra & Choir or The American Boychoir backs all songs. The nine
movements are named Mercy, Strength, Hope, Compassion, Grace, Innocence,
Forgiveness, Benediction and Faith.
It's hard to describe the sound of the album because of the unique mix Elias
has put together. The first track, "Mercy," features Alanis Morissette
singing in Hungarian, Salif Keita singing in Mali and the English Chamber
Chorus singing in Swahili. (Alanis also translated the Hungarian part she
sings, so not only is she a musician, lyricist, and actress, she's also a
linguist.) The second track has parts in English, German, Dwala and Tibetan.
Other pieces feature Urdu, Latin, Hebrew, Spanish, French and Italian.
As the album progresses, you can feel the meditative spirit that Elias was
hoping to inspire and the power behind the performances of the vocalists.
Even though the majority of the pieces are not in English (translations are
in the booklet) you can feel the emotions that are meant to be represented.
A few of the tracks do seem to have mismatched vocals in which one artist
tends to overpower the others, but most of the performances blend well with
one another. On "Benediction," Linda Ronstadt really seems to be straining
to match the vocal heights achieved by the choir behind her.
Be warned that this is not a pop album, nor is it like releases from artists
such as Enigma that feature choral performances backed by dance beats. This
really is a symphony.
Elias has to be given credit for pulling this off. To be able to combine so
many different talents and musical styles into a cohesive unit is an amazing
feat. This is a great album, and while many of the lyrics seem quite dark,
the music lifts your spirit. It's an odd paradox, but it works.
The feeling of this album can be best reflected in Jonathan Elias' comments
at the end of his introduction: "The world we live in is both joyous and
cruel. The divide between love and hate has never been as wide as it is in
our world today. I pray that we can move forward and that the next
generations rise where we have fallen."