Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: harp

  • Heaven Sent

    Heaven Sent

    Peter Stirling lives in Sedona, Arizona and is a man of deep spiritual belief that comes through in his impeccably created music, which he considers, is sent directly from the Heaves above. In his 17th album Heaven Sent it is indeed hard to dispute this belief as the music that graces the ten tracks is perfectly divine.

    Inspired by the rich and multihued colours of the Autumn, Sedona bathed in a golden light, he was invited by his Angels to create what he considers as ‘a profound spiritual experience’ resulting in music which will sooth, relax and restore the very soul.

    Harp music, no matter in what genre it is delivered, always comes with the enchantment of alchemy. Over the ten tracks that make up this intimate collection, each one singular and perfect, he is joined by a range of musicians, each one adding their special divine energy to create a blissful and most enjoyable experience.

    In his own words he describes the gift he has been given to share with all.

     ‘The music on this album came to me like a divine gift from heaven the day after Thanksgiving. In a moment filled with gratitude for the many blessings in my life and a tender sense of loss in love, I felt a profound connection to my angels. Their message was clear: set up the microphones and let my harp speak the emotions of my heart.”

      Heaven Sent is a divine listening experience that will be returned to time and time again when a time of reflection, meditation and simply being in the moment is required.

  • To Dance with You: Music for Flute and Harp

    To Dance with You: Music for Flute and Harp

    There is at the rear of Louis Anthony deLise’s property a magic place called the ‘Bocage’: I am sure he, along with John McMurtery and Anne Sullivan retired to this enchanted corner of the universe and allowed the fairies, pixies and other worldly folk to be found there, to create an album of short but enchanting pieces full of whimsy and charm, using of course very earthly talents.

    To Dance With You is from the first track, nothing short of perfectly beautiful; full of delicate notes from the flute and harp, two instruments working in perfect harmony to weave their evocative spell of seduction to bewitch and beguile.

    The ethereal A Time for Peace is a composition full of love, warmth and welcome, enticing the weary soul to settle gently into the moment allowing love to sooth, comfort and refresh. No pixies or fairies in this one at all, but maybe there is one there somewhere.

    Cheeky and full of interesting concepts is A Trot Through The Snow (On Mr Brubeck’s Horse) which brings with it an element of fun, of children enjoying a moment in time as they journey across the snow covered landscape; of dainty Sprites dancing on the back of the horse, simply enjoying the freedom of the moment.

    Little Lydian has an almost ‘olde worlde’ feel to the flow of the music, reminding one of cobbled streets, musicians entertaining the passers bye; charming and interesting. Whereas, Three Little Dancers charms as it allows a story to unfold of three little children, deeply concentrating on their moment in time where they can show all who choose to see, the rare beauty of the moment when music and dance come together seamlessly.

    Reminiscent of times long ago, when the magic of the music box was a thing of great wonder to small children, The Music Box captures that wonderment felt when the lid was opened, the little dancer spinning slowly around, the music twinkling, seemingly without assistance.

    As with all magical things an end must arrive and it does with Petit Fall Fanfare, a more formal piece that balances the ethereal nature of the previous tracks and is wonderful as a grounding to return once again from a magical place, to the world of every day, enchanted and bewitched. A perfect conclusion.

    Louis Anthony deLise is a musician of note, particularly for his many and varied compositions. With To Dance With You he has created a romantic, captivating, and engaging interlude in time, which has been bought to life and enchantment by the talent of John McMurtery on Flute and Anne Sullivan on Harp.

    Allow your mind to simply drift with the music and perhaps you too will be fortunate enough to discover the fairies, pixies and sprites dancing and enjoying their special moment in time as they request also To Dance With You.

  • Hummingbird

    Hummingbird

    Serenity with a lovely rich understory is the trademark of 2002, Pamela and Randy Copus with their talented daughter Sarah, a combination that simply keeps on getting deeper and better as each new album will testify. Hummingbird, their latest release is perfection.

    Rainbow Cove sets the benchmark for the entire album, introduced with the delicate touch of strings, before flowing into an all-encompassing surround sound to take the mind and senses to another place, the many ambient aspects of the earth flowing throughout the music. Allow the mind to drift gently to wherever It chooses to flow to prepare for the pleasure to follow.

    Beautiful string work leads in Gathering of the Clouds creating a brooding but light piece reminiscent of the orchestral sound prevalent in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, the slight hint of the ocean, the ebb and flow of the waters, the sky deepening as the clouds begin to gather.

    Sarah Copus on harp creates magic for the delicious piece Walela; a delicate addition of vocals allowing a touch of a mystical journey entices the listener into a secret world only they can discover.

    How many times do we Court the Moon, looking in awe at the light shining down on earth, offering a pathway through the darkness, adding romance to the moment, mystery and mystique ever present as the night drifts toward the dawn. This gentle, slow song captures the etheric beauty that is the moonlight washing over the world as it has done since time immemorial.

    Delicate and soft Through the Rainbow brings to mind the beauty to be watched in awe as water cascades from a high waterfall, the droplets catching the light to create the rare sight of a rainbow dancing within the spray of the cascade.

    With a final gentle flourish, the First Day of Spring draws to a conclusion the delicately crafted Hummingbird, an album that ushers in a time full of fresh hope, the colours of the earth blossoming joyfully after the long cold winter, lighter skies, longer days the warmth of the sun covering the earth with healing rays.

    2002 have captured the magic of the small, gentle bird that is the Hummingbird, a bird folkloric considers to bring joy, healing, good luck; some legends say it is a spirit being who helps people in need, all of which has been captured within Hummingbird. Their wing speed patterns form the pattern for infinity, also the symbol of 2002. A perfect match.

  • Healing Sound Project 1​:​1

    Healing Sound Project 1​:​1

    Sarah Jane Hargis believes in following dreams and overcoming obstacles, and doing what it takes to be able to follow a pathway in life that could be considered as a pre-defined destiny, that of becoming a world class flutist and Neurological Music Therapist.

    Born into a family of farmers, her love of music was encouraged by her grandmother, who played piano and her father a cornet player and guitarist, little did she realise as a child, she would go on to make music her life. When she began to partially lose her hearing, she moved away from music for some time, eventually returning to her passion through the study of Neurological Music Therapy.

    There she met Andrea Cortez whose intention it was to learn the harp, to incorporate the healing vibration with the framework of Healing music. Hargis, a composer as well as instrumentalist over several genres, always had a desire to compose and record with a harpist.

    After a session where they combined harp and flute melodies a decision was made to collaborate, to create the beautiful relaxing and healing Healing Sound Project 1:1 for practitioners working within the range of healing arts.

    Overall, the work has immense charm, encompassing a range of elegant and comfortable melodies, which will have a wide appeal and will undoubtedly find a permanency within the healing modalities. But this collaboration has a far wider appeal, as it sits very nicely within the relaxation, meditation and healing fields, encompassing New Age, but not being defined within the structures, which will appeal to the wider community.

    Perfect for background music, the subliminal elements craft a sense of well-being and peace, offering a sense of calm making this combination of harp and flute with electronic influences, a wonderful choice to help with overcoming much of the distress now prevalent in in a rapidly changing world.

  • Around The Sun

    Around The Sun

    Around The Sun is an absolute treasure of an album. Ambient and soothing, Kirsten Agresta Copley has, with her first a solo composition album for Harp, placed her graceful and gracious instrument firmly into a category of its own, that of ambient Harp music.

    An ancient instrument, the Harp has been somewhat overlooked as a stand-alone instrument, its mellifluous voice used to blend and create background on both a classical and contemporary stage. In creating what Agresta Copley considers ‘the most significant of her career’, a carer which has spaned a wide variety of genres, from classical to hip hop performance on a global scale, she has created a work of outstanding grace and elegance

    For the first time she has combined her prodigious talent with the Harp, with husband Marc’s abilities as a sound technician, engineer, producer and mixer to create a work of complete enchantment.

    Based on the 365-day cycle of the year, she has captured the seasons as they change, the emotions felt as the year slowly moves along. Daybreak offers the first dawning of light in the night sky, a time of peace, a time to observe and reflect on the dawning of a new day, the pages yet unwritten. This piece is a delicate bending of ancient with modern, as the underlying backing of gentle electronica is simply captivating, teasing the ear, capturing the mind.

    Each of the nine tracks is an absolute gem, with the particularly divine Water Lilies creating perfectly an immense sense of peace, of time slowly passing, a piece which encourages dreaming, or simply remaining in the moment of rare and peaceful beauty.

    Winter’s Bone, once again has delicate overtones of electronica combined with the very detailed and measured use of the Harp, which ushers in the chill of winter, the drawing in of the days, a time to go within, to reflect, heal and renew; a fitting finale to a body of absolutely outstanding work.

    Around The Sun created by Kirsten Agresta Copley is ambient music of an exceptional quality.

     

  • Ailleurs

    Ailleurs

    Every Goodbye introduces the beautiful music of harpist and composer Mylle Fournier in her first solo album Ailleurs, a delicate and reflective studio improv, reflecting back on life and the many goodbyes said as the time and years move along, leaving behind a gentle imprint, always to be remembered.

    Falling in love with the harp at junior school it was many years later before Mylle Fournier was able to learn to play this ancient instrument. After formal study she went on to study further under the tutelage of renowned Montreal artist, Suzanne Berthiaume. A love of rock music filled the gap as Fournier learned to play guitar and electric bass, performing in a number of local bands.

    Each of the pieces on this album have been composed from moments in time, moments that have created the fabric of Fournier’s’ life journey, now being woven into an almost continuous piece of music.

    The many influences of her life are apparent in her five compositions, which contain a little of everything, from classical construction with a dash of panache, as in the introduction to the final track Tell It To The Wind, a sentiment each and every one can say they have done over their life time and a piece inspired by the stunning beauty of the West Coast of British Columbia.

    But prior to this song is the more formal, classically constructed An Ocean, A Decade which has an almost Mediterranean influence to the piece tucked away in the lovely composition.

    Prynhawn, Nos, Bore is a cheerful, joyful piece that bounces along, light, energetic and happy; cheerfully spreading a touch of contentment with the many layers of sound as it trips daintily along.

    Delightful and with a slightly different emphasis is Penta, a robust and yet delicate piece, perhaps constructed in tribute to the resilience of the human spirit to be able accept and begin again in a new place; a place with fresh new challenges, with the still raw emotions of leaving loved ones and places behind.

    Ailleurs, although not overly long, the 28 minutes of the album are perfect for those times when life needs to be overlayed with a delicate and gentle touch, a simple moment to return to Mindfulness and refreshed, move onward.

     

  • Somewhere New

    Somewhere New

    When the amazing talents of flautists Sherry Finzer and Mark Holland collaborate it only produces one thing; a magnificent collection of work filed with light, joy and beauty. Add Will Clipman on percussion with Djembe, Udu, Caxixi, Bodhran and Claves, Cory Edwards on Piano, Ken Verheecke on guitars and synth and Peter Stirling on Celtic Harp and you have pure alchemy of sound being created, woven into a mystic and beautiful pattern to be enjoyed.

    Never Forgotten introduces the album with the sound of piano and percussion then the deep, mellow sounds of the flute join in, over-riding the piano to tempt the senses, tantalise for what is to follow.

    Finzer and Holland display their immense talent in the haunting piece When Stillness Comes which takes you to vast open spaces where the deep peaceful stillness of the night, an entity of rare and intense beauty.

    In Search of Somewhere New is a jaunty, happy little piece combining the talents of Finzer, Holland, Clipman and Edwards with a lively swing beat which gets the toes tapping with the pure enjoyment, beckoning for the fun to be had and enjoyed: a hugely enjoyable piece to gladden the heart.

    Welcoming in Peter Stirling on Celtic harp is the delicious Evening Star which reaches deep with enchantment, a seduction of tones woven throughout the base melodies of the harp as it is delicately plucked to create a delightful ambiguity.

    The percussive element in Five Shades, consisting of Water Drums, Udu, Bodhran, Claves and Caxixix is intriguing and adding lightness to the very rhythmic beat synonymous with a tribal style music of music often associated with the American Indian.

    Golden Daybreak sees Mark Holland joined by Ben Von Harz on the Axion handpan, an innovative steel handpan similar to a Hung, which creates a gentle style of percussion, allowing a delicacy and beauty to be added the music of the flute.

    Simply listening to the joy interwoven throughout the final piece Dolphin Dreams, a lovely light filed collaboration of Finzer, Holland, Ken Verheecke on guitars and Clipman, brings with it an uplifting of the spirit and the soul, immediately drawing the parallel to the Dolphin, a perfect, highly intelligent animal whom when seen allows the mind to marvel at their magnificence.

    Somewhere New is an album which can very, very easily be considered as an award winner for these talented musicians.

    Gloriously beautiful!