Review
by Dene Bebbington from Wind and Wire
Sacred Circles is a follow-up to Moonlore. Through enchanting
music and lyrics the listener is taken into the world
of a druid girl moving into womanhood. The album is
composed by Llewellyn but features his partner Juliana
on some tracks performing vocals, and guest musicians
Chris Conway, Tori Donovan, and Kevin Kendle.
This
is the first time I've heard Llewellyn's music. I
didn't have any particular expectations although I
had a general idea of what may be to come as I'm familiar
with the New World Music label. On hearing the opening
track "Stardancing (into the Light)" I was
faced with an obviously superior new age offering.
A combination of traditional instruments, keyboards,
and delightful vocals deliver a musical story with
verve leaving one feeling uplifted.
Comparisons
to other artists are inevitable but hopefully useful;
Sacred Circles brings to mind Clannad, Enya, and 2002
as they are also artists who produce melodic music
and vocals which convey a sense of the mystical and
spiritual dimensions within ourselves and in nature.
In contrast to some new agey music, what Llewellyn
has given us is thankfully neither twee nor overly
sweet.
Several
kinds of whistle are used on the album; the sound
of them is interesting because it can, oddly enough,
be both relaxing and invigorating at the same time.
The second track, "Sacred Space," features
a whistle(s) extensively, the sound of which is rather
haunting (not in the ghostly sense) and could make
the hair on the back of one's neck stand on end. For
me, the whistles conjure up images of sacred and peaceful
landscapes, something I also find with panpipes. Whereas
panpipes are associated with South America, the whistles
lead to closer to home mental vistas of Ireland or
Scottish islands.
Very
quickly Sacred Circles has become one of my favourite
new age discs. It works well on different levels as
it can be enjoyed just for the excellent melodic songs
and instrumentals, or as music telling a story which
takes the listener away from the mundane world for
a while and let's his or her imagination take over.
I highly recommend it.
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