This is the first time Secret Garden has made a Christmas album. The recording is a collaboration with Cathrine Iversen, who is the soloist on all songs. The Christmas songs are new, original songs by Rolf Løvland, except the 500-year old “I Know a Rose Tree”.
Efendi's Garden was - despite of their exotic musical sound - a band from Hannover. Founder Wolfgang Krantz formerly played with the bands called Jane and Harlis, then he took a year off, to make a terrific return in 1979 with Efendi's Garden. Activated by the former bandmember of Jane, Klaus Hess, as well as bassplayer Frank Meier, drummer Wolfgang Schreiner, Saxophone player Heinz Alberding and the uncommon singer Thomas Stender, Krantz presented a collective which had to search one's own kind in former musical aera of West Germany. Arabian singing, amplified by a megaphone, between shrill and hypnotic but always very intensive joining the slick arranged music. Partly like a soft ballade then again hardrock sound á la best Jane-tradition - even disco elements (it was the big disco fever at that time) are to be heard and are integrated into the musical concept…
Secret Garden, the Irish-Norwegian band specialist in new instrumental music is one of the world’s most successful duos with more than 3 billion streams and 5 million physical albums sold. Their upcoming 12th studio album “Songs in the Circle of Time”, is an enchanting blend of dreamy melodies and powerful arrangements, transporting listeners to a world of beauty and timeless elegance. The sources of inspiration are many and feel timeless, from 17th century baroque – classical music and contemporary melting into their own style.