Garden

According to pianist Rolf Løvland, Irish-Norwegian neo-classical duo Secret Garden's seventh studio album, Winter Poem, was inspired by the "darkness that surrounds the Scandinavian winter." While there's a genuine sense of melancholy laced throughout its largely instrumental 11 tracks, fans of their luscious new age sound needn't fear a new gothic reinvention, as there's very little here likely to find its way onto a horror movie soundtrack. Indeed, the stately piano chords and sweeping string arrangements (courtesy of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra) of opener "Make a Wish" feel more suited to a Downton Abbey-esque costume drama, while elsewhere the lilting "Anticipation" recalls the emotive ivory-tinkling of Ludovico Einaudi's understated scores, the more uptempo "Fionnuala's Cookie Jar" is a highly percussive Irish jig packed with Celtic fiddles and tin whistles…

High Times – The Best of Fools Garden is a best-of compilation album by German pop band Fools Garden, released on October 2, 2009. It features 14 tracks taken from the band's back catalogue, plus one new recording. Ten of the tracks were released in the past as singles (eleven if counting the new track and single, "High Time"). The compilation doesn't include any song from band's first two albums and omits eight of their later singles, such as "Pieces", "It Can Happen", "Happy", "In the Name", "Closer", "Man of Devotion", "Does Anybody Know?" and "Cold". The songs "Lemon Tree", "Wild Days" and "Suzy" have been rerecorded for this compilation.

Lush, gorgeous, colorful and moving would be only be a few of the many adjectives that would still not describe the full wonders of the Garden of Eden. But these would accurately describe this album from pianist Rolf Lovland and violinist Fionnula Sherry better known to us as Secret Garden. Filled with classically influenced melancholy melodies that we have come to expect from this musical couple, the album also includes uplifting Celtic jigs, the occasional stirring vocal rendition, and even a hymn of praise to close the album out in grand and graceful style.