Mystical City of God

By the mercy of God I am a Christian, by my deeds a great sinner, by calling a homeless wanderer of the lowliest origins, roaming from place to place. Here, see my belongings: a bag of dry crusts on my back and the Holy Bible in my breast pocket; that's it.

It was on September 23, 2008 that Blitzen Trapper, after putting out three albums on its own label, released its fourth full-length album, 'Furr', via Sub Pop. At that time, it was a record that captured exactly where the band’s frontman, Eric Earley, found himself, both literally and metaphorically, geographically and existentially. Not that the Portland-based musician actually remembers much about the creation of the record’s 13 intriguing, spellbinding songs. Or, more specifically, what its songs actually mean, either now or then. Instead, 'Furr', stands as a kind of tribute and elegy to the city that inspired it, but that, a decade later, no longer exists.

Myths lead us to perilous adventures in search of money and fame. Will it be possible to find the treasure or will the voyages end in failure? Ever wonder if Noah's Ark actually exists, or if the Holy Grail's supernatural powers provide eternal youth? For some, these seeming legends are an authentic reality. MYTH HUNTERS tells the gripping adventures of the ultimate quest seekers who believe in the myths and are on a mission to prove their historical accuracy.

Myths lead us to perilous adventures in search of money and fame. Will it be possible to find the treasure or will the voyages end in failure? Ever wonder if Noah's Ark actually exists, or if the Holy Grail's supernatural powers provide eternal youth? For some, these seeming legends are an authentic reality. MYTH HUNTERS tells the gripping adventures of the ultimate quest seekers who believe in the myths and are on a mission to prove their historical accuracy.

‘Piano Icons For The 21st Century’ is an exceptionally performed collection of contemporary piano works by Pärt, Janáček, Sculthorpe and Mompou, plus the world premiere recording of John Tavener's Ypakoë. Piano Icons For The 21st Century was widely acclaimed upon its release and named a Gramophone ‘Critics' Choice': 'my disc of 2000 is without hesitation Elena Riu's extraordinarily fine CD.' John Tavener was inspired to write his first major solo work for piano in over twenty years after hearing Elena play. She premiered Ypakoë, a series of meditations on the death of Jesus, at the City of London Festival. The programme also includes Janacek's In The Mist, an intensely personal and darkly hued cycle, plus an intriguing collection of miniatures by three composers who, in her view, are on a similar wavelength: Peter Sculthorpe, the late Catalan composer Federico Mompou, and Arvo Pärt.