Eternal Spirit: I Discovered a New CD

Time for a little something different: Music.

Music is a big part of my life. The last 5 1/2 years were spent as a music student, studying music every day with every fiber of my being. I love many different genres and styles, but my favorites are usually Classical, Folk, New Age, Oldies, Pop, and Symphonic Metal. I'm also a huge fan of church music and I've been involved with my church choir since middle school.

Enter the new song I heard today for the first time: Eternal Spirit

 

I was teaching my mom how to download songs from Amazon and she handed me this CD called Eternal Spirit by Ana Hernandez. (You can listen to samples here) It is the New Zealand Lord's Prayer with drone, voice, and flute. In the link above to the video, you can see how Carla DeSola's choreography captures the flow of the words and music into a vibrant living dance.

The CD Starts with "Mother Ann's Song": a haunting track with a tolling bell and vocals that set the mood of the album. This would make a great track in a movie soundtrack for a funeral march or procession into a graveyard. "Eternal Spirit", the album's title track, is next. The drone and flute are a perfect Segway into the contemplative atmosphere of this song. The third track is named "Heartbeat/Meditation No.1: Cedar". It is the longest piece on the disk at 13:51 and continues the contemplative mood set in the first two tracks with the drone and steady "heartbeat" and improvised flute. "Slender Ships" is the fourth track that evokes the ocean with actual ocean waves crashing on the shore (not something I'm a big fan of in my music, but it works well enough that I don't hate it). If you are into that sort of thing, this is the track for you! Again, the vocals are done in a haunting chant-like style. "Meditation No.2: Bamboo" is a really cool piece. The flute and freetone (a chime in the xylophone family, apparently) evoke a picture of a beautiful meditation spot in China with a sense of melancholic longing. "Canon" sounds like it could come from one of the many Celtic/Medieval/Renaissance albums I own and is based off Gregorian Chant. My only complaint is that it is not long enough.  "Aleynu L'shabey'ah: It Is Ours to Praise" again utilizes Ana's haunting voice and introduces us to the Tibetan Singing Bowl! (And yes, it does need to be capitalized because singing bowls are one of the coolest instruments out there!). This song leads straight into "The Atlantic Ocean" without pause. This nearly ten minute song returns us to the ocean with the low hum of the singing bowls. Altogether, this is a very quiet, meditative, and pensive album. It would be great for meditation, prayer, relaxation, or quiet listening.

I wanted to share my new discovery with you and I would love to know what you think about it.

In other news, I didn't end up walking today or yesterday because I'm tired and my poor legs need a break. I'm headed back to Koko FitClub tomorrow with my awesome friend Meagan, so I'll continue with my walk to Mordor on the morrow.

Take a look at my awesome hair! I did this while I was listening to my awesome new music and didn't realize how cool it looked until I looked into the mirror. The angle is a bit awkward, but I wanted you to be able to see it from the top and side to get the full effect.