Adiemus

I first heard of this cd when it was first advertised on tv in the 90's but honestly thought nothing of buying it. However in 2001 I happened to spot this cd when I was stationed in Japan and am happy to have spent my money on this cd. Due to the variety of the songs I feel that this cd is good to listen to at work , when you are spending time with your loved ones, and relaxing and nurturing yourself when you are alone. Some of the notable tracks that really stand out in a positive way for me are

"return to innocence" by enigma
"orinoco flow" by enya
"sweet lullaby" by deep forest
"tubular bells" by mike oldfield
"sadeness" by enigma

There are other good tracks on this cd that are also enjoyable. This album among the first in the pure moods collection lives up to its name in a positive way and is definitely worth purchasing.

If you enjoy music from every corner of the world then this is the cd you must listen to,a collection of great music from different artist. Needless to say that each artist can hold their own, also check out the other volumes as well.

I haven't looked back! Great music! Great artists! I have gone on to buy all the following Pure Moods CD's.

Very easy listening, surreal, and enough variety for almost anyone. Totally excellent album, and a must have for any music library.

Great compilation of electronic music for it's time. A lot of depth to it, you don't get to the 5th or 6th song and start getting into what seems like "filler".

This CD is incredible! The way it is written with syllabic (rather than real) words makes the music itself more expressive.

When I first heard Adiemus, I was very enchanted and somehow all my thoughts just went away, making me feel very relaxed. I believe that Karl Jenkins and Miriam Stockley did a great job with all their music. It's something that I can listen to while I do my homework.

I would also like to add that for those of you who feel that this has no music in it, maybe it's because you're interests in music lies in other styles other than Karl Jenkins'. The music isn't exactly "world music", but it's supposed to give that idea with some Celtic and European influences. Also, the words are all made up, so if you don't understand it, don't worry about it too much. The idea of using the human voice in these songs is to feel relaxed. And for those of you who claim that she is crying at an unbearable pitch, apparently you have not heard people that think they are sopranos when they're not. Stockley is a great singer . Her voice sounds amazing in all these songs. But if you still don't like it, fine, it's your opinion. After all, people's tastes in music differ person to person. I happen to enjoy new age music as well as classical, pop, some rock, and anything that I feel fits for lyrical or modern dances. And some people who like other music in this genre may not like what they hear on this album just because of our different tastes. So I do recommend listening to the samples first before you make your decision of buying this CD.

I remember listening to Pure Moods Vol.1 as a kid and the track Adiemus was forever on repeat. Then, in highschool I discovered that there was an entire collection of this beautiful music! It's absolutely stunning.

It's strange that some people find this album repetitive or uninspired. Really weird. Because whenever I play it, I have to stop whatever I'm doing and just listen. Next thing I know, the entire album is over and I feel like I just stepped out of a dream. It's so enchanting it makes my heart skip a beat.

This all probably sounds like a bunch of hippie-hoohah, but I really, really, REALLY love this album. The orchestrations, the vocals, the melody, the flow, everything. It's the best out of the entire Adiemus Project.

I danced to Adiemus and thought it was amazing; however, just listening to it didn't do the same thing for me. I am going back to Andrea Bocelli or Mozart's Mass or Handel's Messiah for true passion.

The music is very nice, but I was disappointed to learn that the music is basically babble from one of the two vocalists on the CD.

The first and last tracks are truly awe inspiring, uplifting, and just general feel-good music. The music seems like a fusion of African and East Asian percussion. I was introduced to this piece on a guided cave tour at Kartchner Caverns State Park (AZ). At the conclusion of the ranger guided tour, the lights were dimmed, the music was played, and colorful lighting illuminated different parts of the cave in perfect synchronous harmony to the music. All of us cavers were speechless at the end and I swear that was the second most moving experience of my life.

I believe, that this CD has about equally many opponents and fans. Some would probably get increasingly borred about the musical genre of Karl Jenkins featuring endless arrangements with female vocals and orchestral harmonies. Others, to whom I definitely belong, continue to find inspiration in his musical story telling. This CD seems somewhat commercialized compared to Cantata Mundi, but that is to be expected from a best-of collection. Anyway, I persist to give this CD a top rating in honour of the very soul of Karl Jenkins' music. In addition, I must admit, 'Adiemus' still is my favourite! I can't help feeling the historical rush of the New Testament and similar mediterranian tales. I don't know the intention of the composer himself, and though I'm a bit curious, it doesn't really matter. The optimistic, African rythm and drive of 'Rain dance' make me look like a fool in front of the mirror, and I love it!

I loved it. This was my first CD by this composer. If you have the others then it is a review of previous CDS.

I am glad I only got their best of their song. I was going to purchse all of their CDs. For some reason I stoped and got only one of them. It was not my kind of music . :(

This CD contains an excellent mix of music of Adiemus at a good price. I liked it better than a number of their regular CDs.

I'm not sure what must have been going through the minds of the record label when assembling this collection as a sequel to Pure Moods vol. I. Now granted, most of Pure Moods I is actually quite good and enjoy it though I don't think it stacks up to the "Earthtone Collection", "Elevation", or "Buddha Lounge" series nor warranted TV commercials. The second entry in the Pure Moods series is in my opinion, the most uneven and shakiest of the entries for several reasons, several tracks do absolutely nothing for me. "Nightingale" strikes me as meandering classical leftovers from a orchestral outtake. No offense but what on Earth is "Breezin" doing on this collection?! It's not a bad song by any means but it has absolutely no place on here and belongs on a smooth jazz moods collection. The same goes for Dave Koz's "Emily" even though I think it's a wonderful song and among my favorites. "Weatherstorm" is pathetic, nuff said. "Theme From Harry's Game" is a great song, very innovative for 1982 standards but is found on too many various artists and 'best of' collections.

Enough with the negatives. There are still enough very good tracks that in my opinion keep this from being a complete failure. "Life in a Northern Town" is a very lovely mid-80s acoustic electronic pop hybrid track that could be the soundtrack to a drive in northern Scotland on a sunny afternoon. "Mummer's Dance" is a dark-horse classic with it's unique blend of Middle-Eastern and Celtic wintery sounds. I was suprised at how well the song did on the top 40 charts during late 1997 and early 1998. Loreena's voice is enchanting throughout the song. "The Cradlesong" is a lovely blend of echoing Ambient Native American and New Age Groove, reminscent of "500 Nations". "Montezuma" is a very intense song with loud thundering Central Drums, and slightly classical elements scattered throughout. Definately among my favorites on here. Other greats include Delirium's danceable "Euphoria", "Beyond The Invisible", and "The Mystic Dream".

This collection overall is in my opinion, the most uneven of the four Pure Moods CDs. Some tracks are absolutely drab yet others are magnificent making this among the most shaky collections out there. I definately recommend it though not as a 'must-have'. The successor to this collection, "Vol. III" corrected most of the mistakes made on here.

I bought the very first Pure Moods and was hooked. When this one came out, I went and bought and was not dissappointed.

I loved the first CD, so got the 2nd one. Quite dissapointed. I thought a handful of the songs on 2 were good, such as Firefly, but overall it just seems like they threw together a bunch of songs to sell a copy of a popular CD.

"Pure Moods was such an unexpected success that it launched a number of spinoffs and, eventually (and perhaps somewhat inevitably), Pure Moods II. Although it isn't quite as consistent as its predecessor -- George Benson's 'Breezin`' feels out of place among among these atmospheric cuts, but not nearly as much as Massive Attack's menacing 'Teardrop' -- but fans of the first will still find it to quite enjoyable, especially since it features Vangelis' 'Chariots of Fire,' Loreena McKennitt's 'Mummer's Dance' and Dream Academy's 'Life in a Northern Town,' three major oversights from the first Pure Moods. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide"

What a marvelous collection of mesmerizing music this is. I have been listening to this album all week, as I can't get it out of my head. Pure Moods are one my favorite collections as they bring awareness of similar music that goes together so well. The beauty of this album is the mix of music that evokes a certain mood, while not sounding all too similar.

Starting off with Loreena McKennitt's "The Mummers Dance" a hypnotic song from the first note that sounds like time travel from ancient Byzantium to the mystic Celtic seas followed by Montezuma, one of my favorite Cusco pieces. Cusco is a duet of two German keyboard players Michael Holm and Kristian Schultze who make their enigmatic music sound very original and South American. The music is not traditional; it's a mix of outer space, new age and pan flutes. Very interesting and incredibly likable.

"Nightingale" by Yanni is just incredible, every time I have it on I almost forget I am listening to music, I simply feel it and I am always amazed at how gorgeous it sounds and whenever I hear this song it feel like the first time I am hearing it as it stuns me.

Another favorite of mine, Adiemus makes an appearance, the interesting figment is that
the language is made up by Karl Jenkins, the sounds are not meant to distract the listener from the music. It is a mix of classical and world music with great freedom of movement and is the kind of music they use in breathtaking movie soundtracks.

Delerium's "Euphoria" almost sounds like a Madonna song, is lovely and spirited with a breath of enigma. There is also "The Weather Storm" by Craig Armstrong, another strong musical piece that does sound like an actual storm of music.

"Teardrop" by Massive Attack sounds like song everything knows they heard somewhere but they don't know what it is. My favorite part is the base beat, it sounds like the human heart.

The rest of the performers from Lovely and church like Clannad which make me feel like I am in an ancient monastery listening to the monks, to "Chariots of Fire" a classic from Vangelis to wonderful and earthy "Breezing" that sounds like the first day of spring to Enigma, to me the empress of New Age. This collection is stellar and each song is a 5 star to me.

This cd makes me happy; it's relaxing, lovely, and addictive and provides great inspiration when I need it to concentrate while I work on my art. Each song has been carefully hand picked to hit the listener with a magnitude of emotion and I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who needs to sit back and be transported. The songs feel like caresses of ancient wind on the face and make me feel like I have been meditating for hours. Pure Moods is an excellent cd to pick up by someone who needs an introduction to new Age and relaxing music. So far this has been my favorite disc, but they are all lovely.

- Kasia S.

This CD is an excellent addition to anybody's musical collection. It reflects the popular famous music from TV commercials as well as other music not as well known, but equally as entertaining. All the music reflects Jenkins' ability to vary his style of music.
I have listened to this music many times.

Here's an excellent and representative collection of Karl Jenkins' best compositions and arrangements. Buy this one first if you're still not sure you want to invest in a half-dozen Adiemus-type recordings. I predict that, if you listen to this one, you'll want more.

I am a new fan of Karl Jenkins music, having discovered his work with Adiemus. This is a classical piece, and as such it is somewhat somber. He is clearly an accomplished composer, and the music reflects his versatility. As I am not a classical music officianado, I can't speak to the specific qualities of this movement, but I enjoy listening to it, and it is well worth having in any classical collection.

3 1/2

Engaging-annoying modern classical requiem at best recalls Part's beautiful minimalism, but at worst sounds like symphonic rock. Somewhere in the middle Jenkins' composes and conducts enough choral-driven tragic splendor to warrant hearing the darkened celebration.

After establishing a name as a innovative composer of popular music and of commercials, Jenkins has added several traditional works, most notably this requiem and his Mass for Peace. The Requiem is readily accessible with superb variety of effects. Following in the model of Britten's War Requiem, he intercalates Japanese poetry between sections of the mass. There are many historical connections with the English choral system. The melodies are memorable, the scoring varied. Jenkins extends the Dies Irae, breaking into five parts: Dies Irae, Rex tremendae, Confutatis, Lacrimosa, and Pie Jesu. Harmonically, the work has sufficient variety. There is notable variations in dynamics, rhythmic patterns, and tempo changes. There is some melodic extensions between sections; e.g., the opening of the Pie Jesu replicates the motive from the Introit, then compresses it. This opening theme appears in many of the following sections.

I am a huge fan of 20th/21st Century classical music and really enjoy Karl Jenkins music on the whole. His Armed Man Mass is stunning and the other work on this CD is beautiful. However, I was remarkably disappointed with this work. There are moments of sheer brilliance, absolute beauty and moments that are almost transcendental. But on the other hand some of the movements are just awful. How he manages intersperse the lovely Haiku settings in amongst movements like the shockingly bad Dies Irae (not just bad for the listener, but also for the poor singers whose voices are forced to sing aggressive music in an awkward area of the voice)escapes me.

If you love Karl Jenkins you will probably buy this, and so you should there are some great sections. But for me, and most people who are familiar with 'real' modern classical music and the great Requiem settings of the past (like Faure, Durufle, Mozart, Requiem, Verdi and Berlioz) this CD works very well as a coaster.

Let me just say- a masterpiece. Specially the Requiem part of the album I liked a lot: Jenkins' harmonies, novelty of interpretation, and combination of styles. Integration of best elements of classical Requiem and modern composition.

I would have probably enjoyed this CD more if Sarah Brightman hadn't used the same formula several years ago. There's nothing wrong with making clever arrangements of classical themes, but that's all you'll find in this collection -- none of the exciting, original melodies for which Karl Jenkins is best known.

Don't get me wrong; I own and love Sarah Brightman's versions of these same themes. I was just hoping for something new.

I have to say it, while this is a nice cd it is missing something vital. The songs are becoming derivative and though the vocalists are lovely but without Miriam's voice it lacks that extra magic that made Adiemus so great.

I began to get worried when they brought in the Adiemus Singers, because it greately affected their sound, and then the 1999 version of Adiemus was placed on the Essential collection rather than the vastly superior original, and now no Miriam at all.

I think I'll stick to Karl's orchestral works from now on because he really is an amazing composer, and maybe I'll learn to like this CD as much as their previous stuff? It's not bad by any means, but it isn't exactly what I love about the earlier recordings either.

I absolutely adore Adiemus's first and second albums, really like the third, and the fourth is all right. So I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed. I thought perhaps I would warm to it in time but so far that hasn't happened. (I purchased it when it first came out--advance order. That's how much I was looking forward to it.)

The only song I truly like on the album is "Bendigedig," which sounds like it could have come from "Songs Of Sanctuary" or "Cantata Mundi" with its singing and soaring orchestral sound. Oddly, I also kind of like "Boogie Woogie Llanoogie" (nobody hurt me), but it's definitely not what one would expect from Adiemus. The two pieces for "Schwanda" are cute but strangely, do not feature bagpipes--and are very short. The rest of the music is, unfortunately, forgettable. I do NOT like the coherent lyrics because a big part of the enjoyment of Adiemus is being able to make up your own meaning for the songs--and a lot of the music on this album seemed to have an oddly Christian or religious-sounding bent. When I put this CD in, rather than listening through all or almost all of the songs like I do for Adiemus 1, 2, and 3, I just listen to one track, and that's it.

It's nice how Adiemus changes their style every so often to try to keep things fresh--but would a return to the old style hurt so much by now? I truly miss the great orchestral sound and lyricism of albums 1 and 2 and, to a slightly lesser extent, 3. Those three albums are what keep me coming back for more, even though albums 4 and 5 have rather been letdowns. Yes, Adiemus without Miriam Stockley is sad, but I think they could do just as well without her...if they went back to their old musical style at least once more! "Bendigedig" proves that. If only more of the songs on this album did.

Here's hoping that Adiemus 6, whenever and whatever it should be, is better...

...but on the whole, more hits than misses. I especially like The Protector (the first Adiemus track with recognizable words). Another good track is Dona Nobis Pacem, Pt. 2. On the miss side is the Boogie Woogie Llanoogie. Another reivewer hit it spot in comparing it to Scooby Doo music. Also Dona Nobis Pacem, Pt. 1 didn't do much for me. While the album doesn't rise to the standard of Adiemus 1, it is a solid addition to the Adiemus library.

As vocalist for the lead track as well as Aria and several other tracks throughout this album, I am dissapointed that I did not get the recognition I was promised by Jenkins. However, I think the album is beautiful and I am pleased that I was involved.

This is another celtic cd which stirs the blood to your core. It has great melodies and wonderful arrangements to compliment the vocals. I will look forward to purchasing more of Adiemus in the future.

that was the first thing that popped into my head when i heard this album. i loved `songs of sanctuary' and was heartily disappointed not to also love this album. while it is obvious that the music is celtic-inspired, it is *only* the music that is so. the vocals seem to float along on their own with no relevance to the instrumentals beneath them. the language, which is the same play-language as `sanctuary', is blatantly out of place here. while with `sanctuary', despite the make-believe quality of the words, the quality of the vocal sound was instantly recognizable as south african. but those nasal tones and front-of-the-mask, brassy notes don't translate well to a celtic sound. (in fact, the whole album sounds like a clash of two cultures. as if a south african choir accidentally got routed to the shannon airport and collided with the chieftans.) on the whole, a disappointing album. if you want celtic music, buy a putumayo collection or *anything* by narada, clannad, celtic woman, etc. don't buy this album.

My favorite songs are "Cu Chullain" and "Math was a Wizard". Cu Chullain is a good song for a ballet performance.

By the way, I own these two songs on my Ipod!

Meghan :)

Some earlier reviewers would suggest that this isn't up to the standards that Karl Jenkins achieved in some of his earlier output. I couldn't respond to that because this is the first Adiemus recording I've ever heard and, frankly, I loved every second of it. I'm thrilled that other listeners think the earlier recordings are better because I've now got something to really look forward to.

For me this recording evinced a blend of emotional responses - quiet contemplation, relaxation, toe-tapping, a satisfied smile, that whole body moving response to a driving rhythm and a joyful sense of participation in an all-encompassing musical experience. The recording is an eclectic blend of styles that cover an enormous range - Celtic rhythms and fiddling tunes in the style of River Dance; hard rock and steady beats that took a page out of Enigma's play book; a beautifully blended chorus of female voices that might well have included Enya, Diane Arkenstone and Loreena McKennitt; orchestral backgrounds that ranged from lush full orchestral accompaniment to pizzicato violin arpeggios that would have done Tchaikovsky proud in The Nutcracker; simple but effective, pleasing blues style acoustic guitar; full-bodied high speed choral sections that might have been penned by Karl Orff as part of the unforgettable Carmina Burana; and, a very effective seven beat piece that reminded me of the rhythms of Dave Brubeck's Unsquare Square Dance or Moe Kaufman's Swingin' Shepherd Blues!

Well, to each their own I suppose. It's certainly possible that this CD suffered by comparison to the quality of his other works but as a first time listener, I've got nothing but praise for it!

Paul Weiss

Unlike 'Songs of Sanctuary', this album lacks imagination and invention. It comes across as somewhat monotonous and overly 'camp'.

Cu Chulain is a reasonable start but even there the urgent contribution by the violins comes too early, and by the end of the 'song', the concept becomes tiresome. The title track seems to be depicting something monumental in its climatic outbursts but if so, the effect is more visual (the documentary itself) than aural. It's odd how there is apparently no language used here yet 'Palace of the Crystal Bridge' manages to sound like some clueless surfer-girl taking herself way too seriously.

'The Wooing of Etain' is a beautiful instrumental and one of the very few pieces on the album that is thought-provoking, as is 'King of the Sacred Grove' (which is mellow and sounds suitably regal)....this is more of what I've come to expect/appreciate in Jenkins. Even so, he could have done more to build a climax towards the end of this, the third longest piece on the album.

'Songs' such as 'The Dagda' would be interesting diversions/fillers for the album if it wasn't for the synthesized, mass-product result of the album overall. Less 'ethnic-sounding' and more towards 'tacky' (e.g., the duo separated by 1 octave sung in unison at the end of 'Hermit of the Sea Rock'), this isn't as moving an experience as some would laud it to be.

I bought this album because it had some favorites of mine and what looked to be an interesting composition of titles. It wasn't until I sat down to listen to it, did I fully realize how masterfully it had been put together. Most of the artists on here are well known (Such a Oriff's O Fortuna) with a few completely unheard of artists (to me). The CD's tracks were perfectly organized and each song came in a successive wave compiling into a series of deluges that becomes a great cresendo. Very powerful and very surprising. I am more than pleased and have subscribed myself to looking for more CD's by this company.

So far this my favorite classical CD of the year. I never tire of listening to it (over and over on my iPod). It contains some really beautiful renditions of very moving classical pieces, both modern and ancient. All in all an emotional and dramatic presentation. The overall effect is relaxing but it will definitely never bore you!

"Esoterica commemorates Higher Octave Music's 15th anniversary as a record label, compiling a total of 24 songs from the label's archive over the course of two discs. Some of the featured performers include Chris Spheeris, Eliades Ochoa, Shahin Shahida, Haddad Sepehr, Jimmy Sommers, Adiemus, Acoustic Alchemy, les Nubians, and Neal Schon. If you generally enjoy Higher Octave releases or are curious about the label, this a great way to gather much of the label's highlights in one place. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide"

The cd is really good and you get 24 songs to listen to and play over and over and over again. This is a must have cd if you love music, it's uplifting, smooth, and it will brighten your day with all of the fantastic instruments playing.
Love it:)

Higher Octave has everyone under the sun for their label getting into the celebration from the past fifteen years...bringing together some top-notch talent, who have given their best for the best label in this genre called ~ "NEW AGE".

It's very difficult to suggest, advise or give any selection on this twenty-four song compilation more points over the other, each track compliments with measures of counterpoints enriching the melody through musical fantasies, which makes for GREAT listening!

Hats off to Higher Octave for sharing this innerplay of love and music, giving each family member of their label an opportunity to contribute in a milestone of their 15th Anniversary!

Total 2-CD-Set on 24 Tracks ~ Higher Octave HOMCD 10999 ~ (2001)