White Stones
WHITE STONES
Year: 1997
Universal Music Norway
Once upon a time, two children overheard their parents plan to abandon them in a forest, as they could not afford to feed them. But the children cleverly gathered small white stones, and on their journey into the forest, they secretly dropped them onto the ground. At nightfall, left alone, the moon illuminated the white stones, and the reflection became their guiding light. So the fairytale about Hansel and Gretel goes. Maybe each song on this album can be compared to a white stone? Listen – and let them lead you into your own secret garden.
As on the first album, all the music on “White Stones” is composed and produced by Rolf Lovland. “When you’ve discovered your own musical identity and seen your music communicate to, and connect with people all over the world, you really don’t want to change the concept”, says Lovland . “The greatest challenge writing the this material was to stay truthful, protecting the intimacy and the simplicity of our ideas. White Stones is not like Songs from a Secret Garden, but it’s coming from the same heart. The seeds are the same – the crop is new.
Tracklist, Lyrics & Purchase
Selected Audio Clips
(lo res)
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Steps
A fantasy of rhythm in 5/4 time. The Celtic melody inviting the Latin rhythm for a dance. The Irish whistle and the Spanish guitar blend the two elements into a sound of mystery and excitement. -
Poéme
A song without words – an unspoken story. We listen with our ears – we understand with our hearts. -
Hymn To Hope
A song to remind us that there is always hope, even in despair and sorrow. Inspired by the melancholy of the traditional Irish Air, expressed by the Uilleann pipes. -
Moving
Hidden rituals in a dark forest. Mysteries that can only be felt, never seen. A dance of silhouettes to a never resting beat. -
First Day of Spring
Written on the first day of February, the day the Irish refer to as the first day of Spring. The atmosphere of the music relates to the magic of the season, and the dawning of new life. -
Passacaglia
Passacaglia a is Baroque variation form. In this piece the melody develops into a 6 part polyphonic arrangement through the nine sections of the song. Passacaglia was written in memory of my father. -
Reflection
An impression of the evening as it transcends into night. The simplicity of the Lullaby, a resting Berceuse as you drift into the land of dreams. -
Windancer
A melody based on the Dorian scale, where a rhythm of four restlessly plays against a counter beat in three. The twists and turns of the tune flows along as a feather carried by unpredictable winds. -
Appassionata
Music can conjure up images of dramatic and sentimental scenes for our inner
eye. A melody accompanying the drama of a film never seen. -
Escape
A Rhapsody of Norwegian melody accentuated by an eastern European rhythm. The circus-like arrangement of the soprano saxes and the orchestra create a Gypsy feel. -
Sanctuary
A sanctuary can be a sacred place for meditation and quiet contemplation. In this song it relates to the secret garden inside us. A place to seek refuge – a spiritual inner room where we can light candles for our own private reasons.
Dedicated to Ben Sherry -
Celebration
The beat of a distant drum invites you to a celebration. A feast on a midsummer’s night, the brightest night of the year. A Norwegian soundscape coloured by the Hardanger fiddle and the traditional whistle. -
Home
Edvard Grieg collected and cultivated Norwegian folk songs and gave this traditional material a classical format. This music is past my own roots. I feel fortunate to be able to tap into it, and carry it with me in my own way. -
Illumination
Nocturne was the centerpiece on our first album Songs from a Secret Garden. It opened doors to the sentiments and emotions of the night – dark and mythical. Follow the white stones as they “illuminate” the path out of the darkness – into your own secret garden.
