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The Sounding Board by R J Lannan |
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RJ Lannan is the reviewer for The Sounding Board. |
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| Once Upon a Spell |
| By Kathy Haggerty |
| Label: RGM Productions |
| Released 8/24/2004 |
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| Once Upon a Spell tracks |
1. Veil of Rain
2. Pacem
3. Yin and Yang
4. Ephemera
5. Corinthia
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6. Lost Whale Swimming
7. Before the Chill
8. Room
9. Once Upon a Spell
10. The Sirens of Osirus
11. The Oracle
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Dreamscape Sorceress |
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It’s the quiet ones you have to watch for. Once Upon a Spell, the new release by Kathy Haggerty is a quiet one. Be aware, be very aware. This is New Age and contemplative music of sweet beauty mixed with soulful poetry and surrounded by lush soundscapes. Except for a quick visit by guitarist Jim Curtis, Kathy plays all the instruments used, mainly piano, cello and keyboards in addition to wearing the hats of producer, engineer and mixer. (She probably swept up the studio after as well). Haggerty, with a honey tinged voice that is amazingly expressive and yet as comforting as the tender touch from your lover, has some uniquely ethereal harmonies. They sound as if they are reflected waves of her voice as she looks at her image in a mirror. The music on Once Upon a Spell is like a temporary visit inside a much welcomed daydream.
Inspired by Noble Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, Veil of Rain, is a prayer to your God for help in making the right choices. There is a plea for spiritual strength and a renewed appeal for peace in your world. “Ten thousand raindrops in a moment you will find, mend everyone’s heart, we can make a small Divine.” Eastern rhythms, sultry voices and atmospheric keyboard tracks make this song a great opening number for the album.
Somewhere in the Russias, just south of the Artic Circle is a country called Tuva. It is a harsh land of extremes, hot in the summer, freezing in the winter. Its people are a rugged lot that entertain themselves by making throat music. The sound is actually glottal vibrations that are manipulated in the mouth to make different and sometimes simultaneous tones. Ephemera is an odd tune that contains Tuvan throat music and it is unique not only for its structure, but its very sweet melody. The singer is visited by the apparition of a past lover, yet she convinces herself that she is over him. There is a plethora of layered vocalizations on this one that makes it fascinating listening.
Imagine if a Hobbit could sing. Okay, just think about it, but don’t be surprised. Corinthia is an astounding song of flowing vocalization with a strange language background (Green Speak, a vocalization that defies description) and heavenly instrumentation that produces a dreamlike state in which the listener dreams while they are awake. It is the only explanation I have for this extraordinary song. It is one of my favorites on Once Upon a Spell.
Yin and Yang is Kathy’s best track on the album and it is a fanciful composition that features strong grooves and soaring harmonies mixed with gentle percussion. It is a song of innocence with the understanding that children with their unspoiled sense of judgment are the hope for our future.
Kathy Haggerty began her musical training at the age of five in Korea and expanded her studies when she returned to the U.S. She is a prolific composer that produces music for independent films, advertising and of course, music CDs.
Some have put Kathy Haggerty in the same category as Tori Amos and Enya. I don’t know why. Haggerty’s music is vocally unique and lends itself to a category of its own (New Age Fantasy Vocal?). Once Upon a Spell is a musical daydream that is akin to an animated movie in your mind. Her piano performances are first rate with just enough classical influences to make the music retain a strong structure. The keyboards lend that touch of whimsy that makes the whole thing a flight of the imagination that is to be enjoyed.
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Rating: Very Good  |
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- reviewed by RJ Lannan on 11/15/2004 |
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