NAPRA ReView: For Retailers Serving the Body/Mind/Spirit Marketplace
September/October 2002
13178
FAIR PLAY - PATRICK BALL (.pdf)
Ball achieved a reputation as one of the world's most renowned players
of the Celtic Harp—in performance and in six immensely popular
recordings—before turning his focus towards storytelling and musical
theater. After an eight–year hiatus, Ball returned to the studio
to record 14 richly lyrical solo pieces, totaling 54 minutes of playing
time. His music is particularly suited for in–store play because
it is lively yet not excessively stimulating, sweet without being saccharine,
remarkably consistent but never boring. Six pieces come from the legendary
Irish harpist/composer O'Carolan; several are traditional (including
Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair); and the last cut,
The Little Child is a comforting Norwegian lullaby.
March/April 2002
14215 BUDDHA: TRANSCENDING SPACE
& TIME (2 CD) - VARIOUS ARTISTS (.pdf)
This two–CD set was compiled as an overview of the diverse sounds
of Buddhism to accompany a special exhibition of the Art Gallery of
New South Wales (Australia) entitled Buddha: Radiant Awakening.
The Bodh Gaya sessions on the first disc are daily chants and prayers
recorded by David Parsons at Japanese, Indian, Tibetan and Thai temples.
The second disc continues with similar recordings from Thailand , Laos,
Myanmar, Japan, but also features contemporary pieces by James Ashley
Franklin (Dawn), Michael Askill on percussion with Riley Lee
on shakuhachi (Invisible Forces, Section VII, composed
by Michael Askill for Australian choreographer Graeme Murphy's Invisible Forces dance score), and David Parsons (Maitreya: The Future Buddha).
This latter piece combines orchestral sounds with samples of chanting
from both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions (including Tibetan overtone
singing) for a spine–tingling 12–minute finale. Beautifully
illustrated with color photographs (one CD displays a Tibetan sand painting
on its face) and fully documented, this set would make a beautiful gift.
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