Life of Guangzhou - Secret Garden: Uncovering the Secret in Heart

Nocturne, from the Secret Garden. (Tudou.com)

It was in the year 2000 when I first heard about the beautiful music of the two-person band Secret Garden. I had always liked piano, and I had already purchased many piano performance albums. One day, my friend, a violin fan, sent me an album called Song from a Secret Garden, which she thought I might like. That was the beginning of my love for this world-famous band and its members, Rolf Lovland and Fiommuala Sherry.

Although I missed their visit to Guangzhou four years ago, I was able to obtain tickets to their concert last Sunday at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. Some seats were a little bit empty, since classical music fans are few and far between here. Though my seat was far from the stage, I could still recognize Sherry's curly, strikingly golden locks and could revel in the Irish violinist's performance alongside her Norwegian partner.

Of the five albums Secret Garden has released worldwide since 1996 (a sixth has recently been released in Norway), Nocturne, Moongate, and Song from a Secret Garden are their best, and it was from these albums that many of the pieces chosen for the concert were drawn. Lovland and Sherry's selection of 'Windancer' as the first piece was an excellent choice. The song never fails to evoke the image in my mind of a dancer clothed in white, dancing gracefully in the wind.

The world-famous band and its members, Rolf Lovland and Fiommuala Sherry.

The remainder of the concert was equally inspired. Many die-hard fans lamented the absence of Gunnhild Tvinnereim's ethereal soprano and beautiful lyrics from the 'Nocturne,' but the presence of Tracy Campbell-Nation in "Song from a Secret Garden" was a welcome surprise; Campbell-Nation's distinctive voice gave the song new meaning and new life. After the familiar "You Raise Me Up", the band also performed the debut of several songs from their new album.

During one interlude, Sherry described the day she composed "Sometimes When It Rains": "It was cold outside. I was at home in Ireland, sitting in front of the fireplace and holding a cup of tea." Having listened to her music and experienced its calming effect on my mood on similar days in Guangzhou, I felt my connection with her grow.

A large percentage of the Chinese audience could not understand the English that the musicians used to express their feelings onstage, but this did not diminish their experience in the slightest. As Lovland said after the composition of "Children of the River," "Music is the universal language of emotions, and regardless of our differences. We all share and understand this common language." Lovland and Sherry's performance proved this; despite the language barrier, the sound of applause lingered in the concert hall long after the final note of the last piece had been sounded.

(by Carrot Chan, Usha Chilukuri)