Greyhawk

Artist: Greyhawk
P: 1995
Grayhawk David Gibney is a classically trained film score composer, conductor, and keyboardist. Blissful Magic is a musical tour de force, a colorful interpretation of the Druid Earth Rites of the Celtic mystery schools. Although "pagan," the work is far from crude; Grayhawk has fully orchestrated the piece for percussion ensemble, the Bardic Mystery Choir, and the Isle of Avalon Orchestra. The choral sections are not simple chants, as one might expect from a Wiccan circle; prepare your ears for a treat with sophisticated choral ceremonies, spells, invocations, initiations, and blessings honoring the Great Mother. The performances verge on the operatic, while "Cast the Binding Spell" warns powerfully that "the sacred earth is dying." Here, trees crash, bombs explode, lions roar, and fights erupt amid whispered asides and the urgent appeals of trumpets and celebrants. Medieval dances, however, inject a measure of merriment and hope. Several instrumental cuts offer music of sensuous timelessness recalling ancient Greece or Egypt, perfect for trance dancing. Blissful Magic is impeccably performed and produced. It would honor the list of any major label (compare to Tim Wheater's Heartland), yet it is only Grayhawk's second album.