Secret Garden -- Norwegian composer/keyboard artist Rolf Lovland and Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry -- based the title of their second album on the tale of Hansel and Gretel, in which the children drop white stones to guide their journey home in the moonlight. Where SONGS FROM A SECRET GARDEN (the duo's debut album) absorbs the listener in a romantic spell, WHITE STONES illuminates the soul's journey from shadow to homecoming: "Moving," "Hymn to Hope," "Reflection," "Escape," "Sanctuary," "Celebration," and "Home" are just some of the white stones lighting the way. Sherry's violin playing is poignant in "Appassionata" and the heartbreaking "Passacaglia," and the orchestral arrangements are sensitive and touching. A few upbeat tunes enliven the album: "Celebration" (for the midsummer's night feast) begins with a hint of a march, then grows until the whole valley is filled with the sound of drums and cymbals. "Illumination" ends our musical journey with a touching yet victorious anthem for violin, oboe (played by Simon Emes), chorus, and orchestra that will leave you flying. Other soloists include Davy Spillane on low whistle and Uilleann pipes, Noel Eccles on percussion, Derek Bell on tiompán.
