If I only were to listen to one New Age music album this year, Peaceful Hearts by Terry Oldfield and Soraya would be my choice. It is one of the most positive, heartfelt and inspiring albums I have ever heard. Terry’s breathtakingly beautiful flute and Soraya’s singing have but one message; love is all you need. Looking at the world, this is the most important message of all.
The style of Peaceful Hearts reminds a bit about Asher Quinn’s vocal material, but without a Christian perspective. Terry Oldfield and Soraya’s New Age thought is just as charged with hope and spiritual energy.
A Powerful Yet Peaceful Heart
Terry Oldfield is one of our finest artists and Soraya is a heavenly singer. Still I was surprised by the album’s power and atmosphere. I didn’t know that peaceful hearts would beat with such force! On the album Terry plays flute, acoustic guitar and Soraya sings and plays tanmandel, a version of tanpura. Terry’s vocal is also amazing. The album starts with the 7 minute long Deep Peace, which is a nice opener. Here we get a sample of Terry & Soraya’s style. But it is first with the song When will I be free it really starts to get interesting.This is an album where lyrics play an important role:
When will I be free? /
Like a wave out on the sea /
Like a cloud above the ocean
To me the song is spot on. In our busy and hectic world it can be almost impossible to find the peace needed to recharge our batteries. We’re exhausted, burnt out, stressed, tired. Even holidays are a marathon of things to do. But there is an answer to the When will I be free? question, and that is in simply stopping for a while, take a deep breath and meditate. Terry & Soraya are excellent guides in this, and Peaceful Hearts may be an inspiration to learn more about their workshops & retreats.
The trio of songs When will I be free, Just Perfect and Instrument of Peace are simply amazing. Terry and Soraya’s spiritual singing is deeply inspiring, also for non believers. It is completely honest and unpretentious. Old fans will find the song Ocean Lullaby like a hidden treasure. It is a acoustic version of Terry’s Out of the Depths – De Profundis
Where there’s darkness, let there be light
Where there’s blindness, let there be sight
Simply put, Peaceful Hearts is in every way a wonderful and inspiring New Age music album. Best of all; It takes the cliché out of Peace & Love and makes it into something we all can relate to. Love is, to quote the album, simply standing there.
Score: 94/100 – see how I rate music here.
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