Adiemus (albums)
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Adiemus /ædiˈeɪməs/ is a series of new-age music albums by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins. It is also the title of the opening track on the first album of the series, Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary, recorded in 1994 and released the next year.
Concept and origins
Each Adiemus album is a collection of song-length pieces featuring
background.The vocal parts are not written in an actual language, despite some of the lyrics bearing a passing similarity to Latin. The 'words' were written phonetically by Jenkins to match the orchestral parts, with the intention being to have the voices act purely as another instrument.[1]
The word adiemus itself resembles the Latin word adeamus meaning "let us approach" (or "let us submit a cause to a referee"),[2] or, is sometimes regarded as the future tense of the same verb, meaning "we shall approach" or "we shall take possession".[3] The title also resembles two forms of the Latin verb audire ("to hear"): audiemus ("we shall hear") and audiamus ("let us hear"),[4] although Jenkins has said he was unaware of any connections to real Latin words.[5]
The titular piece on Adiemus – Songs of Sanctuary was originally composed for a Delta Air Lines TV commercial. The piece gained significant popularity as a result, and Jenkins then decided to expand it into a full work.[6]
Instrumentation and performers
- Scoring for Songs of Sanctuary
- Scoring for Cantata Mundi
- 2 electro-acoustic percussion and gemshorn)
- Scoring for Dances of Time
- 7 singers, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 6 horns, 3 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, timpani, 8 percussionists: bass drum, bongos, cowbell, shekere, chocalho, cymbals, claves, congas, cabasa, castanets, dholak, güiro, 5 low drums, low chekere, marimba, rainmaker, rek, snare drum, shaker, surdo, tom-tom, tabla, tamborim, tambourine, triangle, udo, wood block, xylophone, recorder, strings (featuring on album are also the electro-acoustic percussion and gemshorn)
- Scoring for The Eternal Knot
- recorder, accordion, percussion, harp, strings (on album also the acoustic guitar, Uilleann pipes)
- Scoring for Vocalise
- for voices and orchestra
The Songs of Sanctuary orchestra consisted of a string section augmented by various ethnic percussion instruments, with occasional further additions such as
Singers
- Miriam Stockley
- Mary Carewe
- Pirjo Aittomäki
- Mervi Hiltunen
- Anna-Mari Kähärä
- Merja Rajala
- Säde Rissanen
- Hanna-Riikka Siitonen
- Mia Simanainen
- Nina Tapio
- Riikka Timonen
Musical style
The musical language of Adiemus draws heavily on
The sound of Adiemus is generally identified with new-age or Celtic music; The Eternal Knot is an explicitly Celtic-themed album that formed the sound-track for the S4C documentary The Celts.
Audience
Albums
Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary
- "Adiemus" – 4:01
- "Tintinnabulum" – 10:57
- "Cantus Inaequalis" – 3:13
- "Cantus Insolitus" – 5:35
- "In Caelum Fero" – 7:45
- "Cantus Iteratus" – 6:36
- "Amaté Adea" – 5:12
- "Kayama" – 8:06
- "Hymn" – 2:38
Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi
Released in 1996, and building on the style established in '.
Track listing for Adiemus II
- "Cantus – 'Song of Tears' " – 9:01
- "Chorale I (Za Ma Ba)" – 1:50
- "Cantus – 'Song of the Spirit' " – 6:09
- "Chorale II (Roosh Ka Ma)" – 1:50
- "Cantus – 'Song of the Trinity' " – 6:11
- "Chorale III (Vocalise)" – 2:20
- "Cantus – 'Song of the Odyssey' " – 7:25
- "Chorale IV (Alame Oo Ya)" – 2:59
- "Cantus – 'Song of the Plains' " – 11:26
- "Chorale V (Arama Ivi)" – 1:21
- "Cantus – 'Song of Invocation' " – 8:45
- "Chorale VI (Sol–Fa)" / "Cantus – 'Song of Aeolus' " – 5:46
- "Chorale VII (A Ma Ka Ma)" – 1:18
- Bonus Track: "Cantilena" – 3:24
- Bonus Track: "Elegia" – 4:06
Personnel for Adiemus II
- London Philharmonic Orchestra
- Karl Jenkins – Conductor
- Vocals
- Mary Carewe – Additional vocals in Choruses
- Pamela Thorby – Recorders and gemshorn
- Christopher Warren-Green – Solo violin
- Jody Barratt-Jenkins – Electro-acoustic percussion
Alternative versions
Several releases, including the United States release, of Cantata Mundi feature two bonus tracks, "Cantilena" and "Elegia", which are early musical sketches composed by Jenkins in preparation for this album.
As is common with Adiemus albums, the cover art of releases in certain regions may be different. The cover of the United States release features a silhouetted persons reminiscent of the cover art for
Adiemus III: Dances of Time
Released in 1998, this album is a tribute to the interrelationship between
In addition to the multitracked vocals used in the previous Adiemus recordings, Jenkins introduces the Finnish Adiemus Singers to perform the chorus to Miriam Stockley's lead.
Track listing for Adiemus III
- "Corrente (Courante)" – 5:04
- "Un Bolero Azul (Blue Bolero)" – 8:35
- "La La La Koora (Ländler)" – 3:20
- "Dawn Dancing" – 3:14
- "Kaya Kakooya (Rumba)" – 4:34
- "Intrada & Pavan" – 7:25
- "Minuet" – 1:24
- "Rain Dance" – 4:30
- "Tango" – 8:05
- "Zarabanda (Sarabande)" – 4:36
- "Ein Wiener Walzer (A Viennese Waltz)" – 4:59
- "Hymn to the Dance" – 3:52
- "Dos a Dos (Square dance)" – 4:15
- "Tango" – 5:51
Alternate versions of Adiemus III
The final track "Tango" is an edited version of the track "African Tango" and is only available on some releases. A Japanese special edition release includes a second disc featuring "Beyond the Century (Makare Maka)" 4:54, "Elegia" 4:05 from some releases of Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi, "Hymn" 2:38 from Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary, and an edited version of "Corrente" 4:23 from the first disc of this album.
As is common with Adiemus albums, the cover art of releases in certain regions may be different.
Personnel for Adiemus III
- Adiemus – Performer
- David Buckland – Photography
- Martin Giles – Mastering
- Nick Harris & The Soundbarriers – Assistant engineer
- Helen Hodkinson – executive producer, associate producer
- Jody Jenkins – Electric drums
- Karl Jenkins – Composer, conductor, producer, orchestration
- Dick Lewzey – Engineer
- London Philharmonic Orchestra
- Matt Marshall – Executive producer
- Russell Mills – Artwork, design
- Duncan Riddell – Orchestra leader
- Säde Rissanen – Vocals
- Sheila Rock – Photography
- Mia Simanainen – Vocals
- Miriam Stockley – Vocals
- Nina Tapio – Vocals
- Pamela Thorby – Recorder, gemshorn
- Riikka Väyrynen – Vocals
- Michael Webster – Design assistant
Adiemus IV: The Eternal Knot
Released in 2001, this album was inspired by
Track listing for Adiemus IV
- "Cú Chullain" – 6:15
- "The Eternal Knot" – 4:04
- "Palace of the Crystal Bridge" – 3:42
- "The Wooing of Étaín" – 5:25
- "King of the Sacred Grove" – 6:05
- "Saint Declan's Drone" – 3:58
- "Salm O 'Dewi Sant'" – 4:23
- "Connla's Well" – 4:19
- "The Dagda" – 7:56
- "Children of Dannu" – 3:32
- "Ceridwen's Curse" – 4:30
- "Hermit of the Sea Rock" – 1:45
- "Isle of the Mystic Lake" – 3:16
- "Math Was a Wizard" – 2:57
Personnel for Adiemus IV
- Adiemus Orchestra
- Karl Jenkins – Conductor
- Vocals
- Mary Carewe – Additional vocals in choruses
- Pamela Thorby – Recorder
- Caryl Ebenezer – High soprano
- Davy Spillane – Uilleann pipes
- Martin Taylor – Acoustic guitar
- David Farmer – Accordion
- Catrin Finch – Harp
- Jody K Jenkins – Carnyx effect and percussion
Alternate versions of Adiemus IV
The theme from "Salm O 'Dewi Sant'" is derived from "Psalm 27" of Jenkins's Dewi Sant. The theme from "The Dagda" was borrowed from "Lacus Pereverantiae" from Jenkins's earlier work Imagined Oceans. The theme for "Isle of the Mystic Lake" is that of "Palus Nebularum" also from Imagined Oceans. "The Eternal Knot" went on to become the theme for "Benedictus" from Jenkins's mass The Armed Man.
As is often the case with albums in the Adiemus project, releases in different regions may have different cover art. The cover Japanese release of Adieums IV: The Eternal Knot Has gold text and designs, including a dolphin, over a green background whereas other releases have white text over a Celtic knot on a bluish-green background.
Adiemus V: Vocalise
Released in 2003. In contrast to Jenkins's past Adiemus compositions, several of the tracks in this album are arrangements or variations on existing classical works. Additionally, the lyrics for some tracks are borrowed from religious texts or even the title of the piece rather than the invented phonetic language used exclusively in the preceding Adiemus albums. Adiemus V: Vocalise features the broadest range in musical styles and instrumentation of the series.[original research?]
Track listing for Adiemus V
All tracks by Karl Jenkins
- "Rondo" (after Violin Concerto (Beethoven)) – 4:09
- "The Protector" (lyrics translated from Hebrew Grail text) – 4:11
- "Allegrettango" (after Symphony No. 7 (Beethoven), second movement) – 6:01 (with Terry Barber, countertenor)
- "Dona Nobis Pacem Part I" (lyrics from Agnus Dei of the Ordinary of the Mass) – 2:26
- "Dona Nobis Pacem Part II" (lyrics from Agnus Dei of the Ordinary of the Mass) – 6:00
- "Akruzam" (after mazurkas by Frédéric Chopin) – 4:29
- "Schwanda the Bagpiper" (arrangement of Švanda the Bagpiper) – 1:49
- "Exit Schwanda" – 1:18
- "Bendigedig" – 5:20 (with Terry Barber, countertenor)
- "Schubert's Dance" (after Franz Schubert) – 3:20
- "Berceuse pour un Enfant Solitaire" – 6:11
- "Aria" (arrangement of "Cantilena" from Heitor Villa-Lobos's Bachianas Brasileiras) – 5:30 (with Terry Barber, countertenor, and Richard Harwood, cello)
- "Mysterious are Your Ways" – 3:30
- "Mi Contra Fa, Diabolus in Musica" – 5:55
- "Vocalise" (arrangement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise") – 4:31 (with Terry Barber, countertenor)
- encore: "Boogie Woogie Llanoogie" – 3:29
Personnel for Adiemus V
- Pirjo Aittomäki – Vocals
- Terrance L. Barber Jr. – Countertenor (Vocal)
- Mary Carewe – Vocals
- Paul Clarvis – Percussion
- Helen Connolly – Executive producer, associate producer
- Mark Feltham – Harmonica
- Martin Giles – Mastering
- Richard Harwood – Cello
- Mervi Hiltunen – Vocals, soloist
- Nigel Hitchcock – Saxophone, wind controller
- Gavin Horsley – Bass (vocal)
- Jody Barratt Jenkins – Percussion, piano, programming, producer, editing
- Karl Jenkins – Piano, arranger, conductor, producer, concept, song notes
- Anna-Mari Kähärä – Vocals
- London Philharmonic Orchestra
- Steve Price – Mixing
- Merja Rajala – Vocals
- Säde Rissanen – Vocals
- Pieter Schoeman – Orchestra leader
- Hanna-Riikka Siitonen – Vocals
- Mia Simanainen – Vocals
- Belinda Sykes– Vocals, soloist
- Nina Tapio – Vocals
- Martin Taylor – Guitar
- Pamela Thorby – Recorder
- Riikka Timonen – Vocals
- Paul Vozdic – Cover photo
- Kenny Wheeler – Flugelhorn
- Guy Wiffen – Engineer
Singles and alternative versions
Common to albums in the Adiemus project, releases in different regions may have different cover art, such as the Japanese release of Adieums V: Vocalise.
Special albums
- 2000 – The Journey: The Best of Adiemus
- 2002 – Adiemus Live
- 2002 – Adiemus New Best & Live
- 2003 – The Essential Adiemus
- 2013 – Adiemus Colores
- 2017 – Symphonic Adiemus
See also
References
- ^ Price, Karen (6 July 2013). "Composer Karl Jenkins is inspired by Latin beats as he revives his Adiemus project". WalesOnline. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ Also meaning "to bring all together in rhythm." Lewis & Short. "adeo". A Latin Dictionary. published online by Tufts University. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ "adiemus". William Whitaker's Words. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ Barone, Brian. "An Aural History of "Adiemus"". The Awl. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "The Story of Adiemus" Archived July 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, karljenkins.com
- ^ Lewis, Roz (17 May 2020). "Composer Sir Karl Jenkins: 'Adiemus, my biggest hit, was written for an airline advert'". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 16 February 2021.