Elias: The Prayer Cycle

1. Mercy [Movement 1]

2. Strength [Movement 2]

3. Hope [Movement 3]

4. Compassion [Movement 4]

5. Grace [Movement 5]

6. Innocence [Movement 6]

7. Forgiveness (Movement 7)

8. Benediction (Movement 8)

9. Faith (Movement 9)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
It is with primitive urgency and lustrous clarity rising like flickering embers from a fire that Jonathan Elias's ambitious Prayer Cycle is given voice. Woven together like knotty wool, silk, and fine strands of silvery water, the disparate yet complementary voices of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Alanis Morissette, Yungchen Lhamo, Ofra Haza, the American Boychoir, Salif Keita, and others intertwine in multiple languages with the superb English Chamber Orchestra and Chorus. Prayers of supplication, gratitude, and longing build in layers, one on top of and 'twixt and 'tween the other, as movements titled "Mercy," "Grace," "Innocence," "Compassion," and the like. Remarkably, Elias's Prayer Cycle eloquently captures the ecstasy, pain, grief, and sublime beauty of humanity--as he simply and poignantly writes in his liner notes, "The world we live in is both joyous and cruel." --Paige La Grone

Entertainment Weekly
Cycle's exquisite, soaring world-music voices dissipate all defenses.

Tracks:

Movement 1: Mercy
Movement 2: Strength
Movement 3: Hope
Movement 4: Compassion
Movement 5: Grace
Movement 6: Innocence
Movement 7: Forgiveness
Movement 8: Benediction
Movement 9: Faith

Amazon.com

It is with primitive urgency and lustrous clarity rising like flickering embers from a fire that Jonathan Elias's ambitious Prayer Cycle is given voice. Woven together like knotty wool, silk, and fine strands of silvery water, the disparate yet complementary voices of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Alanis Morissette, Yungchen Lhamo, Ofra Haza, the American Boychoir, Salif Keita, and others intertwine in multiple languages with the superb English Chamber Orchestra and Chorus. Prayers of supplication, gratitude, and longing build in layers, one on top of and 'twixt and 'tween the other, as movements titled "Mercy," "Grace," "Innocence," "Compassion," and the like. Remarkably, Elias's Prayer Cycle eloquently captures the ecstasy, pain, grief, and sublime beauty of humanity--as he simply and poignantly writes in his liner notes, "The world we live in is both joyous and cruel." --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

Near Glorious.......2007-08-03

The only "weak" track on Jonathan Elias' The Prayer Cycle is "Grace," featuring John Williams and James Taylor. And I put the word "weak" in quotation marks because where the other eight tracks are transcending, atmospheric and, of course, godly, "Grace" remains earthbound by it's folksy, Renaissance melody. (It's as if Williams and Taylor were channelling deceased English singer-songwriter/musician Nick Drake.) One could argue, however, that "Grace" is a refreshing break from the lush orchestra and passionate wailing throughout, in which case, at track number five, it is perfectly placed in the middle of the epic arrangements. In any case that is a minor quibble for an album that is near glorious and comes highly recommended.

soul stirring-true gift of music.......2007-02-24

...a very few meaningful words are added to enhance the sound and voice on this eloquent and moving gift of music. It has become my favorite disc to share as a gift of love with friends and colleagues.

wonderful.......2007-02-15

Lovely CD, only problem is the artists all thought they had to do their own prayer cycle, so each piece rises in volumne and crescendo. Not the best for sleep time, but nice for yoga and cooking time.

this here is some good music.......2007-02-01

music is beautiful, the lyrics are gloomy and depressing. luckily most are sung in another language so you don't have to worry about that part.

Something Old, Something New.......2007-01-17

Every now and then, along comes a piece of music that truly moves me. Even more seldom, along comes a piece of music that makes the musician in me sit up and take notice. Jonathan Elias' "The Prayer Cycle" has done both.

"Prayer Cycle" is a choral symphony in nine movements, but it is also a piece of world music. The English Chamber Orchestra and Chorus is joined by a stellar array of vocal solo talents. Distinctive western voices such as Alanis Morissette, James Taylor, and Linda Ronstadt are joined by equally distinctive eastern vocalists like Israeli Ofra Haza, Tibetan Yungchen Lhamo, Pakistani Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and Salif Keita of Mali. Sadly, Ali Khan and Haza (one of my favorite vocal talents) passed away shortly after the production of this recording, leaving this performance as one of their last collaborations. It is a fitting memorial to two great voices.

Elias' music itself is a wonder. It is both ethereal and earthly, filled with slow ostinato and vibrant treble tones, and it fulfills its title by quietly guiding the ear and mind to a place of introspection, meditation, and revelation. The mix of languages lets us concentrate on the timbre of each voice, from Ronstadt's lyrical soprano to Morisette's anguished and near-tribal clarity, from Ali Khan's woody tenor to Yungchen's flute-like descant. The music is not thematic, but atmospheric, providing no melodies to hum after hearing the piece. Rather, each movement provides a distinct sphere of serenity in which we can slow down, listen, and enjoy the tug and play of the music.