“Tale of the Oakenwish” by Christopher Caouette
Album Review by New Age CD and New Age Notes Radio Staff
Epic, exciting, and grand cinematic music at its finest. In the quest for a bow called “The Oakenwish,” this is a marvelous adventure akin to “Lord of the Rings.” Fantastical. – Dyan Garris, ZMR, New Age Notes Radio
Would you like to be transported to a magical fantasy world? That seems pretty good to me right now. You? That is what this album, “Tale of the Oakenwish” will do for you with its epic music.
A supremely talented “musical storyteller,” Christopher, who is a classically trained pianist, has been creating his unique style of New Age music since 1986. This is an engaging blend of Celtic, world, electronic, and classical styles, influenced by the film and video gaming industries. Each of Christopher’s nine albums tell a story that draws the listener into the fantasy world he has created.
This album is 10 tracks of breathtaking music, including as the last track, a 30-minute continuous mix of the album start to finish, “Tale of the Oakenwish.” The story here is about an elf, Kisyra Cedarsong, whose people are living under the oppression of evil rulers who invaded their lands generations ago. The only relief they get is from their shared, passed down stories, one of which is about an ancient bow which was created by the Fae. The story goes that whoever possessed it would attain their heart’s desire. However, that comes with a caveat: The heart’s desire would come at great cost. One day, while cleaning out an old barn, Kisyra discovered a small box under a floorboard that spoke to the subject of the bow and said to journey to the Forest of the Mist and seek out the Fae. The album is the story of that journey.
Opening with the very exciting “Flight of Cedarsong,” which seems to be perfectly titled. This starts out softly and ends this way as well, with grand exhilaration in between. An excellent beginning.
From there, we travel to the “Forest of Wishes.” Gentle, flowing, and melodic, this is beautiful and heart-stirring. Not to purposefully skip anything, but we can’t address every track here. So, some other favorites from the album are: “Forest Of The Mist” is truly enchanting. Wonderful orchestration here (and throughout), this is dramatic, sensitive, and cinematic. Very nicely done. Ditto for “The Fae’s Gift.” This is just wonderful and entirely captivating with charming flute (Aleks Newland) making it even more so.
“I May Be One” features the dynamic vocal of Juno award-nominated artist, Lindsay Schoolcraft. With a steady under-beat, along with again great orchestration, the poignant lyrics speak to freedom:
“I may be one
But I have to try
To break us free
from the spell in which we’re bound. . .”
I’m particularly fond of “Lament of Cedarsong,” with its ethereal wordless vocals. Brief, at 2:43, this is gently flowing and lovely in every way, although I wish it was longer. Very pretty and emotionally evocative. This is a grand escape and an exciting album of epic proportions, not to be missed.
Get it here or at your favorite music streaming service:
https://ChristopherCaouette.com
Broadcast and Media Promotion:
LAZZ Promotions
Ed and Stacey Bonk
[email protected]
Credits:
Cello (Tracks 1,2,3,8,10): Dalai Theofilopoulou
Flute (Track 5): Aleks Newland
Lyrics and Vocals (“I May Be One”): Lindsay Schoolcraft
