The Ring Quest, represented by the three tiers
of conflict between the Gods of Heaven and the earthly realm
of mankind peopled by the races who inhabit above and below the
ground, is a favourite Holy Grail theme with many writers, painters
and composers throughout the centuries. My great, great grandfather's
largest operatic work 'The Ring Cycle' was amongst the greatest
of these to depict this conflict culminating with the enigmatic
'Twilight of the Gods'.
With the music on this album, I have attempted
to portray some of the mythical characters of our childhood -
the wizards and druids, dwarves, elves and pixies, giants and
fairy folk. Some claim that these are the authentic 'Shining
Ones' and 'Ring Lords' who have appeared in Celtic history but
were, like the female figures of the New Testament, redefined
and refashioned when they came into conflict with the oppressive
Church State. Using certain allegorical scales, harmonics and
rhythmic devices, I have woven together these themes in order
to illuminate our understanding of the real 'Lords of the Ring'!
The album culminates with 'Beyond the Portal
of the Twilight World', a dramatic interpretation of the treatment
given to the Early Christians and, subsequently, by them to the,
so called, heretics after they became a part of the Holy Roman
Church State. The enlightened heroes of the 'Underground Stream'
were brutally put down in Middle Ages throughout the horrendous
period of the Inquisition by those in the Church who were responsible
for creating fear and the Gothic illusion of witches, werewolves
and vampires. The track ends, however, on a positive note of
the 'Serenity of the Grail' after a reading by J.R.R.Tolkein
of the The Mirror Of Galadriel'. The question for the future
is whether we will choose one of enlightenment or continue the
awful conflicts which set ourselves against our fellow brothers
and sisters, whatever our differing faiths and beliefs, in the
name of religious dogma. My faith is that the Grail Spirit will
eventually prevail when we, at last, understand that oppression,
battle and warfare is not the answer!
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