Novus Magnificat: Through the Stargate
Novus Magnificat, a gorgeous, otherworldly opus from classically trained pianist Constance Demby, has become a true classic in New Age music, appealing to a wide variety of listeners, many of whom are ordinarily put off by the genre. Rooted in worship music of the Western tradition, Demby's majestic improvisational vision produces what the 1986 disc's liner notes call "Contemporary classical Spacemusic: A Magnificat and Exaltate." Incorporating the central voice of synthesizer with a string-and-horn section, piano, organ, bells, and tympani, a choral voice joins with instrumental passages, setting a blissfully reverent tone throughout this two-part melodious marvel. Master composers Bach and Vivaldi come to mind when hearing the keyed chord progressions and swirling strings, makingNovus Magnificata keenly majestic score for use during massage, labor and birth, meditation, worship, or relaxation.--Paige La Grone