Album Notes

THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH(rated Number One New Age album for 2003, Goldenrod Music) fuses Lydia McCauley's luminous songwriting and rich vocals with a brilliant performance from her ensemble of musicians. Third in the series of Brimstone Music's independent rreleases, this new album shines like gold on a Tuscan hillside. The CD booklet is beautifully illustrated with photos of the Italian countryside.

The Beauty of the Earth is a very spiritual album. To me it is like a musical version of a book called Anam Cara, a collection of Celtic wisdom that was a bestseller in Ireland a few years ago. The title track sets the mood as it extols the treasures that we possess in our world as McCauley sings of love. "The River of Life" reads like a poem and a hymn: "Changed, formed and recreated on the river of life, onward I go." My favourite track on the album is "When You See." This is one of the more spiritual and uplifting pieces of music and song that I have experienced in a long time. The use of Latin adds that extra dimension on some tracks and brings an air of mysterious beauty to the songs. McCauley has a beautiful voice that is ideally suited to the sounds on this CD and some excellent musicians complement her. The whole production, from playing and singing to the printing and layout of the insert with its "warm" illustrations, make this another of those albums that should not be missed. * Nicky Rossiter / South East Radio / Ireland Rambles: January 4th 2003