Battles and Celebrations is an amazing CD, which I predominantly enjoy because it tells a story through music.  Having minimal knowledge of classical or progressive rock, I did not think that the CD would appeal to me, as much as it would to a more 'rock' audience.  Pleasantly surprised, I realized Battles and Celebrations appeals to a much wider audience than I first assumed it would.  From the first track to the last, the listener is taken on a journey of sounds which creates a personal story for the listener, and conjurs up many emotions.  The tracks are all seperate from one another, yet, one could say they are thematically linked.  As a result, the CD acheieves graceful elegance and sheer power all at once, and one cannot help praising the songs and listening to them over and over again.       =)
                            Read more...