LINER NOTES – the Ancient Journey
ABOUT THE JOURNEY
From the Great Pyramid to the ancient temples, the mystical journey continues along the Nile. Just as the Nile has nourished the land of Egypt with richness and life, the temples have carried immeasurate beauty and spiritual abundance. These sacred sites, silhouetted against the Egyptian skies, resonate with profound mystery.
As I began to play in the temples along the great Nile, spirit danced with the music. Spirit was in the turquoise waters shimmering in the light. It was in the sway of the huge palm fronds delicately waving in the sweet breath of the wind. It wa sin the midnight blue sky bathin the full moon in misty softness. Ancient echoes flowed through my flute, weaving a tapestry of timeless song. On the threshold of the night, holy temples cradled the sound of sacred secrets, having waited lifetimes to be finally revealed. All is remembered and all is forgotten.
The sky is a deep lapis blue; the sand, waves of pearl, and the golden hue of light conjures alluring mysticsm. Let the resonance of the temples dance with you as it takes you on a spiritual journey of ancient wisdom. Let the ancient breath of life pour back into your heart. Let the tears turn into crystal jewels that drop into the desert – returning once again to the Great Nile, to replenish and renew.
ABOUT THE TEMPLES
I visited and played music in many temples and sacred sites along the Nile. Temples included are Karnak, Sekhmet, Isis at Philae, Hatshepsut, Al-Deir al-Bahari, Esna, Edfu, Kom-Ombo, The Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Medin-et Habu, Dendera, The Great Pyramid. Each site or temple was created to represent or to honor various arts, healing, work, power, virtues, initiation, education, study. Some of the tracks are recorded in the “Holy of Holies” which is the most sacred room in each particular temple. It has been said that the energies of the individual temple or sacred site are held within the sounds of the music recorded there.
ABOUT THE MUSIC
Wendy Luck, composer, flutist, and vocalist, created “The Ancient Journey” writing structures, melodies and rhythms prior to her Egyptian journey. These compositions served as seeds for the selections contained in the album. Once there, she improvises the music inspired in the moment. The music draws on many aspects of her musical background: classical, jazz, avant-garde and nonwestern music, where unusual effects, new fingerings, harmonics and non-standard concepts of pitch and scales come together to create new world music for the millennium.
