Reviewed by Tony Cummings

I reckon this will be my nomination for the surprise album of the year. Simeon, as many of you UK CCM buffs will recall, was for 10 years half of Simeon And John whose fusion of classical and meditative worship brought them a huge middle-of-the-road following though, even S&J's most loyal fans could hardly claim they pushed back the boundaries of recorded sound. Now suddenly the classically trained flautist has, like a bird uncaged, recorded one of the most original and eclectic albums of this or any year. Seemingly the catalyst for this new era of experimentation was a trip to Australia where Simeon worked not only with a Sydney symphony orchestra but took time out to explore the thrilling sounds of Aboriginal culture. There have been various efforts over the last few years to find a way of fusing the eery drone of the didgeridoo into Western music but I doubt whether it's ever been done more beautifully than that on this album's opener "Dreamland To Beyond". After such a breathtaking start the rest of the album could have paled but the sheer dexterity of Simeon's playing, who solos with sinuous fluidity on flute, Celtic whistles, quena and pan pipes, is a revelation. There are some marvellous moments, "Steps Of Sorrow", Simeon's interpretation of Christ's walk to the cross at Calvary; the lilting "Berceuse" lullaby; and a delightful Irish jig. And if all that sounds a bit heavy, Simeon also get Rimsky-Korsakov turning in his grave with a hilarious parody "Plight Of The Humble Flea". Yep, the most surprising instrumental album of the year.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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