Secret Garden (duo)

Secret Garden is an award winning Irish-Norwegian duo playing New Instrumental Music, also understood by some as Neo-classical music.

It features the Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry and the Norwegian composer/pianist Rolf Løvland. Secret Garden has sold over 3 million albums and won the Eurovision Song Contest for Norway's second time in 1995 with the composition "Nocturne". It was the first and only time to date that a predominantly instrumental piece has won the Eurovision Song Contest, although a few Norwegian language lyrics, written by screenwriter Petter Skavlan, were included to ensure that the entry adhered to the contest's rules. Norwegian singer Gunnhild Tvinnereim sang the song in the Eurovision Song Contest, but is actually not a member of the group. Ten years earlier Rolf Løvland also co-wrote the song "La det swinge" (Let it swing) that secured Norway its first Eurovision Song Contest victory in 1985.

Their success at Eurovision spearheaded the success of their first album "Songs from a Secret Garden". It sold a million copies around the world going platinum in Norway and Korea, gold in Ireland, Hong Kong and New Zealand and spending two years in the Billboard New Age charts in 1996 and 1997. Barbra Streisand adapted "Heartstrings" from this album as the song "I've Dreamed Of You" on her "A Love Like Ours" album. She also used "Heartstrings" in her wedding to James Brolin.

The album "White Stones" followed in 1997 also making the top ten on Billboard New Age charts. "Dawn of a New Century", again with lyrics by Petter Skavlan, in 1999, "Dreamcatcher" in 2001 and "Once In a Red Moon" also enjoyed success around the world including reaching top ten on the Billboard.

Their most famous song "You Raise Me Up", performed by Brian Kennedy, has been recorded by more than a hundred of other artists including Josh Groban, Russell Watson, Westlife, Sissel, Becky Taylor, Celtic Woman, LENA PARK and Il Divo. This song is very similar in rhythm and harmony to the Irish Folk song "Danny Boy" except for the second half of the phrase.

Secret Garden has released a "Dreamcatcher: Best Of" album for its tour through Australia and New Zealand in 2004. It reached the top of the Australian New Age charts and the ARIA top 50 album charts.

Discography

Secret Garden's albums (in chronological order):

* "Songs from a Secret Garden" (1995)
* "White Stones" (1997)
* "Dawn of a New Century" (1999)
* "Dreamcatcher" (2001)
* "Once in a Red Moon" (2002) This includes a guest track with Julian Lloyd Webber
* "" (2004, Australia)
* "Earthsongs" (2005)
* "Inside I'm Singing" (2008)

External links

* [http://www.secretgarden.no/ Official webpage]
* [http://www.secretgarden.no/lowband/fs_words_music.html Song lyrics]