Hymn | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 9 November 2018 | |||
Recorded | 2016–2018 | |||
Studio | Village Studios (Los Angeles), Abbey Road Studios (London), Nemo Studios (Hamburg) and Spank Studio (Florida). | |||
Length | 48:52 | |||
Label | Decca | |||
Producer |
| |||
Sarah Brightman chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Hymn | ||||
|
Hymn is the twelfth studio album by English soprano Sarah Brightman and first since 2013's Dreamchaser . The five-and a half year gap between both studio albums marks Brightman's longest break between studio releases. This album marks Brightman's ninth studio collaboration with producer Frank Peterson. The album was released on 9 November 2018, entering at No. 1 on both the Billboard Classical Crossover Albums and overall Classical Albums, making Brightman the female artist with the most No. 1s in both charts. [1]
Brightman released her eleventh studio album Dreamchaser at the beginning of 2013. It marked a departure of her previous material by exploring new sounds and collaborating with producers Mike Hedges and Sally Herbert after twenty years of continuous work with Frank Peterson. [2] The album gathered acclaim from critics, some considering it Brightman's strongest work to date. [3] In order to promote her new material, Sarah embarked on a two-year world tour, under the name of "Dreamchaser World Tour". The concert tour consisted of 106 shows in twenty-three countries, becoming Brightman's second largest of her career. In 2015, Brightman was expected to travel to the International Space Station but cancelled the trip for personal reasons. [4]
In 2016 and 2017, Brightman embarked on two more concert tours: Gala: An Evening with Sarah Brightman, and Royal Christmas Gala along Gregorian and special guests. Both concert tours served as a promotion of her greatest hits album Gala - The Collection . Recording of her new album took place during these two years.
According to Brightman's website, talks about a new album started in early 2016. Peterson began talking to Brightman about making a new album but she was unsure of doing so. Brightman, who had intended to launch on a future orbital spaceflight mission to the International Space Station, had halted her Cosmonaut training in Russia, which left her feeling vulnerable and depleted. After some time in Florida, Brightman and Peterson decided to start a new musical project, embracing an uplifting and optimistic sound. [5]
Production for the album was officially announced on 9 December 2016. A photo of Sarah at the Nemo Studio in Hamburg, Germany was uploaded on her Facebook page with the caption "The start of something special". [6] Additional photos were uploaded as the month continued. On 3 January 2017, Sarah's official Facebook page uploaded a photo of the singer working alongside longtime producer Frank Peterson. [7] This event marked Brightman and Peterson's ninth studio collaboration and first since 2008's album A Winter Symphony .
Updates of the album's production continued along the year. On 23 February 2017, Peterson uploaded a photo on his Facebook page, revealing that recording sessions were taking place at Village Studios. On 9 March 2017 a photo of Sarah accompanied by the Spirit of David Choir in a studio at Los Angeles was uploaded to her website and media. [8] Photos of the studio and recording sessions were uploaded to the internet on 5 April, 15 April, and 13 June 2017, along minimal information. [9] [10] [11] On 30 October 2017, it was announced that Brightman's last studio album recording was being continued at Abbey Road Studios along the London Symphony Orchestra. Patrick Hawes, Steve Sidwell and Paul Bateman were also mentioned as contributors to the album's production. [12]
Brightman's studio recording had to be paused due to her participation at the co-headlining concert tour with Gregorian and other guests' Royal Christmas Gala, during the months of November and December 2017. Brightman returned to the production phase on 10 January 2018, as informed on her website. [13] A few days later, it was informed that Tom Lord-Alge was contributing in the recording phase of the studio album, and was being recorded at Spank Studio, in South Beach, Florida. [14] The recording process took place in a total of seven cities: Hamburg, Miami, London, Vancouver, Los Angeles, New York and Budapest. [15]
On 20 June it was informed that the album photo shoot had taken place at the Priory Church of St. Bartholomew the Great in London. [16] On 3 July 2018, Sarah announced via Twitter that the recording phase had finished. [17]
There's a lot of confusion, and people sometimes don't know where to go. I wanted to sing something very familiar, something close, something that could be religious or spiritual. Those are things that make me feel centered.
– Brightman speaking about her inspiration for the album during an interview with Billboard . [18]
During a telephone interview with Brazilian journal Destak, Brightman said the album's sound would have similarities with her first solo material, Timeless (1997) and Eden (1998), thus indicating a classical and operatic approach. On that same interview Brightman told that the concept of the album centered around achieving a sense of security and optimism in middle of a dystopian world. [19] These themes were inspired after Brightman's cancelled journey to the International Space Station and all its preparation.
Brightman described this album as "excitingly eclectic, encompassing many different styles" during a press interview. "Every project I’ve done has come from an emotional place, and I wanted to make something that sounded very beautiful and uplifting. To me, ‘Hymn,’ suggests joy — a feeling of hope and light, something that is familiar and secure, and I hope that sentiment resonates through the music." [20]
Some songs of the album consist of covers of varied pieces from different decades. The title track belong to British prog-rock band Barclay James Harvest. The release also encompasses songs by such modern composers as Eric Whitacre ("Fly To Paradise"), Japanese musician and songwriter Yoshiki ("Miracle"), and German DJ Paul Kalkbrenner ("Sky and Sand"). The album closes with a new rendition of Brightman's signature duet with Andrea Bocelli, "Time To Say Goodbye," singing lyrics that she wrote herself, and sung in English for the first time. [21]
"Sogni" was released as the first single from the album as a collaboration between Brightman and French tenor Vincent Niclo. Composer and producer Frank Peterson described the operatic song as "a mash-up" of two arias from two different operas by French composer Georges Bizet. The track was released worldwide on 17 September as a digital download and was made available for streaming as well. [22]
On 18 October, the title track of the album was released as the second official single. The song had an exclusive premiere on Parade Magazine [23] and it was released to streaming services the following day. [24] The single is a cover of Barclay James Harvest's hit and a part of their successful album, Gone to Earth. According to The Telegraph, the song was first given to Brightman as part of a mixtape by Peterson. [25] This was during the 1980s, before both artists started working together. The mixtape worked as an introduction of Peterson's work to Sarah.
On 17 May 2017, Sarah re-launched a community forum for fans after several years of absence, in which the album's title was announced, along the caption "Fall 2018", stating a possible release date. [26] [27] The forum also works as a source of exclusive content, album news and behind-the-scenes, specially for their members. [28] On 20 August 2018, the Brazilian journal Gazeta do Povo published an interview of Brightman, were it stated that the album would be released in the month of October. [29] Nevertheless, it was later confirmed that the album release would be on 9 November 2018 in CD and digital download format, [30] as well as on vinyl. [31] On 17 September, the album cover and its tracklist was announced along with the re-launch of the web-page. [32]
The promotion campaign of the album started on 26 September in New York City where Brightman made an interview with Build series. [33] Additional interviews were made with ABC action news, [34] and actress Bonnie Laufer Krebs. [35]
On 6 August 2018, Brightman announced her return to the South American continent after five years, along with her promotional tour Hymn: Sarah Brightman In Concert. The concert tour includes dates in Brazil, [36] Chile [37] and Argentina [38] in the months of November and December. A second date had to be added in Buenos Aires due to overwhelming demand. On 17 September, along the official announcement of the release-date of the album, the north-American tour dates of the tour were announced as well. [39] On 12 November, with the official release of 'Miracle', it was announced on her official Instagram that the tour would include Japan in April 2019.
On 10 September, Brightman announced via Facebook that a special show would take place at Bavaria, Germany and be filmed as well. [40] The concert took place on 21 September at the Musiktheater Füssen and included special guests such as Mario Frangoulis, Vincent Niclo, Narcis and Yoshiki. [41] The filmed concert was screened in cinemas on 8 November, a day before the album release. [42] [43] The 90-minute film concert was shown in more than 450 cinemas in the United States for that single date. [44] It will also air on PBS at a date TBD.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hymn Overture" |
| 1:02 |
2. | "Hymn" | John Lees | 4:27 |
3. | "Sogni" (featuring Vincent Niclo) |
| 4:18 |
4. | "Sky and Sand" | 4:12 | |
5. | "Canto Per Noi" | 3:21 | |
6. | "Fly to Paradise" (featuring Eric Whitacre Singers) |
| 5:13 |
7. | "Gia nel seno (La storia di Lucrezia)" | 3:09 | |
8. | "Follow Me" | 3:59 | |
9. | "You" | 3:30 | |
10. | "Better Is One Day" | Matt Redman | 3:51 |
11. | "Tu Che M'Hai Preso Il Cuor" |
| 2:43 |
12. | "Miracle" (featuring Yoshiki) | Yoshiki | 4:52 |
13. | "Time to Say Goodbye (2018 Version)" | 4:15 | |
Total length: | 48:52 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
14. | "Done" (pop version) | 3:41 |
15. | "Sky and Sand" (Pedi Remix) | 3:48 |
Total length: | 56:21 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
14. | "Watermark" | Enya | 2:30 |
15. | "Sleep Tight" | Sarah Brightman | 3:37 |
Total length: | 54:59 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
14. | "Vide Cor Meum composed by Patrick Cassidy" | 4:26 |
Total length: | 53:18 |
Chart (2018) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Classical Crossover Albums (ARIA) [48] | 7 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [49] | 119 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [50] | 145 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [51] | 29 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [52] | 61 |
Japan Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [53] | 43 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [54] | 23 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [55] | 87 |
South Korean Albums (Gaon) [56] | 99 |
South Korean International Albums (Circle) [57] | 7 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [58] | 60 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [59] | 36 |
US Billboard 200 [60] | 50 |
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [61] | 11 |
US Top Classical Albums (Billboard) [62] | 1 |
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She began her music career in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the mid-1980s. Grant has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop".
Sarah Ann McLachlan is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four Juno Awards. In addition to her personal artistic efforts, she founded the Lilith Fair tour, which showcased female musicians.
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano singer and actress.
Westlife are an Irish pop group formed in Dublin in 1998. The group consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member before leaving in 2004. The group disbanded in 2012 after 14 years and later reunited in 2018.
Yoshiki Hayashi, known as Yoshiki, is a Japanese musician, songwriter, composer, record producer, film director, and fashion designer. He is best known as the leader of the visual kei rock bands X Japan and the Last Rockstars, for which he is the drummer, pianist, and main songwriter. He has been described by Billboard as a "musical innovator" and named "one of the most influential composers in Japanese history" by Consequence. Yoshiki's solo career includes several classical studio albums and collaborations with artists such as George Martin, Bono, will.i.am, St. Vincent, the Chainsmokers, Skrillex, Ellie Goulding, Stan Lee, Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen, Gene Simmons and KISS, Nicole Scherzinger, and Sarah Brightman.
La Luna is the seventh album recorded by English soprano Sarah Brightman in 2000. It was released under license by Nemo Studios to Angel Records. The album combines pieces written by classical and modern composers. It is the 17th top-selling classical album of the 2000s in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and is Brightman's second highest seller in the country after her 1997 release Timeless/Time to Say Goodbye. Aside from the US, the album experienced its strongest sales in Asia, where it received a quintuple platinum certification in Taiwan and earned Brightman's first Gold award in Japan.
Harem is the eighth studio album by English singer Sarah Brightman, released in the United States on 10 June 2003 through Angel Records. The album continued the collaboration between Brightman and her longtime producer Frank Peterson.
"Con te partirò" is an Italian song written by Francesco Sartori (music) and Lucio Quarantotto (lyrics). It was first performed by Andrea Bocelli at the 1995 Sanremo Music Festival and recorded on his album of the same year, Bocelli. The single was first released as an A-side single with "Vivere" in 1995, topping the charts, first in France, where it became one of the best-selling singles of all-time, and then in Belgium, breaking the all-time record sales there.
This page includes the full discography of British singer Sarah Brightman, including albums, singles, and theatre cast recordings.
Classics is a compilation album by classical crossover soprano Sarah Brightman. It collects previously released material, such as "Pie Jesu", from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem; "Figlio Perduto", "Lascia ch'io pianga" and "La Luna" from Brightman's previous studio albums, and new recordings of some her classical vocal performances, including "Ave Maria", "Dans La Nuit", "Alhambra" and a solo version of the 1997' hit "Time to Say Goodbye".
Symphony is the ninth studio album from English soprano singer Sarah Brightman. This classical crossover album is a contrast to her previous collaboration with producer Frank Peterson, 2003's Harem; using a gothic influence instead of a Middle Eastern feel.
The Harem World Tour: Live From Las Vegas (2004) is a live album and video recording of Sarah Brightman's concert held in Las Vegas, part of her global Harem World Tour.
"Canção do Mar" is a song in the fado tradition by Portuguese singer Amália Rodrigues initially recorded with the lyrics "Solidão" for the soundtrack of the film "Les amants du Tage" also known by the English title The Lovers of Lisbon, and released as a single in 1954 by Columbia Records. The song was written by Frederico de Brito and Ferrer Trindade.
Diva: The Singles Collection is a 2006 compilation album by Sarah Brightman. Alongside this album, Brightman released a DVD collection of her music videos on 3 October 2006 under the title of Diva: The Video Collection. The album marked the first time Brightman released a greatest hits album in the United States. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover chart. In Japan, the album debuted and peaked at No. 2 with 77,000 copies sold on its first week of release, and became Japan's best-selling classical album of 2007. Subsequently, it was Japan's fifteenth best-selling international album of the 2000s decade. Diva was also the best-selling western album in South Korea in 2010, as it topped the international charts for 26 non-consecutive weeks. As of December 2013, it has been certified Quintuple Platinum in the country.
A Winter Symphony is a Christmas album and the tenth studio album by the English soprano singer Sarah Brightman, released in November 2008.
Dreams and Nightmares is the debut studio album by American rapper Meek Mill, released on October 30, 2012, by Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records. Mill intended for it to be authentic and more cohesive than his mixtapes, having a stronger connection through both vocals and beats. The album features guest appearances from Kirko Bangz, Rick Ross, Nas, John Legend, Drake, Wale, and Mary J. Blige, among others. Production was primarily handled by Jahlil Beats and Boi-1da, alongside the likes of Tone the Beat Bully and Key Wane. The recording took place from January to September 2012, including sessions in a studio bus on the Club Paradise Tour. Sessions were also held in Los Angeles and Miami, and multiple recordings were included on Mill's ninth mixtape, Dreamchasers 2 (2012). The dreams represent Mill making money as a performer, while the nightmares are based on coming up from his neighbourhood.
Dreamchaser is the eleventh studio album by English singer Sarah Brightman. This album is Brightman's first collaboration with producer Mike Hedges and centres on the concept of space. The offering was inspired by Brightman's decision to become the first singer in outer space, as she intended to launch on an orbital spaceflight mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in partnership with Space Adventures, Ltd., a private space experiences company. Nevertheless, in March 2015 it was announced that Brightman had postponed the flight for personal reasons. It was released in Japan on 16 January 2013 and in the United Kingdom on 8 April 2013 and in the North America on 16 April 2013 to critical acclaim.
The Dreamchaser World Tour was the fifth worldwide concert tour by English soprano singer Sarah Brightman in support of her album Dreamchaser (2013). The North American tour had been planned to begin in early 2013, but all dates were rescheduled for late 2013. The tour was supposed to be Brightman's final concert tour before her trip into space but the trip was later cancelled for personal reasons.
Sarah Brightman: Dreamchaser in Concert is a live concert recording by Sarah Brightman following her 2012 release, Dreamchaser. It was recorded in June 2013 at the Elstree Studios near London, United Kingdom.
Hymn: Sarah Brightman In Concert is the sixth worldwide concert tour, and tenth tour altogether, by English soprano singer Sarah Brightman in support of her album Hymn (2018). The tour started on 24 November 2018, in São Paulo, Brazil, and will continue until 2021. The event is expected to include 125 shows in five different continents, thus becoming Brightman's largest tour of her career.