AMG Review of 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Secret Garden

James Christopher Monger
All Music Guide

The Norwegian/Celtic duo of Fionnula Sherry and Rolf Lovland reside in the gray area between Enya and Yanni. Mystical, elegant, and highly over-produced, their brand of contemporary composition rarely invokes parody. While there is definitely an underlying river of new age pretension, the duo rely as much on choirs, folk instrumentation, and orchestral ambience as they do mythical keyboard patches, resulting in an intoxicating blend of Loreena McKennitt-style dramatics and Clannad-esque vocal arrangements. Hip-O's 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Secret Garden collects the group's highlights, ranging from their impressive 1996 debut through 2001's Dreamcatcher.