Bathe in the wonder and majesty of the Sun -
Chase the mood of the ever enigmatic Moon - Immerse
yourself in the upbeat rhythm of Mercury - Waltz
to the whirl of Venus - Revitalise yourself
with the energy of Mars - Wave your baton to
the fanfare of ebullient Jupiter - Chill out with the mysteriously
cold and eerie meter of Saturn - Try to pin down
the brassy quirkishness of Uranus - Discover
the provocative idealism of Neptune - Live
the raw power of Pluto.
See http://www.torso.org.uk
Anyone who can get to Central London (UK) will get the chance to see this
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA play the FIRST LIVE DEBUT PERFORMANCE in NOVEMBER 2003.
PLANET SUITE 3RD MILLENNIUM is classical music with an
attitude. Shane Ward has interplayed classical and modern instruments with each
other to produce a truly unique collection of music that is traditional one
minute and contemporary the next. Using the mundane astrological meanings of
each planet as a guide, it is a remarkable collection of moods and emotions crammed
into a single album.
'Pretty Girl' was a pop tune
written by Shane Ward back in 1992. Some 8 years later Shane took the melody and
formulated a 3 part symphony. This work is, perhaps, unique in being one of the
few pieces of classical music that started as a pop tune instead of the other
way around.
At once tense and challenging, the MAGIC
SYMPHONY does not let go until the very end. Some musical pieces will gently
draw you emotions to the surface. This work leaps down your throat and takes
what it wants. It is an unpretentious presentation of rampant anger and striving
of hope with the freedom to express it. If your emotions run deep you will
appreciate the profundity and passion of this work.
ONLY IN YOUR DREAMS is one of the tracks
in a work still in the making. Current success with the live performance of Planet
Suite 3rd Millennium has delayed its completion target date of December
2003. Although it is on the back burner for the moment, the composers, Shane and
his brother Chris, have started work on four new tracks. This is a space to
watch for fans of Oldfield, Jakarta and Jarre.
DEVIL'S DANCE and THE STAR are just two of
the tracks from the first 11-track album. Current projections for the release of
the album may change as the symphony orchestra playing the Planet Suite 3rd
Millennium has already expressed an interest in the tracks already composed.
Shane Ward, who is also promoting two books written on esoteric subjects 'The
Philosophy of the Tarot for the 21st Century' and 'Numerology. Making it
Work for You' may well have a lot of work to do over the next 18 months or so. (See books on http://www.synergebooks.com
)
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| A Track from The Tarot Suite. A Simple and beautiful but haunting melody. The Star represents our hopes and wishes. Harp and Flute introduce the song, gradually rising to a full orchestral accompaniment. A real 'chill out' tune that sticks in the mind. |
CD: The Tarot Suite
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| A track from 'Planet Suite 3rd Millennium'. The awareness of ‘I am’. One can imagine seeing the Sun dawning on the horizon for the first time. The initial theme encapsulates this with cymbals and full orchestral grandeur. Astrologically, the Sun symbolises the ‘self’ – the essence of ego. Woodland sounds weave into the furtive refrains of ocarina, flute and strings. In mundane Astrology the Sun symbolises royalty, which is demonstrated in the final theme by a regal orchestral chorus. |
MP3.com CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium -  buy it!
CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| A track from 'Planet Suite 3rd Millennium'. The awareness of ‘I am’. Representative of our value systems, the Moon explores our personal needs and our sense of belonging to the whole. The Moon is not a true light. It is potential in its positive aspect and illusion in the negative aspect. |
MP3.com CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium - buy it!
CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| Mercury,the planet of communication, everyday activities and how one thinks. Strong percussion and flute beats out a 5/4 tattoo, joined by a bass guitar riff. Brass stabs come to join in. Synthesisers electronic blips and telephone ring interrupt the main theme. Brass introduce second theme – very synonymous with music styles preferred by news programs. The final theme breaks with the 5/4 rhythm to offer a 4/4 refrain finishing with a thunderous timpani roll. |
MP3.com CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium - buy it!
CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| Harp plays gently over a sinister double bass. Strings and reed interplay a 3/4 waltz, giving way to a full ballroom dance. The theme continues but in a military march style. A harp solo delicately sings a yearning tune, joined by a celeste and returned in mid tune to the ballroom dance. |
MP3.com CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium - buy it!
CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| Essentially, the mundane interpretation of Mars is one of action. Synthesisers and drum with a bass underpin play in a techno style. The song is very energetic with bursts of quick fire scales that break into an orchestral chorus. Heavy Taiko drums emphasise the power of the drum beat. Voice pads sing over the strings. There is a non stop feel that pushes and urges one to keep going until the very end. |
MP3.com CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium - buy it!
CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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The largest planet in the solar system and so a grand fanfare opens our planet of expansion, social justice, law and religious belief systems. From the fanfare emanates the stoic style sound often associated with bravery and courage. Yet Jupiter seldom has a penchant for perspective. Things can get blown out of proportion |
MP3.com CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium - buy it!
CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| Sometimes considered the stuffed shirt of the planets, Saturn represents our structure, tradition and convention. With it comes the benefits of wisdom and age. Some people see it as a planet of restriction and indeed our time on earth is finite. The song starts with haunting chords, a plaintive bell and triangle. Then a measured bass beat joins the steady rhythm. |
MP3.com CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium - buy it!
CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| Sudden and unpredictable. Uranus is the expression of our desire to be different. This song is essentially brass but with a changeable time signature and syncopated rhythm. Replete with discords and brass stabs, the song skips belligerently through a chromatic scaled melody. Heavy brass tones in unison precede crashing chords before scampering of on another chromatic adventure. |
MP3.com CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium - buy it!
CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| Neptune expresses our ideals in terms of what we believe out to be rather than what actually is. This song begins with the reflective feel of a voice pad over a synthesised violin. Soon the nature of the idea is picked up by pipe instruments. Then conventional violins join the group – each playing a variation that harmonises with the previous one. The gentle cry is then taken up with more insistence. The second theme has a revolutionary feel that has a triumphant refrain |
MP3.com CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium - buy it!
CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| The last track from 'Planet Suite 3rd Millennium'. The album, despite its name, does not copy Holst. It is a collection of 10 tracks describing in a musical context the astrological principles behind each planet. Pluto, with its classical instruments and rock drums could be considered classical with an attitude. |
MP3.com CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium - buy it!
CD: Planet Suite 3rd Millennium
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| Powerful music with a swing between light and dark. Emotive and provoking. |
MP3.com CD: The Magic Symphony - buy it!
CD: Magic Symphony
Label: Not released
Credits: Shane Ward |
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MP3.com CD: The Magic Symphony - buy it!
CD: Magic Symphony
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| See Magic Symphony Pt I |
MP3.com CD: The Magic Symphony - buy it!
CD: Magic Symphony
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| Waltz with the Devil. Discordant haunting melody charms you to tag along until suddenly you find that you are hooked as the dance gets faster and faster. An addictive track that may leave you breathless. |
CD: The Tarot Suite
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| Described by the A&E director of Warner Group as "a fusion of pop, house, poetry and avante garde. ..Those who dig it are really going to love it..." |
CD: To be announced
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward, Chris Ward |
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| Enigma/Jarre styleof alternative music. Ambient with beat |
CD: None
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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| Recorded originally in June 2000 as a competition piece, The Awakening is a haunting melody set against a rhythmic drum repetition. Originality includes the unorthodox combining of violin and piano with kalimba, shakuhachi (Japanese flute) and blown bottle interplayed between the hypnotic beat from a standard drum kit plus bongo, tabla and taiko drums. The overall effect is one of ambient dreamlike music yet implying a sinister underlying power of natural forces. |
CD: None
Label: None
Credits: Shane Ward |
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