The Prayer Cycle

The song "Hope" will lift your spirit, while James Taylor's melancholy vocals on "Grace" will move you to tears (At first, I thought he would be horribly out of place, but his voice fits the work perfectly!). The lyrics run all over the map in language. There are lyrics in Urdu, Mali, Latin, English, French, Italian, Hungarian, Dwala, Tibetan, German, Spanish and Hebrew, but they are listed in English in the CD booklet. I gather this is Elias' way of uniting the world. The lyrics are prayers, laments and pleas for forgiveness. The themes are loneliness, war and regret.

The style of music is definately classical, but does not limit itself to European roots. There are distinct influences from Africa, the Orient, and even various tribal nuances. For someone who was raised on European Classical music, it may be a shock to the system, but it works, and it is wonderful!

I forsee this recording to be one of the hand-picked few that future generations will draw upon for inspiration. As we as a people on this planet become closer, our world seems to become smaller. Our hopes, dreams, and cultures begin to overlap. This recording is proof that, when skillfully co-ordinated they can create incredible harmony.

Highly, highly reccomended.


Mesmerizing and unforgettable   January 10, 2002
D. Movahedpour (CA United States)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

This CD defies any specific description of its content. It is most often listed as an "Alanis Morissette album" simply because she sings several songs. But, it is a mixture of styles, cultures, music and religious beliefs that is hard to explain but not easy to forget. Jonathan Elias has written a series of choral pieces on faith, no matter what religion you adhere to. Alanis sings in French on one song and in Hungarian on another. Such diverse talents as James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt and the late international superstars, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ofra Haza lend their voices. Reading the lyrics in English adds to the understanding of what is being conveyed, but the melodies and voices joining in hope and faith are just as touching. This album is about faith in God or goddesses or nature, whatever beliefs you may have. It mixes beliefs and musical styles in a way I've never heard before. The music is moving, touching, breath-taking, and unforgettable.


What to turn to when the only thing left is hope.   June 27, 2000
Jennifer (Pittsburgh, PA)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

There is music you hear, music you listen to, and music that truly fills and feeds your soul. If you are not moved in the first 60 seconds of Elias' powerful tribute to prayer and artistry, you need this recording more than you think. This CD contains much of what there is to love about music...rich choral backgrounds filled with suspensions that compliment the beautiful,primitive and raw voices of Morissette and Musrat Fateh Ali Kahn which are filled with pure emotion... classical guitar that accompanies the gifted and melancholy James Taylor...sweeping lines of gorgeous, soulful, skillfully constructed music. Elias says that prayer is what we turn to when all we have left is hope. I turn to his music, and pray that he has more still to come.


Amazing Grace does Jeremiah?   January 11, 2000
Andrew Brown (Moraga, CA USA)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful

I don't claim to know much about what makes music 'great.' There is a part of me that is sure that whatever it is, this CD probably doesn't have it... but then, if this isn't 'great,' who cares? The massive blending of a variety of cultural traditions may or may not work in terms of musical theory-- but it sure does work on an emotional level. I STILL get shivers on Track Three, "Hope." There is something essential about this CD that will haunt any listener for the rest of his or her life. Here, lyrics that echo the ancient prophets Jeremiah and Ezekial blend with an "Amazing Grace" of sorts, drawn from virtually all cultural traditions, and do for life at the turn of the millenium what no other recording has managed to do-- capture the core of our collective spirit.


Little Known Treasure   May 25, 2002
LizGraphix (Los Angeles, CA)
19 out of 22 found this review helpful

I have been a fan of Jonathan Elias' "Requiem for the America's" (now out of print) since 1991. After that, I heard nothing further from or about him. I was surfing for CDs from Alanis Morisette and "The Prayer Cycle" came up. Being curious and noting that it was a Jonathan Elias project, I played a few of the samples. Unbelievable!!! Much like Adiemus' "Songs of Sanctuary" much of the singing is wordless. Instead, it is vocal interpretations of the poems written by Elias and performed to his musical compositions. No artist is on this album by chance. Clearly he had a vision and knew who to invite. What occurs then, is a wave of vocal emotion that is unarguably beautiful.

And here is what I found to be the ultimate hidden treasure in this CD ... the poems themselves.

I remembered these words from Requiem, " ... In our innocence, the world is young and strong / Beating at the center of perfection is the heart of man ... " and in reading the poems he wrote for "The Prayer Cycle" came to realize that his view of the world had changed a great deal. For track 6: INNOCENCE he writes, " ... Under a sky of innocence, we are now all dying, in a slow black rain. Was it failure of Man and Angels? Was it a failure of love? ... "

If you're looking for beautiful music and depths of meaning, then I highly recommend this for your collection.