“Secret Garden Live in Vietnam” is full of dreams and nostalgia

On the evening of October 18, the delicate sounds from the music night “Secret Garden Live in Vietnam” brought more than 3,000 audiences at the National Convention Center (Hanoi) into a musical space that was both luxurious, classy, ​​dreamy and nostalgic.

Performance at the music night “Secret Garden Live in Vietnam”. (Photo: THE DAI)

The music night is the third artistic mark of the international music project for the community "Good Morning Vietnam" initiated and organized annually by Nhan Dan Newspaper in collaboration with IB Group Vietnam, following the success of two previous resounding events, "Kenny G Live in Vietnam" (November 2023) and "Bond Live in Vietnam" (October 2024), aiming to carry out the mission of bringing world-class music to Vietnam, while spreading human values ​​when all ticket sales revenue is used for charity purposes.

Founded 30 years ago, Secret Garden is considered a monument of New Age and Neo-Classical music, with the famous duo of Rolf Lovland - Norwegian musician, composer, pianist and Fionnuala Sherry - Irish violinist. Accompanying each other throughout their musical journey, they have brought their melodious, romantic music to dozens of countries around the world , but this is the first time the band has met Vietnamese audiences, including Secret Garden music lovers from the 1990s-2000s. Perhaps that is why the melodies of "Secret Garden Live in Vietnam" resonate with emotion in the emotional connection between the performers and the audience.

After the screening of a short film produced by Secret Garden, capturing the group's memorable images, memories, and milestones over the past 30 years, the concert officially opened with a free and uninhibited wordless intro by the ensemble "Windancer".

Next, the artist duo sent a warm greeting to the Vietnamese audience. And from here, the piano of Rolf Lovland and the violin of Fionnuala Sherry lured the audience into a Nordic musical garden, where the gentle sounds sounded like whispers of the soul.

There, music lovers can experience the band's classic melodies, from “Nocturne” - the almost wordless piece that helped the band become known globally when it won the prestigious Eurovision 1995 music contest, to “Song from a Secret Garden” - an iconic song with a vast, profound melody that has appeared in many famous films and TV shows.

There, the audience also got to listen to medleys that clearly expressed Secret Garden's musical philosophy, such as: "Elan" - a bright, romantic song; "Lullaby for Grown-ups" - a peaceful, profound lullaby; or "Strength" - awakening revival with inner strength...

Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper Le Quoc Minh presents flowers to artists at the music night. (Photo: THE DAI)

The duo once shared: “We always try to avoid being pigeonholed into certain genres. Secret Garden music is our own, always starting with simple melodies and telling a story that mostly requires no words.”

Indeed, enjoying the live concerts in “Secret Garden Live in Vietnam” will help you feel the richness and diversity in colors and emotions that the group’s music brings. There are songs with bright, bustling sounds such as “Liberty”, “The Reel”, “Stepping Up”…; there are also melodies with a calm, introspective tone such as: “Sleepsong”, “Thank You”, “Hymn to Hope”… But the ultimate anchor of Secret Garden’s music in everyone’s mind is the peace and tranquility of the soul.

More than 20 works were performed in the program according to three main themes: Nature; beautiful scenery, human relationships; culture - which can be considered the most typical slices of the blend of classical, Nordic-Celtic folk and New Age elements in Secret Garden's music, bringing a beauty that is both elegant, pure, profound and lyrical.

True to his promise to create one of the most impressive stages in Secret Garden's touring career, director Pham Hoang Nam created an artistic space full of inspiration, supporting the sublime musical works.

Artists performing at the concert

The large LED screens combined with visual art projection technology make the performance stage shimmering and magical, stretching both in width and depth, painting a pleasing musical picture. Along with the graphic images showing a deep connection with the melody, the appearance of famous landmarks and traditional Vietnamese motifs on the screen also contributes to creating a performance space that is both Vietnamese and international, minimalist but still rich in sensuality.

The show ended with the melody of “You Raise Me Up” - a song that has touched millions of hearts around the world and was performed by a series of famous singers and bands around the world, creating a perfect ending in the audience's emotional explosion. Thousands of music listeners simultaneously turned on their flashlights to express their love for the song and the artists.

More than just a concert, “Secret Garden Live in Vietnam” also carries the message of love for music, kindness and cultural connection between Vietnam and the world. The concert is also the opening point for the 30th anniversary tour of the two legendary artists. After the schedule in Vietnam, Secret Garden will continue to tour in major cities of China.

HONG TRANG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/secret-garden-live-in-vietnam-day-mong-mo-hoai-niem-post916365.html