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News Update: Sarah to Release "Love Songs" Album in Japan -

June 16, 2009

In conjunction with the release of the new Japanese movie, Amalfi, Sarah will be releasing a new album titled Amalfi - Sarah Brightman Love Songs. Supervised by Frank Peterson, with tracks selected by Sarah and Frank, this album will contain brand new photos/artwork and will be released on July 8 in Japan.

Track Listing:

  1. Time to Say Goodbye (solo version) - Classics
  2. La Wally - Classics
  3. Il Mio Cuore Va - Eden, Diva
  4. O Mio Babbino Caro - Classics
  5. Anytime, Anywhere - Eden
  6. Attesa - Symphony
  7. Laschia Mio Pianga - Eden, Classics
  8. Nella Fantasia - Eden, Diva
  9. La Luna - La Luna
  10. Solo Con Te - La Luna
  11. Ave Maria (Schubert) - Classics
  12. Until The End Of Time - Harem
  13. Storia D.Amore - Symphony
  14. Jesu, Joy Of Man.s Desiring - A Winter Symphony
  15. La Califfa - La Luna
  16. Serenade - La Luna
  17. How Fair This Place - La Luna
  18. Amazing Grace - A Winter Symphony
  19. Nessun Dorma - Eden

The movie, Amalfi, features an appearance and performance by Sarah, and is a special production marking Fuji Television's 50th anniversary. The first Japanese movie to be shot entirely on location in Italy, Amalfi is scheduled for release in Japan in July.

Site Update: Forums Opened ---------------------------------------

April 5, 2009

It took a bit of wrestling around but the forums are now open ahead of schedule. Please take a look, register (it's free) and start posting! I would love for it to grow into a strong community where Sarah's fans from around the world can get together and talk about Sarah as well as anything else on their minds!

News Update: Symphony - Live in Vienna Release Dates -------

January 29, 2009

The Symphony - Live in Vienna DVD that was previously only available for sale at Sarah's North American concerts will now be released globally over the next couple of months.

JAPAN and SOUTHEAST ASIA - Feb 18
CHINA - TBD
REST OF WORLD - March 10

Source: sarah-brightman.com

The package features Sarah's landmark performance at Vienna’s magnificent Stephansdome Cathedral on January 16th, 2008, in both audio and visual formats. The television special debuted on PBS in March 2008 during the network’s spring pledge drive and aired throughout the month.

Sarah chose one of Europe’s most majestic settings for this milestone concert event. Consecrated in 1147, Stephansdom Cathedral is renowned for its awe-inspiring Gothic architecture, which, along with the production’s lavish light show, lends a dramatic and mystical feel to the musical proceedings, which were recorded in 5.1 Surround Sound.

“It’s a very special place,” Sarah says of the cathedral. “There’s a dark romanticism and fairy-tale feeling within it. When you walk in, it envelops you. It’s large, but at the same time you feel very at home there and quite cozy. I wanted an architectural setting that suggested faith. I think of all the cathedrals in the world, this is one of my favorites, which is why it was important to me to perform this concert there.”

Backed by a live rock band and a full orchestra, Sarah delivers passionate performances of songs from her 2008 chart-topping album, Symphony, as well as such fan favorites as “Phantom of the Opera,” “Time to Say Goodbye,” and “Ave Maria.” Sarah also welcomes several special guests for duets, including Italian tenor Alessandro Safina, Argentinean countertenor Fernando Lima, and British singer, Chris Thompson (of Mannfred Mann’s Earth Band).

The package will be sold as a stand-alone CD, as well as bundled in a CD/DVD format. The latter features more than 45 minutes of bonus material, including interview commentary by Sarah, an eight-page glossy color booklet, and an exclusive bonus audio track, “Vide Cor Meum.”

Track Listing:

Pie Jesu / Fleurs du Mal / Symphony / Sanvean / Canto Della Terra (Duet with Alessandro Safina) / Sarai Qui (Duet with Alessandro Safina) / Attesa / I Will Be With You (Where the Lost Ones Go) (Duet with Chris Thompson) / Storia D’amore / Pasión (Duet with Fernando Lima) / Running / Let It Rain / The Phantom of the Opera (Duet with Chris Thompson) / Time to Say Goodbye / Ave Maria
CD Extra: “Vide Cor Meum”

DVD Extras:
The Production – Interview with Sarah
The Songs – Interview with Sarah
The Location – Interview with Father Anthony Faber and Historian Elisabeth Lloyd-Davis
Photo Gallery

News Update: Symphony World Tour - Asian Leg (Updated)----

December 29, 2008

Asian tour dates have been announced for next year but only for two countries so far. Unless Sarah has plans to make more stops elsewhere in Asia while touring, it looks like Japan and Taiwan are the two lucky places for her Asian fans to live in.

JAPAN: Tickets go on-sale Dec 20 at www.udo.jp

TAIWAN: Tickets go on-sale Dec 25 at www.ticket.com.tw

January 29, 2009 >>> Update <<<

New dates have been announced for Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia!

JAPAN: Tickets go on-sale Jan 31 at www.udo.jp (This show has been added.)

KOREA: Tickets go on-sale Jan 16 at www.ticket.interpark.com MALAYSIA: Tickets go on sale Jan 30 at www.axcess.com.my INDONESIA: Tickets go on sale Feb 3 via phone only from Buena Productions +62 21 7279 1234

February 24, 2009 >>> Update <<<

More new dates have been announced for China and Hong Kong!

CHINA: Tickets are currently on-sale at www.emma.cn HONG KONG: Tickets are currently on-sale at HKTicketing.com (phone 31 288 288)

Sarah is Two Inches Tall! (aka. My Concert Experience)--------

December 12, 2008

Or maybe I just had a bad seat.

I had the fortune of seeing Sarah live in Canada recently as part of her Symphony World Tour and it was absolutely amazing. My seat was up on the second floor and I couldn't make out her features at all. About all I could see was her dress and a whole lot of her hair --- which looked to be a bit blond. But I could definitely hear her.

I actually have a bit of a complaint to make regarding the building the concert was held in --- a hockey rink, in typical Canadian fashion. While the place is entirely suitable for a good hockey game, it seems to lack a bit when functioning as a concert hall, especially when the performer is Sarah Brightman. It might have been the concrete steps (which might have been fine had we been in second-century Rome), it might have been the hockey flags hanging from the ceiling, it might have been the hockey rink which was covered over with cloth, or the advertisements on the boards around the rink... it really is hard to say which was more out of place.

Suffice to say, the place didn't really do her justice. But Sarah performed right in the rink atop a platform covered over with white cloth, and was fantastic.

I won't say what songs she performed; wouldn't do to ruin it for anyone who has yet to go. If you really want to know, drop me an e-mail. But I was very happy that she performed a number of her older pre-Symphony songs.

I picked up a copy of the Tour Program Book, going for $30 Cdn. It's a glossy collection of some beautiful photos of Sarah. Plus it smells nice. And it's really big.

There were T-shirts for sale, starting at $25 Cdn, a couple of posters going for $15, a keychain for $5, autographed photos which I believe were going for $100, a mug, teddy bears wearing Symphony T-shirts for $20, her Live in Vienna DVD, A Winter Symphony CD/DVD for $35, and the limited edition CD containing the orchestral music to 32 of Sarah's songs. That last was going for $55 Cdn and is actually also available online from her official site.

The show was about 2 hours in total (since I see some fans making their way here while searching for the show duration). Sarah sang for about an hour (after a 20-minute start delay), took a 20-minute break, and then sang for another 40-odd minutes.

To those of you who have yet to go: enjoy the show! And hopefully it won't be inside a hockey rink.

Site Update: A Winter Symphony Lyrics Added-------------------

November 15, 2008

Lyrics to Sarah's newest album, A Winter Symphony, have been added.
As an aside, I've received an e-mail from one of Sarah's Norwegian fans. He brought to my attention that there were no songs in the Media Player from Sarah's early albums, ie. those from her pre-Dive days. And he is totally right! I set to adding a few of these earlier tracks (as well as a couple from A Winter Symphony) to the site so they would also be available for online listening. Unfortunately I'm having a bit of trouble with the Media Player so that while it still works, I'm not able to add any new tracks to it. I hope to get this fixed as soon as possible.

A Concert Ticket and A Winter Symphony in My Hands!---------

November 6, 2008

I'm so excited to have a ticket for one of Sarah's Symphony World Tour concerts in December! Luckily she's coming straight to my city in Canada. Sarah kicked off her stream of concerts a couple of days ago in Mexico and will be making her way through North America throughout November and December. Currently the tour dates and locations for the rest of the world have yet to be announced.

Today I picked up my copy of A Winter Symphony and actually had to debate whether or not to get it! I was actually going to hold off until the concert since I heard there may be a limited edition of something-or-other available there for purchase. However, I don't doubt that it would be five times the cost so I bought the CD today. There is no accompanying DVD in my copy though some stores apparently carry a special edition that has it. The Japanese version seems to have a few more tracks on it (and was released sooner), which makes me feel underprivileged. But the CD comes with some beautiful pictures of Sarah in a Snow White-esque setting (yes, she even has an apple in one of them).

The other reason why I hesitated to buy it was because I am no fan of Christmas music. The only Christmassy song I'd ever voluntarily listen to is the Mediaeval Baebes' The Holly and the Ivy. My distaste for Christmas music was warring with my love for Sarah's singing --- it's obvious which won.

I think I am fond of the first track, Arrival, most of all. In short order I will be posting the album lyrics up here.

News Update: A Winter Symphony - Global Release Dates------

October 12, 2008

Oct 29: Japan
Oct 31: Austria / Germany / Holland / Switzerland
Nov 3: South Africa
Nov 4: USA / Canada / Mexico / Brazil / Greece / Australia / Southeast Asia (Hong Kong, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand)
Nov 11: Arabia (UAE, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon)
Nov 18: Argentina
Nov 20: Turkey
Nov 28: Irish Republic
Dec 1: UK

News Update: A Winter Symphony - Track Listing---------------

September 23, 2008

We now have a US/Canadian release date for this album: November 4, 2008. Admittedly I am not fond of Christmas music (a vast understatement) but if Sarah sings it, I must have it. According to Wikipedia, there will be an accompanying DVD.

Track Listing:

1. Arrival
2. Colder than Winter
3. Ave Maria (Duet with Fernando Lima)
4. Silent Night
5. In the Bleak Midwinter
6. I’ve Been This Way Before
7. Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
8. Child in a Manger
9. I wish it Could be Christmas Everyday
10. Amazing Grace
11. Ave Maria (Gounod)
12. I Believe In Father Christmas

News Update: Sarah to Release a 2008 Christmas Album!------

August 30, 2008

Source: sarah-brightman.com

This holiday season, Sarah will release her first-ever Christmas album.

A Winter Symphony will bring her virtuosity and originality to many of the season’s classics. Her angelic voice will glide through an array of season favorites, including Silent Night, In the Bleak Midwinter, a resplendent performance of Ave Maria and others.

Site Update: Sarah Performs at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

August 30, 2008

Added a few screenshots from Sarah's August 8, 2008 performance at the opening ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics. Sarah performed a duet entitled "You and Me" with Chinese singer Liu Huan. To the left is a sample, click here to see the rest of the pictures.

 

News Update: Symphony World Tour - North American Leg----

June 10, 2008

That's right, Sarah's announced a Symphony World Tour! It's set to start in North America, with dates in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Afterwards Sarah will be heading to other countries worldwide.

I was thrilled to hear this, especially since I still regret having missed Sarah when she came to my city for the Harem World Tour in 2004. Back then I was not yet a fan so that's my excuse. All the same, to be honest I think I'd rather have seen the Harem show, as that was one of the finest albums ever made in my opinion, but a chance to see Sarah perform live is ... a chance to see Sarah perform live!

Currently only North American dates have been announced, so check back later for the rest of the worldwide show dates!

* indicates a subsequent change (updated August 3, 2008)

Nov 04    Monterrey, Mexico      Arena Monterrey
Nov 06    Guadalajara, Mexico       *Arena VFG
Nov 08    Mexico City    *Palacio de los Deportes
Nov 09    Mexico City    *Palacio de los Deportes
Nov 12    Dallas, TX    American Airlines Center
Nov 14    Orlando, FL    UCF Convocation Center
Nov 15    Sunrise, FL    BankAtlantic Center
Nov 16    Tampa, FL    St. Pete Times Forum
Nov 18    Atlanta, GA    Gwinnett Center
Nov 19    Washington, D.C.    Verizon Center
Nov 22    Mashantucket, CT    MGM Grand at Foxwoods
Nov 23    New York, NY    Madison Square Garden
Nov 24    Boston, MA    TD Banknorth Garden
Nov 26    Montreal, QC    Centre Bell
Nov 28    Ottawa, ON    Scotiabank Place
Nov 29    Hamilton, ON    Copps Coliseum
Nov 30    Toronto, ON    Air Canada Centre
Dec 02    Cleveland, OH    Quicken Loans Arena
Dec 03    Auburn Hills, MI    Palace of Auburn Hills
Dec 04    Chicago, IL    Allstate Arena
Dec 06    Winnipeg, MB    MTS Centre
Dec 07    Regina, SK    Brandt Centre
Dec 08    Calgary, AB    Saddledome
Dec 10    Edmonton, AB    Rexall Place
Dec 12    Vancouver, BC    GM Place
Dec 13    Victoria, BC    Save on Foods Centre
Dec 14    Everett, WA    Comcast Arena
Dec 16    Sacramento, CA    ARCO Arena
Dec 17    San Jose, CA    HP Pavilion
Dec 18    Los Angeles, CA    Nokia Theatre
Dec 20    San Diego, CA    Sports Arena
Dec 21    Glendale, AZ    Jobing.com Arena

Site Update: Listen to Sarah's Music Online!----------------------

April 12, 2008

After searching around for ways to add streaming mp3s to the site, I finally decided on Flash as the best way to do it since it'll give everyone control over what they hear and how they hear it. Though I realize that adding music to the site might be frowned upon by the powers that be, I want the opportunity for people who have never heard any of Sarah's music to get a taste of it as well as the opportunity for those who have heard a bit of it already but want to hear more, more, more! to be able to do so.

Two songs from each of Sarah's main albums are available for online listening via the new Media Player (also accessible under Audio in the menu bar on the left). Note that you will need Adobe Flash Player installed to be able to use it; many of you will already have it installed since Flash movies are commonly used on websites anyways and you would have installed it at some point to view something-or-other (probably mostly ads, to be honest). All the songs are CD-quality and full-length except where the CD might have truncated a track.

And of course, if you like what  you hear, remember that there's plenty more where that came from! Visit your nearest music store or order online to support Sarah. All your CDs will come with pretty pictures and that fine new-CD smell... something a download never will. This doesn't mean I am against sharing great music, but Sarah is worth the price of a real CD.

My First Impressions of Symphony---------------------------------

February 7, 2008

On January 29 I braved the -42° Celsius Canadian winter to purchase Symphony (well, it was also on my way). Imagine my chagrin when HMV didn't have it, especially considering that I was fairly certain I was in the right country to be seeing the album out in stores on the 29th. But anyways, I had it in my hands a week later and am listening to it for the second time as we speak.

I am somewhat disappointed that the lyrics were not included in the CD insert but on the other hand there are several beautiful pictures of Sarah in it which you can all see in my Gallery here. (Fortunately the lyrics are available from the official website which I have copied over here).

What do I think of the album? Musically it is somewhat like a mixture of Fly, Time to Say Goodbye/Timeless and Eden (Sarah's 1995, 1997 and 1998 releases, respectively). I don't think it has the magic of Harem, Sarah's previous 2001 release, but then in my opinion it's nearly impossible to live up to Harem's appeal and success on all fronts.

The best tracks on Symphony would have to be the first two, Gothica and Fleurs Du Mal, which form essentially one track since the first is an instrumental lead-in to the second. I also suspected that there might be a hidden track and it turns out there is a short instrumental piece on the Gothica/Fleurs Du Mal theme after the last track. The classical genre plays a heavy part in this album and the influence of rock is minimal; Sarah sings four duets including a ballad with Paul Stanley of KISS which is surprising to say the least.

Of all the songs on Symphony, Attesa provides what I think is the best example of Sarah's wonderful vocal abilities. But it goes without saying that her vocals are phenomenal as usual for the whole duration of it.

News Update: Sarah's New 2008 Album "Symphony"------------

January 26, 2008

Source: sarah-brightman.com

Sarah's much-anticipated new album, Symphony, will be released early in 2008. Recorded in Germany, the US and the UK, Symphony features all-new songs, and was created by Sarah with long-time producer, Frank Peterson. The album features 13 tracks that explore a bold range of styles. From the Gothic tempestuousness of “Fleurs du Mal,” to the pleading “Let It Rain,” Symphony is a thrilling collection of material that cannot be easily categorized, yet remains accessible to lovers of a vast array of musical genres.

According to Sarah, the album earned its title because it is “a coming together of many different elements, to create consonance with harmonious textures that still hold true to a common thread running down the centre of the album." She goes on to say, “Throughout my career, I have worked in so many different styles of music. This is the first album where all of these styles come together to create a very diverse musical landscape.”

In addition to reuniting her with Andrea Bocelli on the romantic “Canto Della Terra,” this characteristically eclectic album features collaborations with Spanish countertenor Fernando Lima (“Pasión”), Italian tenor Alessandro Safina (“Sarai Qui”), and rock superstar Paul Stanley (KISS) on “I Will Be with You.”
Another album highlight is “Running,” the IAAF's Green Project Charity song, which Sarah performed earlier this year at their Championships opening ceremonies in Osaka, Japan.

Release dates are as follows:

January 28 – Mexico
January 29 – USA, Canada
January 29 – Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan
February 4 – Korea
February 25 – Rest of South East Asia
February 27 - Japan
March 17 – Europe, Australia, New Zealand and rest of world (with bonus audio track)
TBA - UK/Ireland

Track Listing:

1. Gothica
2. Fleurs Du Mal
3. Symphony
4. Canto Della Terra
5. Sanvean
6. I Will Be With You
7. Schwere Träume
8. Sarai Qui
9. Storia D'Amore
10. Let It Rain
11. Attesa
12. Pasión
13. Running
14. Fleurs Du Mal (Reprise) [Hidden]