Program (The concert lasts approximately 100 minutes without intermission.)

SILENT WINGS

NOCTURNE

ELAN

BEYOND THE BLUE

THE DREAM ft. Cathrine Iversen

SONG TO A CHILD

FLOW

BEAUTIFUL ft. Stephen Hansen

PASTORALE

STEPS

OPEN DOORS

SUNSHINE ft. Cathrine Iversen

GRACE

STRENGTH ft. Stephen Hansen

THE VOYAGE

FANTASIA

DID I NOT LOVE YOU ft. Stephen Hansen & Cathrine Iversen

THE PILOT

THE REEL

YOU RAISE ME UP ft. Stephen Hansen & Cathrine Iversen

Please check program updates at the concert.

Secret Garden, New Age Ensemble

Secret Garden made history by winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1995 with "Nocturne", an entry that was more an instrumental piece than a song. In the 40-year history of this prestigious pan-European television extravaganza, an instrumental piece had never previously won. A piece so stylistically removed from the “European pop format” commonly associated with the song contests what the press stated: "Secret Garden has redefined the Eurovision Song Contest”.

Secret Garden continues to write history. This surprise victory at the Eurovision Song Contest was the ultimate showcase that successfully launched their first album Songs from a Secret Garden. It was made available around the globe, including most European territories, the USA, Canada, Australia, Mexico, China and Korea. This was a historic event for a Norwegian artist and record company, who for the first time had produced a worldwide release with sales of more than a million. Awards followed, including Platinum record in Norway and Korea, Gold record in Ireland, Hong Kong and New Zealand as well as 2 years (101 weeks) in the Billboard New Age charts in USA. 

Though the record was never technically classified as an "international release", Secret Garden’s success developed through a fantastic enthusiasm and commitment among PolyGram and Philips Classics staff (later Universal records) on a local level. Nobody was commanded to work with this project. They were driven by a passion for the music, and have seen it as a challenge to market Secret Garden in their own territories.

Rolf Løvland, Piano & Composition

Rolf was born in Kristiansand, in southern Norway. His first brush with composing came at the early age of nine, when he formed his first band. From then on, and throughout his youth, music came to be his constant companion and focus in life. He later studied music at the Music Conservatory in Kristiansand - and received his Master’s degree in music at the Norwegian Institute of Music in Oslo.

By the time he’d unveiled his "Secret Garden" to the world, Rolf had already earned himself a Norwegian Grammy Award and the reputation as Norway’s most successful popular songwriter, with over 60 national chart hits. For two consecutive years his songs had won the National radio chart "Song of the Year-Award".

Rolf was also a two-time winner of the International Eurovision Song Contest final - in 1985 with "La det swinge", and in 1995 with "Nocturne". He is also a four-time winner of Norway’s national Eurovision Song Contest finals.

The founding of Secret Garden has given Rolf the freedom to explore (and for us to experience) deeper emotional dimension and wider musical landscape than the earlier phase of his career had allowed. It has also proven the composer, Rolf Lovland, to be a musical force of considerable stature.

Fionnuala Sherry, Violin

Fionnuala grew up and went to school in Naas in County Kildare, Ireland - surrounded by a musical family that ignited her passion for music at an early age. She started to play the violin at the age of eight, and at fifteen she moved to Dublin to study music. She graduated with honours from Trinity College in Dublin, and the College of Music, and was later employed by the RTE Concert Orchestra, where she was a member for ten years.

In addition to the classical symphonic and operatic repertoire, Fionnuala possessed a much wider musical interest. This is evident in the eclectic body of artists and projects she has been involved with, including The Chieftains, Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison, Chris de Burgh, Bono and Wet Wet Wet. With the Irish Film Orchestra she’s also recorded several Hollywood film scores, such as "The River Runs Wild", "A Room with a View" and "The Mask". That same wide interest in music led her to conceive, write and present her own music series for children on Irish national TV - all this leading up to her fated meeting with Rolf Lovland and the founding of Secret Garden in 1994. Onstage, she enchants audiences throughout the world, through her musical intensity and soulful performances. In Secret Garden’s music, her unique violin virtuosity provides the heartstrings, voice and wings for Lovland’s compositions. She performs on an English John Edward Betts violin from 1790, with a Hill bow, both on stage and in the studio. 

Milestone & Awards

Quadruple Platinum Trophy - Secret Garden was recently awarded a Quadruple Platinum Trophy for their latest Norwegian release titled, Inside I’m Singing. With 120,000 CDs sold, this represents yet another great moment in Secret Garden history. The album debuted in the Number One position of the Norwegian VG Album Charts and maintained that position for 5 straight weeks.

ASCAP Award - On the 29th of November 2005, Rolf received an ASCAP award (American Copyright organization) recognizing the success of You Raise Me Up. The hit song, co-written by Brendan Graham, has been performed on American radio 660.000 times, which makes it one of the most popular songs in the US for 2004. The incredible list of cover versions increases by the week ... at the time of publication, there are 125 different recordings of the song.

Grammy 2004 Nomination - Josh Groban was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance of Rolf Lovland’s melody and Brendan Graham’s words for the song "You Raise Me Up".

Josh Groban recorded the Secret Garden song "You Raise Me Up" where the song reached #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, with the album at No.1 of the Billboard top-200 album chart. The song was also performed at the Super Bowl as a special commemoration to the NASA crew that was tragically killed in the Columbia accident to a world TV-audience of an estimated 900 million.

Secret Garden’s Rolf Lovland and lyricist Brendan Graham’s song, "You Raise Me Up", was nominated for Song of the Year at the 36th Annual GMA Music Awards Nominations (formerly Dove Awards).

Secret Garden’s CD’s have been released in more than 80 countries.

Their CD releases have sold four million albums.

USA Billboard charts, a record 2 years with "Songs From A Secret Garden" and White Stones, Dawn Of A New Century over one year and "Once In A Red Moon still in the Billboard New Age chart for over 30 weeks.

Ireland: Gold, Norway: Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum, New Zealand: Gold, Hong Kong and China: Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum. (500.000 Albums sold). In total over 25 individual Gold albums around the world.

Twice nominated World Music Awards, Monaco.

Voted best International Production, Shanghai.

Performed several Live and TV concerts such as The Nobel Peace Prize concert with Sting, Tina Turner, Brian Ferry, and The Corrs.

Extensive travelling and performing recently including China, USA, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Spain, Poland, Turkey and Canada.