Search - Beijing Angelic Choir :: Jasmine Flower

To get a sense of just how authentic a listening experience you're in for when spinning Jasmine Flower, flip through the liner notes first. Four pages in you'll find nothing but characters, and the second half is so pocked with bungled possessives and punctuation you wonder whether it was penned by the menu writer at your favorite hole-in-the-wall kung pao place. Sung in dialects from a jigsaw of Chinese regions, Flower dazzles with nectar-sweet harmonies, exotic instrumentation, and a spirit of innocence that transcends cultures and languages. China-specific sounds like the moon guitar and long lute slant the vibe in a spiritual direction, but each sentiment unfolds easily to willing Western ears. "The Anthem of Parents," from the Hunan Province, harnesses a distinct vocal reverie in describing the love that parents feel for their children; the Tibetan "My Beautiful Homeland--Xigaze" speaks, through gentle woodwinds and an exacting, chanted refrain, of a heavenly paradise with fragrant wine and flowers; and the Cantonese "A Rainy Day," drizzled in the sounds of nature and a mood of solemnity, illustrates the universal bummer of being at Mother Nature's mercy. Though the Beijing Angelic is strictly a kids' choir, Jasmine Flower exudes a Zen-style agelessness that anybody who's patted a Buddha's belly will warm to, tranquility-seeking New Age types especially. Educational applications are an option should Asian studies be in bloom at your household, but so is sitting back to simply to listen to the choir's gentle artistry. As the title track suggests, the jasmine's fragrance permeates everywhere, and everybody loves its white, lovely flowers. --Tammy La Gorce