I bought The Mask And Mirror a few days ago and have been listening to it since then… I was astonished to find that Sufism had been one of the inspirations for creating this enthralling music. I was astonished and delighted. Sufism used to be a crucial part of my life - Sufi simple teachings and beautiful meditations brought a lot of changes into my world. They modified my understanding of the nature of life and of spirituality. They taught me how deep the truth lies and that one can discover it on his own. They also gave my heart lots of beauty and love towards life. Haznat Inayat Khan, a Sufi, said: "Happiness lies in thinking and doing things that one considers to be beautiful." I hadn't thought about all this for a long time, but your music brought me these thoughts and feelings again. I'm deeply grateful for that. Thank you. Agnieszka Szopa (Poland) As a person of Irish-Celtic forbears, your music and performance of it appeals to a deep place within me. I like your integration of native American and Celtic traditions. I would be most interested to hear your blend of Aboriginal and Australian music with Celtic if you are ever inspired in that direction… There are very ancient brass horns that have been found in Ireland that I believe, because of their size and mouthpiece, no one could work out how they how they were actually used, until an Australian Aborigine went over there and played his didgeridoo. It seems the Irish brass horns are played in the same way and produce very similar sounds. Kerry McAloon Two books I am currently reading which remind me of your music, and which (although I have not quite finished either), I would recommend: In Ruins by Christopher Woodward and the Art of Travel by Alain de Botton. Another great fiction book which had me in stitches is Light House by William Monahan. If you ever find yourself needing to read an intelligent, witty book that will make you laugh, I strongly recommend this one. Michael Karczewski I am a scientist, with a wife and two daughters. In my work and in my family, I sometimes struggle to remember that there is great beauty in the world. Often, the day to day frustrations bring conflict and tension, masking the wonder and love. Too many of my colleagues are so wrapped up in the trappings of science that they have lost the ability to see wonder all around them. The beauty of your voice, the oft simplicity of your words and the arrangement of your music are reminders of the beauty and wonder of life. The closest word-picture I have of the effect is of memories from childhood of the magical times when I stayed up late to see the Northern Lights while vacationing on the shores of a lake in Canada. With the deep richness of stars in a clear sky of velvet blackness, I watched the lights run across the skies overhead and listened to the echoes of loons calling to one another across the lake, hearing the beauty and experiencing the magic of living. Knowing the reason behind the Northern Lights does not diminish their beauty, for me, it enriches the wonder of our world, that something as simple as dust from a comet was made to be admired on such a large scale that half the continent can view it, and all can be amazed by the beauty! So, too, I am amazed and thank you for your music. William Everson |
