Fiona Joy Hawkins – Sensual Journeys

ARIA Finalist, MusicOZ Winner, ZMR multiple category winner (Including Album of the Year) and current IMA Finalist Fiona Joy Hawkins is set to take on a bigger stage and push the New Age genre boundaries with awards that have crossed genres to include World Music, New Age, Jazz, Classical and a Best Performance nomination shared with Pete Seeger as a top 5 finalist in the Independent Music Awards.

Sensual Journeys is an eclectic combination of tracks that span six award winning and chart topping albums by one of New Age’s best female composers, pianist and vocalist Fiona Joy Hawkins. This album celebrates the essence of Celtic/New Age Music and gives thanks to our Mothers past, present, and our shared Mother…..Earth.

CD review by Ian Dearden

It was something of a first to review these two albums – the CDs that cross my desk for review don’t usually have titles such as “Sensual Journeys”!!

I had no knowledge of Fiona Joy Hawkins before reviewing these two albums, but to give you a couple of points of reference, the album cover of “Sensual Journeys” contains a commendation from Windham Hill’s Will Ackerman and the notation, “New Age”, while the performances (centred around the romantic acoustic piano playing of Fiona, and her exquisite wordless vocals) are reminiscent of a stripped back Enya, or perhaps Loreena McKennitt in her more meditative moments.

Although Fiona’s voice is featured in many of the pieces, it is almost always as vocalise rather than singing lyrics.

The second of the albums, “Live At The Q” features the “Blue Dream Ensemble” providing sympathetic string, wind and vocal accompaniment, and has been superbly recorded at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Q Theatre, Penrith, NSW by Andy Busuttil from Blue Mountain Sound, who also plays clarinet, saxillo, Irish whistles, percussion, sings and co-produces!!

Song titles are suitably new ageish – Contemplating, Flight of the Snowbird, Frozen Rose are examples from “Sensual Journeys”, while the live album includes pieces such as Cerulean Interlude, Feeling Sunshine and Through Cloud.

This is beautiful, peaceful and relaxing music, much of it sounding (in the best possible way) improvised.

Popping either or both of these albums in the CD player (but not at the same time) would be a perfect way to chill out at the end of a tough day on the job, or after you’ve put the kids to sleep and you need to dramatically reduce your stress levels!!

“One of the brightest lights in the contemporary instrumental genre Fiona Joy Hawkins is poised to move into stardom” Will Ackerman (Founder Windham Hill Records)