Glen Block Productions’ sister company Valley Entertainment, was created to create, manage, market, and promote events for Glen Block Productions and its associates.

Winter Poem features all new original songs by Rolf Løvland, with Fionnuala Sherry’s violin as the trademark sound of the group. The repertoire is dominated by instrumental pieces, but in addition, the group has also found room for 3 new songs. Moya Brennan of the Celtic group ‘Clannad’ is a guest vocalist on “The Dream”. “We’ve wanted to work with Moya for a very long time”, says Løvland. “She performs the song with a longing and dreamy expression that gives the song a very special dimension.”  Another new song, “Mary’s Lament”, has lyrics by Brendan Graham who also wrote the lyrics for “You Raise Me Up”. The song is performed by Irish singer Fionnuala Gill. “Powered By Nature”, which was Norway’s official Expo-song during last year’s exhibition in China, is sung by Espen Grjotheim and Tracey Campbell.  All music is symphonically scored, arranged and produced by Rolf and performed by Secret Garden with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.

“Winter, with Nature’s transformation and beautiful magic, is a time for emotion and contemplative thought. Many of these feelings have been a source of inspiration for the music. Scandinavia’s winter is shrouded in darkness. It always arouses my creativity, I always write best then. I think the Norwegian nature and the special atmosphere in Winter creates a kind of need in me to feel my emotions and to express myself.”

- Rolf Løvland

“We truly hope that Winter Poem can contribute light and warmth to our listeners during the cold, dark winter evenings and to those living in warmer climes, light and warmth through cold and dark times.”

- Fionnuala Sherry

“The Dream” featuring Moya Brennan

In addition to being available direct from Hearts of Space Records at Valley-Entertainment.com, you can purchase Winter Poem in North America from iTunes and Amazon.

Jonn Serrie - Sunday Morning Peace

Throughout his extensive career, Jonn Serrie has defined the genre of space music composing for countless distinguished clients including NASA, Lucasfilm Ltd., and New York City’s Hayden Planetarium.  His catalog has sold over 500,000 albums!

In his most recent work, Serrie set out to create an album that would provide a peaceful comfort for those in need.  The resulting Sunday Morning Peace reaches deep into the listener’s soul.  With the sounds of the seashore woven into the fabric of the music as a gentle foundation, the songs create a powerful atmosphere filled with relaxing and therapeutic values.  Passages from this album have been adapted to the Hemi-Sync therapy processes and are sold to the professional community.

“The use of music therapy and interaction is a well established technique that helps people with autism spectrum cope with a wide range of cognitive and emotional challenges.

Jonn Serrie’s “Sunday Morning Peace” provides a wonderfully calm, relaxing atmosphere in therapeutic and home environments for both parents and children.”

 -Beth Clay
Professional Consultant and Expert for the U.S. Government Congressional Committee on Business Development, Health Policy and Autism Spectrum Issues

“Having worked for many years with hundreds of people at the end of their lives, I have come to see the great importance of any means that offers calm to a troubled mind and a body in great distress.  Jonn Serrie’s music is such a means–powerfully and beautifully therapeutic.

Noble and ethereal, his soundscapes escort the dying to a sanctuary of deep relaxation.  This relaxation is a   necessary condition to realize the wish we all have to die in great peace.”

                -Kathleen Dowling Singh
Hospice Spiritual Care Visionary and author of best-selling book “The Grace In Dying”

Jonn Serrie has pioneered the genre of space music in his long career as a composer of over a dozen albums and for such distinguished clients as NASA, Lucasfilm Ltd. and New York City’s Hayden Planetarium.  Serrie continues by bringing a new perspective to the holiday season with his own unique renditions of the old and the new.  A heartfelt arrangement of Serrie’s favorite compositions from his Christmas album portfolio.  Atmosphere and romantic, Christmas Prayers makes the connection between where we are this time of year and what’s beyond.

Tracklist

1. The First Noel
2. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
3. Angels We Have Heard On High
4. Jesu Joy Of Mans Desiring
5. What Child Is This?
6. The Breton Carol
7. Little Drummer Boy
8. Silent Night
9. Away In A Manger
10. O Come All Ye Faithful
11. O Holy Night
12. Midnight Medley featuring Slumber Song, Between The Ox And The Lamb, Little Jesus Sweetly Sleep and Lo How A Rose E’re Blooming

Available on CD or MP3 download from Valley Entertainment, Amazon or iTunes.

Music that makes dictators tremble and fundamentalists angry.

Presented by Freemuse and Deeyah the compilation is a unique musical statement by artists who are united in one single, important issue – the protection of the freedom of musical expression – a freedom many take for granted.   The album is filled with contemporary songs by artists who have been censored, persecuted, taken to court, imprisoned and even tortured for a very simple reason – their music.

Freemuse is the only international organization dedicated to protecting musicians and composers’ right to freedom of expression.  The album has been compiled by Deeyah, an artist who has stopped performing having endured constant intimidation and physical threats throughout her career.

“This is a collection of songs from artists around the world who have faced censorship or had their music banned.  These artists and other like them in the different corners of the world must have the right to exist and freely express their feelings and opinions through their art.  We can not allow our freedom of expression to be compromised.  Music must not be silenced”

- Deeyah

1. “Mystery” – Mahsa Vahdat (Iran)
2. “Arooss-e-Aftaw” – Farhad Darya (Afghanistan)
3. “Constitution Constipee” – Lapiro De Mbanga (Cameroon)
4. “Oh My Father, I Am Yusif” – Marcel Khalife (Lebanon)
5. “Rebel Woman” – Chiwoniso Maraire (Zimbabwe)
6. “Quitte Le Pouvoir” – Tiken Jah Fakoly (Cote D’Ivoire)
7. “Salam Darfur” – Abazar Hamid (Sudan)
8. “Al Shatte Al Akhar” – Kamilya Jubran (Israel / Palestine)
9. “Atlan Dok” – Kurash Sultan (Uighuristan)
10. “Alisero” – Ferhat Tunc (Turkey)
11. “Regreso” – Aziza Brahim (Western Sahara)
12. “Speena Kontara” – Haroon Bacha (Pakistan)
13. “Non Au Racisme” – Fadal Dey (Cote D’Ivoire / Ivory Coast)
14. “Bhallelak” – Amal Murkus (Israel / Palestine)

Available on CD and MP3 from Valley Entertainment and Amazon.  Also available on iTunes.

Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations

A mighty American soul blues master, Mighty Sam McClain, and a lioness of Persian music, Mahsa Vahdat, meet Erik Hillestad, the same Norwegian producer and poet behind “Lullabies from the Axis of Evil”, to create a beautiful album of love duets that gracefully intertwine two different languages, cultures and musical styles.

Mahsa Vahdat was first introduced to America through the compilation “Lullabies from the Axis of Evil” and drew attention for her 2007 album with sister Marjan, “Songs from a Persian Garden”.  The album was recorded live at a concert in Tehran, Iran where the sisters performed without veils and bravely chose to use their music as a weapon against the oppression of women in their country.  Mahsa’s courage and bold resistance earned her the 2010 Freemuse Award.

Mighty Sam McClain’s story is the stuff of legends.  At five years old while he was singing in his mother’s Gospel church, he realized what his life’s work would be.  Sam left home at thirteen to escape an abusive father and began working his way into music.  After many turbulent years that included menial jobs and being homeless, Sam found a successful career including a handful of records with Sledgehammer Blues (ne’ AudioQuest Music), a Grammy Award nomination and he is currently nominated for a Blues Music Award from The Blues Foundation.

Check out this great video of Mahsa and Mighty Sam recording “Silent Song”

Buy the album on  CD or Download it in MP3 format direct from Valley-Entertainment.com