''Compassion'' is a

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

recorded at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

in September 2013 by

Nigel Westlake Nigel Westlake is an Australian composer, musician and conductor. As a composer for the screen, his film credits include the feature films ''Ali's Wedding'', '' Paper Planes'', ''Miss Potter'', ''Babe'', '' Babe: Pig in the City'', '' Children of ...

Lior Lior Attar, better known simply as Lior, is an independent Australian singer-songwriter based in Melbourne. He is best known for his 2005 debut studio album ''Autumn Flow'' and for the song "Hoot's Lullaby". Early life and education Lior was bo ...

and

Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and firs ...

. ''Compassion'' is an orchestral song cycle for voice and orchestra consisting of original melodies and orchestration set to ancient texts in Hebrew and Arabic, all centred around the wisdom of compassion. The album was released in November 2013. Nigel Westlake said "''Compassion'' inhabits a vast array of emotions and colours, at times pulsating and riotous, at others reflective and textural, and draws upon the myriad of influences the two of us have been able to bring to the table from our incredibly diverse backgrounds. With the utmost respect, we have tried to imbue the ancient texts with a contemporary interpretation, adhering to the purity of a single voice and orchestra." At the

APRA Music Awards of 2014 APRA or Apra may refer to: Places *Apra, Punjab, a census town city in Jalandhar District of Punjab, India * Apra Harbor, the main port of Guam Acronyms * American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana), a Peruvi ...

, the album was nominated for Work of the Year – Orchestral. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 2014 The 28th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) are a series of award ceremonies which include the 2014 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fin ...

, the album won

ARIA Award for Best Classical Album The ARIA Music Award for Best Classical Album, is an award presented within the Fine Arts Awards at the annual ARIA Music Awards. The ARIA Awards recognise "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", and have been given ...

Reception

Graham Strahle from The Australian said "''Compassion'' is more than a film score. At the centre are Lior's easy flowing, luminous melodies of subtly exotic Middle Eastern inflection ndWestlake's orchestrations exhibit fascinating stylistic touches." Clive O'Connell from

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...

said "While not quoting traditional songs, apart from the moving prayer 'Avinu Malkeinu' that finishes the cycle, Westlake and Lior employ a range of modes, melismata and ornaments that suggest much Eastern Mediterranean music. The melody lines are wide-ranging, Lior using his microphone to telling effect, while Westlake's orchestrations surround the singer with muted ambient richness."

Track listing

* all words and music by Nigel Westlake and Lior. # "Sim Shalom / Grant Peace" - 7:28 # "Eize Hu Chacham? / Who is Wise?" - 5:25 # "La Yu'minu / Until You Love Your Brother" - 4:18 # "Inna Rifqa / The Beauty Within" - 4:55 # "Al Takshu L'vavchem / Don't Harden Your Hearts" - 4:45 # "Ma Wadani Ahudun / Until the End of Time" - 7:57 # "Avinu Malkeinu / Hymn of Compassion" - 5:57

Release history

References

{{Lior 2013 live albums ARIA Award-winning albums Albums recorded at the Sydney Opera House Live albums by Australian artists Lior albums