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''The Millennium Bell'' is the 20th
record album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
by
Mike Oldfield Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...
, released in 1999. The theme of the album is a reflection of different periods of human history. The album borrows its name from the dawning of the 3rd millennium and Oldfield's fourth installment of ''
Tubular Bells Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the percussion family. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillon, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate the sound of church bells within ...
'' series, as well as the most recent in ''Tubular Bells'' series to featured all-new material. It was the main work performed at Oldfield's concert for Berlin's new year celebrations on 31 December 1999.


Recording, release and Millennium concert

Oldfield recorded the majority of the album at his home studio, Roughwood Studios, Berkshire, and then recorded the orchestrations in just one day at
Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...
, London with the London Session Orchestra. It was Oldfield's third album within one year, after '' Tubular Bells III'' in late 1998 and ''
Guitars The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
'' earlier in 1999. It was the third Mike Oldfield album available on the
MiniDisc MiniDisc (MD) is an erasable magneto-optical disc-based data storage format offering a capacity of 60, 74, and later, 80 minutes of digitized audio. Sony announced the MiniDisc in September 1992 and released it in November of that year f ...
format, after ''Tubular Bells'' and ''
Tubular Bells II ''Tubular Bells II'' is the fifteenth studio album by English guitarist and songwriter Mike Oldfield. It was released on 31 August 1992 by Warner Music UK and is the successor to his debut album ''Tubular Bells'' (1973). After his contract with ...
'' were both released on MiniDisc in 1992. A free live performance of the latter half of the album plus some older tracks was given in Berlin, Germany on New Year's Eve 1999, with an estimated audience of 500,000 people. This concert was released on a DVD (and later CD) with the title '' The Art in Heaven Concert''.


Album analysis

The main theme of ''The Millennium Bell'' is the view on the two thousand years after the birth of
Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
through series of single episodes describing important moments in history, as well as different aspects of humanity. The album is eclectic in style, ranging from majestic choruses and soundtrack-esque orchestral passages through New Age sonic textures and ethnic sounds to strong pulse of electronic percussion.


"Peace on Earth"

The opening track, "Peace on Earth", is essentially a
Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French o ...
, referring to the newborn Jesus Christ, the bringer of peace on Earth. The main aspect of this track is hope.


"Pacha Mama"

Mixing electronic and ethnic sounds, namely the ethnic percussion, "Pacha Mama" was based on the music of
Incas The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts",  "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admi ...
– Mike Oldfield paid a visit to
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
– and, in a broader sense, refers to Native Americans (both in
North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...
and South America) in
pre-Columbian era In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...
, before another important year in human history – the year 1492.


"Santa Maria"

"Santa Maria" – taking its name from
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
' flagship, ''Santa Maria'' – is about the age of exploration; it depicts the discovery of
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...
by the Europeans. The most important part of this track is the quasi-sacral choir vocal, reminding of the religious background behind the journey.


"Sunlight Shining Through Cloud"

The verse from "Sunlight Shining Through Cloud" is taken from
Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...
, written by
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Euro ...
clergyman
John Newton John Newton (; – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist. He had previously been a captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy (after forc ...
, who for some time was a captain of the slave ship ''The Duke of Argyle'' and later became a strong advocate for the abolition of the slave trade. The track, featuring strong African themes, refers to
slave trade Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
. Mike Oldfield visited Goree Island, an island on
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣� ...
ese coast famed for its slave trading port, now converted to a
shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ar ...
. The track features also strong
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
influences – a hint at the descendants of the African slaves in North America and the culture and music they will establish in the future. The main aspect of the track is humans' ability to exploit one another.


"The Doge's Palace"

Driven by the electronic percussion's relentless pulse combined with male operatic vocals, strings and solo oboe, "The Doge's Palace" makes a leap to Europe, to the
Venetian Republic The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
, a powerful trade power. The track, vaguely reminiscent of the contemporary Baroque compositions written by
Gian Piero Reverberi Gian Piero Reverberi (born 29 July 1939 in Genoa) is an Italian pianist, composer, arranger, conductor, and entrepreneur. Biography After obtaining Diplomas in piano and composition from the Paganini Conservatory in Genoa, Reverberi worked ...
for his Rondò Veneziano chamber orchestra, refers four Venetian doges by name – Pietro Polani,
Enrico Dandolo Enrico Dandolo ( anglicised as Henry Dandolo and Latinized as Henricus Dandulus; c. 1107 – May/June 1205) was the Doge of Venice from 1192 until his death. He is remembered for his avowed piety, longevity, and shrewdness, and is known for his ...
, Francesco Donato and Giovanni Delfino. "The Doge's Palace" refers to Europe in the middle of the second millennium, where unions of cities, regions and/or countries, organised mostly for commercial reasons (for example
Hansa Hansa may refer to: Places *Hanseatic League, a 13th–17th century alliance of European trading cities * Hansa (shopping centre), in Turku, Finland * Hansa-Park, a German attraction park * 480 Hansa, a main-belt asteroid, a minor planet orbiting ...
), played an important part in establishing various forms of social organisation, and which paved the way to the emergence of modern countries and relations between them.


"Lake Constance"

"Lake Constance", the first fully orchestral track on the album, refers to the age of
Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
in Europe, movement which evoked spontaneous emotions and feelings, making them the main source of humans' perceiving of the world, instead of rationalism. Musically referring to the music of the Romantic period, namely works of Berlioz, it refers to
Lake Constance Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the La ...
on Swiss-German border, reminding that the sheer beauty of nature was a great inspiration for Romantic artists. The track refers to human ability to create art.


"Mastermind"

"Mastermind" leaps forward to 1920s, the time of prohibition in the USA and the rise of modern
organised crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...
. Its dark, synthetic, underground mood was based on the
gangster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...
movies from the 1930s and 1940s.


"Broad Sunlit Uplands"

Another fully orchestral piece, "Broad Sunlit Uplands" takes its name from one of
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...
's famous speeches, and refers to the beginning of World War II. To experience what Churchill felt during the days of
Operation Sea Lion Operation Sea Lion, also written as Operation Sealion (german: Unternehmen Seelöwe), was Nazi Germany's code name for the plan for an invasion of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. Following the Battle o ...
, Mike Oldfield visited his war room,
Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace (pronounced ) is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the only non-royal, non- episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, on ...
. The track refers to the grimy phenomenon of war.


"Liberation"

The spoken word on "Liberation" is an excerpt from '' The Diary of Anne Frank'', spoken by Mike Oldfield's daughter, Greta, who at the time of recording was roughly the same age as
Anne Frank Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – )Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new light on Anne Fra ...
at the time of writing her diary. The track refers to the end of World War II.


"Amber Light"

"Amber Light", with some words in
Xhosa Xhosa may refer to: * Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa * Xhosa language Xhosa (, ) also isiXhosa as an endonym, is a Nguni language and one of the official language ...
, translating to "There is light at the end of the tunnel", refers to the end of
apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid wa ...
in South Africa and also the turn of the 3rd millenniums – a look into new, unknown, but hopeful future.


"The Millennium Bell"

The album concludes with the title track, musically referring to all the other tracks in the album as well as the
Cossack The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...
traditional dance, being some sort of resume of the two thousand years as well as a look into the future. The track has a strong electronica/disco feeling as it was co-arranged by an
Ibiza Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its la ...
performer (where Oldfield lived for some time), DJ Pippi.


Track listing

# "Peace on Earth" – 4:10 # "Pacha Mama" – 4:05 # "Santa Maria" – 2:44 # "Sunlight Shining Through Cloud" – 4:33 # "The Doge's Palace" – 3:07 # "Lake Constance" – 5:16 # "Mastermind" – 3:03 # "Broad Sunlit Uplands" – 4:03 # "Liberation" – 2:38 # "Amber Light" – 3:42 # "The Millennium Bell" – 7:37


Personnel

* Mike Oldfield – Producer, performer and writer * Ben Darlow – Engineer * Robyn Smith – Conductor, Arranger * London Session Orchestra * The London Händel Choir * The Grant Gospel Choir * Nicola Emmanuelle – Vocals * David Serame – Vocals *
Miriam Stockley Miriam Arlene Stockley (born 15 April 1962) is a British singer. She was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and her work is influenced by the African music of her home country. Her distinctive '' vocalise'' style gained international acclaim whe ...
– Vocals * Camilla Darlow – Vocals * Andrew Johnson – Vocals *
Gota Yashiki is a Japanese musician, both an independent acid jazz artist and drum/bass player, as a member of the band Simply Red. Biography He was born in Kyoto, Japan, on 26 February 1962, where at a young age he learned how to play traditional Japa ...
– Drums * Martay – Vocals * Pepsi Demacque – Vocals * Greta Hegerland-Oldfield – Narration * DJ Pippi – Arrangement


Charts


Certifications and sales


References


External links


The Official Mike Oldfield website

Mike Oldfield Discography – ''The Millennium Bell''
at Tubular.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Millennium Bell, The Mike Oldfield albums 1999 albums Warner Music Group albums Concept albums Turn of the third millennium