Michael Davis

A timeless collection of music based on the 1994 PBS series of the same name. This is a review of the album. It's eclectic, comprised of music that many would classify as primarily New Age befitting the early 90's. It fits the angelic subject matter, however, generally ethereal. It is calming and peaceful. I have asked that some of it be played on my demise. As a hospice chaplain at the time of it's release, and a hospital chaplain now, I find it perfectly fits the mood surrounding care of the dying and seriously ill. Not completely, however: there are many moments in the final hours that are filled with laughter and lightheartedness. On the whole, however, the music song-for-song on point. Each selection soulfully invites us to consider the long history of belief in angels. In particular, the song, Calling all Angels, written by Jane Siberry and sung by KD Lang, invokes the timeless ebb and flow between what we can see and our wish for something more, for some angels to show their faces in our suffering. As Lang sings it, the song is a plaintive, steady - plodding, even - appeal for everyday Angels to descend into our midst. Whether you believe there are angels, Lang's appeal on behalf of individuals sorely in need of understanding and peace, makes the listener imagine we feel the breath of these angels just over our shoulder. You feel certain that we could see them, if only we had the right glasses.