HOME CONTACT ME PHOTO GALLERY NEWS      

     

Secret Garden made history by winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1995 with "Nocturne", an entry that was more an instrumental piece than a song. In the 4o- year history of this prestigious pan-European television extravaganza, an instrumental piece had never previously won. A piece so stylistically removed from the European pop format commonly associated with the song contest, that the press stated: "Secret Garden has redefined the Eurovision Song Contest.

Secret Garden continues to write history. This surprise victory at the Eurovision Song Contest was the ultimate showcase that successfully launched their first album Songs from a Secret Garden. It was made available around the globe, including most European territories, the USA, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Hong Kong, China and Korea. This was a historic event for a Norwegian artist and record company, who for the first time had produced a worldwide release with sales of more than a million. Awards followed, including Platinum record in Norway and Korea, Gold record in Ireland, Hong Kong Korea and New Zealand as well as 2 years (101 weeks) in the Billboard New Age charts in USA.

Though the record was never technically classified as an "international release", Secret Garden’s success developed through a fantastic enthusiasm and commitment among PolyGram and Philips Classics staff (later Universal records) on a local level. Nobody was commanded to work with this project. They were driven by a passion for the music, and have seen it as a challenge to market Secret Garden in their own territories.

The Secret Garden Album List
 

Links

Secret Garden site
Josh Groban
 

 

Listen to Song from a Secret Garden (c) Secret Garden

FIONNUALA SHERRY

Fionnuala grew up and went to school in Naas in County Kildare, Ireland - surrounded by a musical family that ignited her passion for music at an early age. She started to play the violin at the age of eight, and at fifteen she moved to Dublin to study music. She graduated with honours from Trinity College in Dublin, and the College of Music, and was later employed by the RTE Concert Orchestra, where she was a member for ten years.  

In addition to the classical symphonic and operatic repertoire, Fionnuala possessed a much wider musical interest. This is evident in the eclectic body of artists and projects she has been involved with, including The Chieftains, Sinead O'Connor, Van Morrison, Chris de Burgh, Bono and Wet Wet Wet. With the Irish Film Orchestra she's also recorded several Hollywood film scores, such as "The River Runs Wild", "A room with a view" and "The Mask". 

That same wide interest in music led her to conceive, write and present her own music series for children on Irish national TV - all this leading up to her fated meeting with Rolf Lovland and the founding of Secret Garden in 1994.
 

ROLF LOVLAND

Rolf was born in Kristiansand, in southern Norway. His first brush with composing came at the early age of nine, when he formed his first band. From then on, and throughout his youth, music came to be his constant companion and focus in life. He later studied music at the Music Conservatory in Kristiansand - and received his Masters degree in music at the Norwegian Institute of Music in Oslo.  

By the time he’d unveiled his "Secret Garden" to the world, Rolf had already earned himself a Norwegian Grammy Award and the reputation as Norway’s most successful popular songwriter, with over 60 national chart hits. For two consecutive years his songs had won the National radio chart "Song of the year-award".  

Rolf was also a two-time winner of the international Eurovision Song Contest final - in 1985 with "La det swinge", and in 1995 with "Nocturne". He is also a four-time winner of Norway’s national Eurovision Song Contest finals. 

The founding of Secret Garden has given Rolf the freedom to explore (and for us to experience) deeper emotional dimension and wider musical landscape than the earlier phase of his career had allowed. It has also proven the composer, Rolf Lovland, to be a musical force of considerable stature.
     
    "The idea of Secret Garden is one that everyone can relate to. We all have landscapes inside us, secret rooms where feelings and impressions grow as a little garden. Some talk about it, write poems or letters, paint, or even take a walk to reflect over life. We all have our own way. But what is common to us, is a strong emotional feeling that is an essential part of our nature. My way of dealing with this is through music, and everything I write comes from my secret garden."