This globe-spanning collection of women's music is an unforgettable and peerless array of musical diversity. Besides the fact that the performers are all women, the liner notes point out that they are also "musical alchemists...blending ancient song with modern production." Because nothing is overproduced, these venerable themes come across more as gems than polished antiques. The women themselves are from every part of the globe: Japan, India, England, Australia, Armenia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and North America. So is the music, which includes everything from koto players, Tibetan bells, and an Armenian folk chant to a traditional Vietnamese orchestra, an old Appalachian ballad, and a chant from
Hildegard von Bingen. The album features excellent notes, with a full page devoted to each track.