Plainly speaking, Adiemus can perhaps most conveniently be summarized
as a "new age" or "progressive" Karl Jenkins musical project, though
their music is not easy to categorize, incorporating elements of
classical, opera and even tribal music. Karl Jenkins is the composer,
conductor and all-around nexus of the ensemble. Miriam Stockley is the
lead vocalist, with Mary Carewe providing harmonies in the choruses on
three of the Adiemus albums. The music is performed by the London
Philharmonic Orchestra on the first three albums and the 'Adiemus
Orchestra' on The Eternal Knot. Other participants in Adiemus include
Mike Ratledge (programmed percussion on Songs of Sanctuary), Pamela
Thorby (recorder solos), and Jody Barratt-Jenkins (electro-acoustic
percussion). A collection of additional "Adiemus Singers" have
performed in various combinations on Dances of Time and in live
performances. On Dances of Time, they include: Annamari
Kähärä, Mia Simanainen, Nina Tapio, Mervi
Hiltunen, Säde Rissanen, Mia Simanainen and Riikka
Väyrynen. Other Adiemus singers include: Hanna-Riikka
Siitonen, Hanna Kaila, Pirjo Aittomäki, Merja Rajala, Veera
Railio.
There are no lyrics, per se, in their music. Karl Jenkins states in the
booklets for Songs of Sanctuary and Cantata Mundi that the text is "an
invented language". (The word Adiemus itself is not Latin, but is,
according to Jenkins, invented as part of his sound-language.) He
writes, "The text was written phonetically with the words viewed as
instrumental sound, the idea being to maximise the melisma (an
expressive vocal phrase) by removing the distraction, if one can call
it that, of words.".
