Jon Mark - Land of Merlin (1992)

In 1988, New Zealand composer, Jon Mark, paid tribute to his Celtic roots on The Standing Stones of Callanish. These elegant synthesizer sketches capture the mystery and the simple beauty of the British Isles.
On this release, Mark delves even deeper into his English heritage as he takes listeners on a musical tour through the Land of Merlin. Cornwall, the most westerly part of the British Isles, has from time immemorial been known as the Land of Merlin. As King Arthur's birthplace and home to his fabled Knights of the Round Table, it has inspired countless artists and storytellers through the ages. Mark is no different. Much of his childhood was spent traveling through the enchanted landscapes of Cornwall with his godparents, and the memory of these journeys continue to inspire the English-born synthesist.

However, it was quite some time before Mark felt ready to translate King Arthur's story into music. The enormous catalogue of novels, poems and academic research on this legendary character was daunting. Yet after considerable research, Mark rediscovered T.H. White's chronicles of Arthur's childhood, The Once and Future King. There he found a more personal connection with his subject. As Mark observes in the liner notes, "I was struck by the fact that my emotional involvement with Arthur's story was with him as a child and with England as he would have seen it in his time, his early meetings and journeys, unaware of his future destiny. In the same way, our potentials lie quietly waiting for us to bring them to life."

With a subtle grace reminiscent of The Standing Stones of Callanish, Land of Merlin is Mark's attempt to depict the magical countryside of Cornwall through a child's eyes. At the same time, his spacious melodies and breath-like chords whisper of a distant past, a time of unicorns, magicians and a young man named Arthur who realizes his destiny as the Once and Future King of England.