Site Title
Classical Crossover • Holiday • New Age • Vocal
"Best Holiday Album"
New Age Magazine 11&12/2000
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"Best Holiday Album & Album of the Month"
New Times, Seattle 12/2000
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​"Best Holiday Album"
Zone Music Award 5/2008
voted and presented by Radio Broadcasters worldwide
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"Best Classical Artist"
Darlene Koldenhoven for "Emmanuel"
Indie Music Channel Awards 9/5/2021
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Debuted #2
Zone Music Reporter Radio Charts Worldwide 12/2000
Heavenly Peace CD $10 bandcamp
Album Description
Heavenly Peace is the premier Holiday release by GRAMMY® Award-winning vocal artist, Darlene Koldenhoven, known worldwide as the featured blond soprano in Yanni Live at the Acropolis PBS-TV Special. Throughout this amazing collection of 10 very special songs, the lyrics touch upon the spiritual and emotional sides of all the characters involved in the Christmas Story, while the music and production reflect elements of world music, classical, and relaxing ambient woven together by her soaring, angelic, 5 octave vocal range. Seasonal, non-seasonal, and original pieces are included. Together they create a serene and joyful celebration of the birth of Christ, suitable for listening throughout the year. When she wasn't playing, programming, & arranging herself, as producer, Darlene called upon the talented skills of such artists as violinist Karen Briggs (also featured on the Yanni video), programmer Brad Cole (keyboardist with Phil Collins), film composer Ira Newborn (Ferris Bueller, Naked Gun, Manhattan Transfer) who played tabla and other middle-eastern instruments, oboist Earle Dumler (Frank Zappa & many hundreds of Los Angeles studio recordings), flutist Brice Martin, and with Doug Lenier (Smokey Robinson, Nancy Wilson) engineering. Vocalists on Angels We Have Heard on High in order from high to low: Darlene Koldenhoven, Machan Taylor, Yvonne Williams, Melissa Mackey, Clydene Jackson, Carmen Twillie. The CD comes in a jewel case with lyric/credits booklet.
Song Titles • Composers • Arrangers
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (English arr. Vardey)
Gabriel to Mary, Weeping (Koldenhoven/Parker)
Joseph's Question (Koldenhoven/Parker)
The Star to the Stable (Koldenhoven/Parker)
Angels' Pastorale (Koldenhoven)*
Angels We Have Heard on High (French arr. Koldenhoven)
Balulalow (Oh My Deir Hert) (Howells/Luther)
Silent Night (Gruber/Mohr arr. Koldenhoven)
Emmanuel (Colombier)*
Pie Jesu from Requiem (Webber arr. A.Wurman)*
*non-seasonal favorites on Music Choice "Soundscapes"
Album Reviews from Radio Worldwide
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"Your voice is phenomenal"
–Cindy James KRSC-FM, Tulsa OK
"A pleasure to air such an incredible CD"
–Renee Blanche KCUR-FM, Kansas City, MO
"Everyone who hears the CD loves it. It will be one of the featured CDs on Christmas eve on _Nightbreeze_."
–Mark E. Jane, Host, KCCK-FM, Cedar Rapids, IA
"Excellent, will receive a good chunk of holiday airplay beginning this week."
–Jamey Osborne, KTEP-FM, _Audiosyncracy_, El Paso, TX
"Exquisite vocal, a piece of sky. The album is a sonic mosaic of melody and rhythm . . . last two tracks are on hard rotation at _Journeys to the Infinite_."
–Marius_Christian Burcea, F.U.N.Y. Radio, Romania
"So beautiful . . .honored to have the opportunity to share your music."
–Dr. Brad Stone, KKUP-FM, Gilroy, CA
"One of the most distinctive voices . . .excellent treatments of new and old material, topped by a fantastic Silent Night. Featuring it on my radio show."
–Dr. Gerry Grzyb, WRST-FM, Oshkosh, WI
"Excellent music!!
Darlene has a golden voice and beautiful music."
–Christian Muresanu, F.U.N. Radio, Romania
"A wonderful set of seasonal music, airing cuts 2,3,6,7,8,10 but others here have their own favorites."
–Michael Brown, WPNE-RM Green Bay, WI
"Very fine music for my program."
–Ronald Boortman, DVN Broadcasting, Rotterdam, Netherlands
"Best Classical Artist"
Darlene Koldenhoven for "Emmanuel"
Indie Music Channel Awards 9/5/2021
ON RADIO for the HOLIDAYS 2021
Highlights of the stations spinning Heavenly Peace
KALA-FM The Stinger, Davenport, IA (entire album in heavy rotation)
KOCF-FM Fern Ridge/Veneta, OR
KUCB-FM, Unalaska, AK
KZUM-FM Murphy's Magic Mess Show, Lincoln, NE
WMNR-FM The Gallery Show, Monroe CT (5 tracks spinning)
River of Calm, Nashville, TN
Guido's Lounge Café, Netherlands
(spinning 3 tracks including opening position)
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Album Review Highlights
“Here’s your best chance to experience incredible musical invention with total spirituality. Heavenly Peace is a tour-de-force for Darlene Koldenhoven, a true renaissance talent: composer, arranger, keyboardist, programmer, and engineer, but mostly an absolutely heavenly singer, blessed with a stunning range and a magnificent sense of musicality . . . Indeed, tidings of comfort and great joy.”
-Dave Grusin, GRAMMY® Award-Winner,
Film Composer On Golden Pond
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“If you’re a Sarah Brightman fan, this collection will surely appeal to you . . . closes with Koldenhoven’s heartfelt (and superior) take on one of Brightman’s signature tunes, “Pie Jesu” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem . . . Groundbreaking music. Heavenly Peace will join that special group of discs next year and every year from then on.”
–David A. Young, NewTimes, Seattle
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“I love your CD, Heavenly Peace. Your voice is an amazing instrument and you use it so musically. I especially love “Gabriel to Mary, Weaping,” “Angels Pastorale,” “Balulalow” and many more - the arrangements are magical too!”
-Gloria Loring, Recording Artist, Actress
formerly on Days of Our Lives
“Darlene at her best. While the wonders of her craftsmanship shine throughout, so does her heart.”
-Morgan Ames, Producer/Arranger, Inner Voices
Christmas Harmony
Darlene Koldenhoven - HEAVENLY PEACE: Listeners who crave something beautiful and inspiring for the coming C-mas season will find this album pure delight for their ears! Darlene has a vocal execution that is flawless, and energy that seems boundless on these traditional Christmas songs. The orchestration is simple, but wonderful... the compositions hold clearly to the form that was intended by the composers, but there are elements of jazz, world & (just about) every other style of music on the globe. If you aren't inspired by her singing, you're dead already, so forget it. There are sections where the bass lines really remind me of Jaco Pastorius, though I couldn't see him listed in the credits (who was that bass man, anyway?). Koldenhoven is one of the most talented vocalists I've ever heard, and any listener who enjoys great music will fall in love with this in short order. The CD gets a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from us!
–Dick Metcalf, Rotcod Zzaj, 12/8/2002 Issue #60
Improvijazzation Nation Magazine
It’s hard to believe, but the holiday season is in sight once again and this release is the perfect musical vehicle to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. The traditional standards such as God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Angels We Have Heard On High and Silent Night have been practically reinvented here and Darlene’s crystalline voice and five octave range makes every song soar to the highest realms in the heart. In addition, there are numerous original songs also inspired by Jesus’ birth that showcase her incredible gifts and presents them in some of the most glorious, fully orchestrated, arrangements ever heard. The Spirit of love and Heavenly Peace is divinely shining through every song on this wonderful release, making it perfect, not only for the holiday season but for any time a spiritual boost is needed. If you only buy yourself one musical present this Christmas season, I highly recommend it be the gift of Heavenly Peace.
– By Rev. Robert Walmsley, Omega New Age Directory
There are 10 more reviews in print newspapers
and periodicals nationwide.