Lisa Gerrard (born 12 April 1961) is an Australian musician, singer and com… Read Full Bio ↴Lisa Gerrard (born 12 April 1961) is an Australian musician, singer and composer who rose to prominence as part of the music group Dead Can Dance with music partner Brendan Perry. In addition to singing, she is an instrumentalist for much of her work, most prolifically using the yangqin (a Chinese hammered dulcimer).
Since her career began in 1981, Gerrard has been involved in a wide range of projects. She received a Golden Globe Award for the music score to the film Gladiator, on which she collaborated with Hans Zimmer.
Lisa Gerrard was born on 12 April 1961 in Melbourne, and grew up in the suburb of Prahran with her Irish immigrant parents. She has said that she grew up with "Mediterranean music blaring out of the houses" and that this influenced her music, particularly on later Dead Can Dance albums and in her solo and collaborative works.
Gerrard's first foray into forming bands and creative music-making was in Melbourne's little band scene, an experimental post-punk scene which flourished from 1978 until 1981. It was at one of these little band events that she first met Dead Can Dance co-founder Brendan Perry. Perry recalls, "It never occurred to me that we would one day collaborate musically together because at the time I thought her music was too avant garde. I particularly remember one song that she sang about finding a man in the park and asking her mother if she could bring him home to keep in her wardrobe as she attacked this chinese dulcimer with two bamboo sticks".
Dead Can Dance originally formed as a quartet in 1981 in Melbourne, but in 1982 moved to London with members Gerrard, Brendan Perry and bass player Paul Erikson. Shortly after coming to England, Erikson flew back to Australia, leaving the band as a duo. Dead Can Dance recorded eight albums on the 4AD Records recording label beginning with the self-titled Dead Can Dance LP in 1984. In 2005, the song "Nierika" became part of the opening titles for Mexican television station TV Azteca's soap opera "La Chacala". The band split in 1998, but reunited in 2005 for a world tour. In 2012, the band announced a new world tour to coincide with the release of their new album, Anastasis.
Gerrard possesses the vocal range of a contralto but can also reach upward into the mezzo-soprano range. Her voice has been described as rich, deep, dark, mournful and unique.
Examples of Gerrard's mezzo-soprano range include the songs "The Host of Seraphim", "Elegy", "Space Weaver", "Come This Way" and "One Perfect Sunrise". Gerrard however performs more predominantly in the dramatic contralto range in her other songs, "Sanvean", "Sacrifice", "Largo", "Lament" and "Not Yet".
Gerrard sings many of her songs, such as "Now We Are Free", "Come Tenderness", "Serenity", "The Valley of the Moon", "Tempest", "Pilgrimage of Lost Children", "Coming Home" and "Sanvean" in idioglossia. With respect to such work she has said, "I sing in the language of the Heart. It's an invented language that I've had for a very long time. I believe I started singing in it when I was about 12. Roughly that time. And I believed that I was speaking to God when I sang in that language."
Gerrard was married to Polish graphic design artist and music producer Jacek Tuschewski, with whom she has a daughter (born 1992).
Her nephew Jack Gerrard plays for Cairns post-hardcore act Almost a Square as the drummer and back-up vocalist.
Since her career began in 1981, Gerrard has been involved in a wide range of projects. She received a Golden Globe Award for the music score to the film Gladiator, on which she collaborated with Hans Zimmer.
Lisa Gerrard was born on 12 April 1961 in Melbourne, and grew up in the suburb of Prahran with her Irish immigrant parents. She has said that she grew up with "Mediterranean music blaring out of the houses" and that this influenced her music, particularly on later Dead Can Dance albums and in her solo and collaborative works.
Gerrard's first foray into forming bands and creative music-making was in Melbourne's little band scene, an experimental post-punk scene which flourished from 1978 until 1981. It was at one of these little band events that she first met Dead Can Dance co-founder Brendan Perry. Perry recalls, "It never occurred to me that we would one day collaborate musically together because at the time I thought her music was too avant garde. I particularly remember one song that she sang about finding a man in the park and asking her mother if she could bring him home to keep in her wardrobe as she attacked this chinese dulcimer with two bamboo sticks".
Dead Can Dance originally formed as a quartet in 1981 in Melbourne, but in 1982 moved to London with members Gerrard, Brendan Perry and bass player Paul Erikson. Shortly after coming to England, Erikson flew back to Australia, leaving the band as a duo. Dead Can Dance recorded eight albums on the 4AD Records recording label beginning with the self-titled Dead Can Dance LP in 1984. In 2005, the song "Nierika" became part of the opening titles for Mexican television station TV Azteca's soap opera "La Chacala". The band split in 1998, but reunited in 2005 for a world tour. In 2012, the band announced a new world tour to coincide with the release of their new album, Anastasis.
Gerrard possesses the vocal range of a contralto but can also reach upward into the mezzo-soprano range. Her voice has been described as rich, deep, dark, mournful and unique.
Examples of Gerrard's mezzo-soprano range include the songs "The Host of Seraphim", "Elegy", "Space Weaver", "Come This Way" and "One Perfect Sunrise". Gerrard however performs more predominantly in the dramatic contralto range in her other songs, "Sanvean", "Sacrifice", "Largo", "Lament" and "Not Yet".
Gerrard sings many of her songs, such as "Now We Are Free", "Come Tenderness", "Serenity", "The Valley of the Moon", "Tempest", "Pilgrimage of Lost Children", "Coming Home" and "Sanvean" in idioglossia. With respect to such work she has said, "I sing in the language of the Heart. It's an invented language that I've had for a very long time. I believe I started singing in it when I was about 12. Roughly that time. And I believed that I was speaking to God when I sang in that language."
Gerrard was married to Polish graphic design artist and music producer Jacek Tuschewski, with whom she has a daughter (born 1992).
Her nephew Jack Gerrard plays for Cairns post-hardcore act Almost a Square as the drummer and back-up vocalist.
Of Love Undone
Lisa Gerrard Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Lisa Gerrard:
Abwoon Abwoom d, bwahmaya Nethqadash shmakh Teytey malkuthakh Ne…
All Along the Watchtower "There must be some way out of here" Said the joker…
Badelt Zimmer: Now We Are Free Anol shalom Anol sheh lay konnud de ne um Flavum nom de…
Black Forest Why realise The life of the hidden Within disguise They c…
Come Tenderness Spending all my nights, all my money going out of…
Elegy Some days it gets completely crazy And I feel like howlin'…
Gortoz a ran Gortozet 'm eus, gortozet pell E skeud teñval tourioù gell E…
La Bas We the drowned Hold our hollow ... Til we swallow ourselves …
Largo Ombra mai fu, di vegetabile cara ed amabile, soave pi`u.…
Psallit In Aure Dei Non clamor sed amor Non vox sed votum Non cordula sed cor …
Sacrifice Hear one thousand screams Hear one thousand voices A solit…
Serenity All-4-One On & On Smile Like Mona Lisa Oh, i carry a phot…
Sleep My attends to you As a mother hears While her children sle…
Space Weaver My precious love Can only come From above In unity Is born a…
The Human Game Under the sun I call your name I revise your inner…
The Maharaja When the Ma- Haraja comes He brings the sun He draws upon…
The Serpent & The Dove Once there was a secret union A serpent and a dove Enchanted…
The Song Of Amergin An gaeth I m-muir Am tond trethan Am fuaim mara Am dam secht…
Too Far Gone I am drowning Not waving Here in the darkness I’ll find m…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@nanettegerrard9808
I am so proud that I gave birth to this beautiful lady . God blessed her with this amazing voice ,
@ireneclaro5538
🌹🌹🌹❤❤❤..... Blessings dear mother....
@charliechevarie3934
❤
@thomasmuller1825
Awesome blessed voice a new Hildegard von Bingen
@WhiteWizard79
As you should be ❤️ She has the voice of angel! 😇 Thank you 🙏
@sk8rlad
She's not a beautiful lady she is an angel like her mother ♥
@MarcelloDeFrancisci1
It was a genuine thrill to co write this piece and to be in your presence when you sang - recorded vocals in my studio. You are a true force of nature, and a gift to the World. I thank you.
@patrickkassis7387
It is like a prayer wawwww
@limacharlie372
Haunting and so beautiful 🙏
@keithbate9405
Thank you for co writing this sublime /beautiful piece of music. I have been a Lisa Fan since 1983. This is my favourite vocal performance by her.