Looking up at night when I'm all alone
Thinking back, now I see just how much we've grown
Through the highs and the lows, had I only known
Shining bright like a pearl in a sea of dark
Close my eyes, feel you close, ‘though we're worlds apart
All the blood rushing fast, racing through my heart

All the people around spreading fear and doubt
They don't know, they don't care what it's all about
Dying stars burning up and fading out
Rising up, break away, I won't be earthbound
Can't hold me back, see my feet never touch the ground
Taking off, I don't care if I make a sound

Take me to the moon tonight
Blast off at the speed of light
Set a course and hold on tight
Take me to the moon tonight

Disengage, break away, leave the atmosphere (Disengage, break away)
In the shadows of giants we disappear (Disappear, disappear)
Calling mission control, am I loud and clear? (Loud and clear)
(Spoken: Roger, reading you loud and clear, over)
Look outside at the view, see the Earth so small
I'm on top of the world, now I'm standing tall
In the palm of my hand we can have it all

Thrusters up, forge ahead, now to boldly go
Into uncharted space where you never know
Where the journey will end, take it fast or slow (Yeah)
Feel the warmth of the sun, 'though the space is cold
Now it's time to break out of and break the mould
A burning light in the dark, we will always hold

Take me to the moon tonight
Blast off at the speed of light
Set a course and hold on tight
Take me to the moon tonight

(Take me to the moon, take me to the moon)
I won't turn around, I won't run away
We will live to fight yet another day (Take me to the moon)
(Spoken: Target, dead ahead, you’re halfway there, commander)
(Take me to the moon)
Raise the stakes, stand back, watch the rise and fall
Have the guts to win and to risk it all (Take me to the moon)

Riding the wave
Chasing dreams far away
Don't give up hope
Keep the faith
Close your eyes and pray

(Take me to the moon tonight)
Check my fuel and my oxygen supply
Now we hit higher lows and higher highs
(Blast off at the speed of light)
Let the rest take the ground, now we own the sky
(Set a course and hold on tight)
Don't try to stop me, nothing's keeping me at bay
See me soar far away, there's nothing more to say
(Take me to the moon tonight)
Just stand back and watch me fly away

Take me to the moon tonight (Take me to the moon)
Blast off at the speed of light (Light)
Set a course and hold on tight (Hold on tight)
Safely to the moon tonight

Take me to the moon

To The Moon (feat. Eleni Violaris)

'Rainstriker', the debut album from Eleni Violaris, is an original crossover concept album inspired by fantasy, myth and legend. Sung in a striking fusion of English & Anglo-Saxon, the album was inspired by the landmark BBC One David Dimbleby series, 'Seven Ages of Britain', on which Eleni sang all the songs, including writing and performing the end title song in Anglo-Saxon. 'Rainstriker' evokes a mythical age centering on Celtic, Brythonic and Norse Gods and Goddesses of the earth, moon, sea, sky, rain, wind and fire. With elegant melodies, harmonies and arrangements that encompass classical, film and games music styles, 'Rainstriker' weaves colourful sagas of marauding Vikings, great mythological heroes, immortal love stories and other tales from across the sea.

Rainstriker

Believe in Magic (Anglo-Saxon Version)

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The immortal Norse gods of Asgard and Valhalla; Odin, Thor, Loki and Freya, who enslaved people’s minds during the dark ages (and who have recently been the subject of Hollywood films such as ‘Thor’ and ‘The Avengers’), cast their shadow once more in this epic and dramatic song.

The Great Ones

Based on the Anglo-Saxon epic poem, Beowulf, this dramatic story takes place in the early half of the sixth century AD, in what is now Denmark. Grendel (a monstrous and vengeful dragon-like troll with an impregnable skin), whose father had been killed by Hrothgar (king of the Danes), plagues Hrothgar’s kingdom. When Hrothgar finds twenty of his warriors killed inside his great hall, the Danish king falls into a depression; exacerbated by the fact that many of his pagan villagers have converted to Christianity at the urging of an Irish monk. 

On hearing Hrothgar’s plight, the great Geat warrior, Beowulf, with the permission of Hygelac, king of Geatland, sails to Daneland with thirteen of his men to slay Grendel. Knowing that his sword would be useless against Grendel’s tough scaly skin, Beowulf sets a trap. When Grendel attacks the great hall at night, Beowulf grabs the monster’s arm in a powerful vice-like handgrip, holding tight until Grendel’s only means of escape is to wrench himself free, leaving his dismembered limb in Beowulf’s hand. Bleeding severely from his wound, Grendel manages to make it back to his cave, where he dies. Beowulf is hailed a hero and peace returns once more to Hrothgar’s kingdom. Later, when Grendel’s mother, Selma, wreaks havoc on the Danes in revenge for her son’s death, Beowulf (now king of the Geats after the death of king Hygelac), once again goes to the aid of Hrothgar. When in the ensuing fight with Selma, Beowulf finds that his sword cannot pierce her skin, he discards it, putting his faith instead in his strength and mighty handgrip, as he had done with Grendel. When this strategy fails, Beowulf picks up a giant sword he sees inside the cave, which has mystical powers and wielding the great blade with his last ounce of strength, kills Selma with two strokes. However, this is not before Grendel’s enraged mother inflicts a mortal wound on Beowulf, who dies a king and a hero.

Beowulf and Grendel

The song tells of a time when Anglo-Celtic people worshipped the sun, moon, wind, fire and the earth mother and goddess of the harvest, Erce.

Song to the Earth

A musical evocation and tribute to friends and loves that have been lost but who are always remembered. An eternal and recurring ‘theme of the heart’ throughout the ages.

Tears for a Friend

The song recounts the ancient myth and tragedy of Hero and Leander, which has inspired artists, poets and composers throughout the centuries. Hero, a priestess of Aphrodite who dwelt in a tower in Sestos on the European side of the Hellespont in the straits of the Dardanelles, was seduced by Leander; a young man from Abydos on the opposite side of the strait who fell in love with her. Every night throughout the summer, Leander would swim across the Hellespont to be with Hero, who would light a lamp at the top of the tower to guide his way. One stormy night, as winter approached, the waves tossed Leander in the sea and the wind blew out Hero’s light, causing Leander to lose his way and drown. When Hero saw Leander’s lifeless body washed up on the shore, she threw herself off the tower to be with him and the lovers were reunited in death. Swimming the Hellespont is not confined to myth alone. The famous poet, Lord Byron (also a champion swimmer), was the first known person to have swum it in 1810, in honour of Leander.

A Lover's Tale

Based on the Norse tales of power and desire (the ‘Völsunga Saga’ and the ‘Nibelungenlied’), which inspired Richard Wagner’s epic ‘Ring Cycle’ and J. R. R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’.

Shining Summer

A musical evocation to Breksta, goddess of twilight and dreams, in which the song’s protagonist prays for the safe return of her love.

Dream Spinner

An energetic and antiphonal song, sung entirely in lyrical phrases inspired by the Anglo-Saxon language. The song evokes ancient mythologies where goddesses with ‘spindle, shuttle and needle’ not only wove sunbeams and moonbeams associated with controlling destiny and the threads of life (such as in Celtic, Greek and other European folklore) but also inspired exultant warlike songs associated with the Valkyries and other Norse legends featuring the gods of Valhalla.

Morwetha's Spinning Song

The song was inspired by the story of St Columba, a 6th century Irish missionary renowned for taking Christianity and the gospels to the Picts in Scotland, where pagan Druid traditions ruled. Together with other missionaries that rallied to his call, St Columba  (also known as Colm Cille, or ‘Church Dove’), established monasteries on the isles of Iona and Kyntyre, where the saint is credited with performing miracles, including healing people, expelling malignant spirits, subduing wild beasts and calming storms.

Ride the Wind

An original take on the popular highwayman story. In this song, a knavish highwayman captures the heart of a young maiden, whom he meets at a town fair. Despite the highwayman’s promise to return one day, the maiden waits in vain and when the highwayman does eventually return to the town, it is to face the gallows for his lawless deeds. Adam Violaris’ evocative musical arrangement helps to enhance the dramatic and tragic elements of the song, right down to the gallows drop; which is depicted in the percussion on the last chord. The music features Eleni on flute, as well as lead vocals.

Wiccan Faire

A song about love and despair set in the time of the great Anglo-Saxon king, Alfred, whose kingdom was plagued by Viking raiders. Vikings were often placated by Danegeld, a tax levied to pay as tribute to save the land from being ravaged, or for the return of noble captives, as in the story of this song.

Ceridwen's Lament

The ever-recurring theme of ‘love and betrayal’ lies at the heart of this song, which is sung in English and Anglo-Saxon. The song’s title was made famous by the German composer, Franz Schubert, in his song, ‘Der Lindenbaum’ (’The Linden Tree’), from his song cycle, ‘Die Winterreise’ (’Winter Journey’). The linden tree (or lime tree), with its lime blossom and heart shaped leaves, is used in this song as an artistic metaphor. However, the musical connection between the linden tree and the ‘Rainstriker’ album goes further. As wood from the linden tree is soft and easily worked (because of its relatively small amount of grain and density), it was used during the Viking era (‘Ceridwen’s Lament’) for constructing shields. In more recent times, the linden wood’s good acoustic properties make it a popular material for electric guitar and bass bodies, acoustic guitar parts (’Morwetha’s Spinning Song’) and wind instruments, such as recorders and whistles (’Song to the Earth’). Wood from the linden tree is also sometimes used for drum shells, both to enhance their sound and their aesthetics.

The Linden

The eponymous song, from which the album takes its name and inspiration, is based on the legend of Verbeia, a Brythonic goddess known from a single inscription found at Ilkley in England, where she may have been a local goddess and tutelary deity of the river Wharfe. Verbeia could be interpreted as “living rain” (as found in the lyrics of the song), or ‘rain-striker’. Living rain could also refer to a river but the metaphor implied by 'rain-striker' could also allude to what happens after a heavy rainfall, when a river bursts its banks, flooding the surrounding area. Further interpretations of Verbeia, stem from how the goddess' name might have evolved in later Cymric (the Welsh language). In interpreting this song, Eleni has drawn on her Welsh heritage to help pronounce the Anglo-Saxon words.

A love song that draws on ancient and mystical philosophies, including that of karma and reincarnation; the belief that we have lived before and are born many times over in order to reach nirvana (enlightenment). This is depicted in the lyrics, "every path that we walk, we have walked before" and "every treasure we find as we search along the way, has been buried by us".

Believe in Magic

Eleni Violaris is a UK-based pop & classical-crossover singer, with a passion for creating songs & music with an epic scope. Alongside her brother and writing partner, Adam Violaris, she seeks to craft transportive songs that tell stories, ignite the imagination and conjure otherworldly musical moods.

Eleni Violaris

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