Karen Moussou believes “that the more we shine the light of God and see the beauty and oneness of each and every person, the more fear and darkness will subside.” To aid that end Karen has recorded Grace, a collection of meditations and prayers meant to accompany listeners on their journey of life.

The nine tracks on Grace are justifiably relaxing, with Moussou’s calm, low voice gently speaking over most of them. For instance, the five-minute opener “The Christ Light Within” finds airy, restful, unobtrusive piano gently backing Moussou as she prays for Christ’s healing and connection to the entire world. Here, as on the gentle, legato instrumental “Piano Mediation,” the piece is composed and performed by Bob Nance, director of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Chorus. “A Prayerful Walk on the Beach” is just that, where slight percussion is overcome by lulling waves and seagull cries as Moussou intones “I know that the only real thing is Your Love. / I turn over all worries, tension, arguments. / I know these things aren’t real.” Elsewhere, in “A Walk on the Beach,” six more minutes of contemplative. white oceanic noise are presented to aid you in your own prayers. With the title track “Grace,”whose tranquil acoustic guitar is provided by Henri-Pierre Koubaka, the prayers take on a more ecumenical/New Age tone (“knowing the one great truth: that we are all connected in this world”) which is continued through “Great Spirit” and “The Elders,” both of which have their backing track provided by Dancing Feather, a Mohawk Elder who eases the listener with tribal drum, rattle, flute and organic chanting. Also included is a paraphrase of The Lord’s Prayer with drums by FeyFey Moussou, giving a hipster beat poet feel to the reading.

With few exceptions, everything was recorded at 20to20Soundesign, a local studio known for understanding world and exotic music. As such, they have perfectly combined the meditations of Karen Moussou with the serene backing tracks to give the listener the opportunity for a reflective and enlightening journey. For more information, click over to www.prayerfulmeditation.com.