“Children of Light,” a compact but powerful composition by Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Vangelis and Rick Wakeman, is a worthy inclusion on 1997’s Keys to Ascension 2.
The section “Children of Light,” composed by Anderson, Squire with help by friend of the band Vangelis, utilizes lyrics Anderson interpreted from a Romantic poem. The lyrics continue the theme of social awareness and are direct and moving. The opening chant, featuring Anderson and Squire, hints of a modern take of similar work from 1973’s Tales of Topographic Oceans.
Producer Billy Sherwood again shows his talent at blending the Yes tradition with a contemporary feel. The light touches of Wakeman’s piano, Howe’s acoustic guitar and restrained snare work by Alan White build the tension. The first three minutes of “Children of Light” accomplishes a lot.
The “Lifeline” section of the song introduces Howe’s pedal steel guitar atop a wash of Wakeman string synthesizers. This segment, written by Howe and Wakeman, recalls a movie soundtrack interlude. It’s a solid addition to the song and a fitting introduction to the last song on Keys to Ascension 2, and the last Rick Wakeman contribution to a Yes album, “Sign Language.”
Yes fanatics should seek out the Keystudio album, which features the Wakeman-composed “Lightning” section which was originally edited from this song for Keys to Ascension 2.
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