OVO is the Gabriel-authored soundtrack to the Millennium Dome Show, the 160-artist extravaganza that underwent 999 performances during the 365 days in 2000 that the Dome was open. Helping to tell the story of three generations of the same family living through three distinct eras – the past, the present, the future – Peter’s soundtrack accordingly drew from deep, long-held tradition and from contemporary grooves. Hurdy-gurdys butted up alongside drum & bass, ancient dancing the same millennium-celebrating dance as modern. Released halfway through 2000, OVO boasts a stellar cast, including Cocteau Twin Elizabeth Fraser, Neneh Cherry, Richie Havens and Paul Buchanan from The Blue Nile. Some of the tracks from OVO have become fixtures of the Gabriel canon, among them Downside Up and The Nest That Sailed Away, both of which would be reprised ten years later on the orchestral album New Blood.
