Harem is the eighth studio album by English singer Sarah Brightman, released in the United States on 10 June 2003 through Angel Records.

Although it has an inclination towards her signature operatic performance, the album encompasses dance-oriented and uptempo styles in keeping with a celebratory motif.

Also joining Brightman are acclaimed classical violin Nigel Kennedy and singer Kadim Al Sahir, as well as Natacha Atlas, Ofra Haza and Shweta Shetty.

Brightman and producer Frank Peterson combined their contemporary and dance-oriented sensibilities with the exotic instrumentation and melodic phrases of bygone eras.

According to Jerry McCulley of Amazon, "Brightman steps into that pan-cultural hall of mirrors here, wedding her fascination with the music and rhythms of the 'forbidden places' (the title's Arabic meaning) of the Middle East to her own oft ethereal vocal charms and rock-solid sense of drama".

[7] Jason Shawhan of Artist Direct said "the entire record is built around a Middle Eastern theme, and many instruments native to that region flow through the mix of baroque pop, crunch-opera, eurodisco, and passionate balladry".

[8] The editorial review of Barnes & Noble states that "the disc dips into worldbeat territory while showcasing the multi-million-selling artist's haunting voice".

Roxanne Seeman, Sarah Brightman and producer Frank Peterson wrote new lyrics for the melody, in which the singer hears a connection between Middle Eastern sounds and the ancient inspirations of fado.

The singer's imagination drove a new sound for some classic hits – ranging from "What a Wonderful World" and "Stranger in Paradise" – both bathed in the Eastern atmosphere that has inspired her.

"Stranger in Paradise" circles back to Borodin's voluptuous Polovetsian Dances for its rich orchestral textures, cradling Brightman's crystalline singing.

"It's a Beautiful Day" features the singer's operatic voice; in this song Puccini's "Un Bel di" is artfully coalesced with driving synthesizer beats and Middle Eastern refrains.

"The Journey Home" comes from Indian film composer A. R. Rahman's hit West End Bollywood musical Bombay Dreams, produced in London by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

A French translation of the English version helped solve the problem, and the gentle commentary of Kennedy's violin gives the track an even greater intensity.

The lyrics of "Mysterious Days" lend Harem a hipper, more modern sensibility in its evocation of American expatriates in Marrakech – Paul Bowles, in particular, and The Sheltering Sky.

"The War Is Over" embraced an end to the conflicts in love – eloquently brings Sarah Brightman together with the Iraqi singer Kadim Al Sahir, as well as the classical violin virtuoso Kennedy.

The original version was "Canção do Mar", a song first performed by Fado singer Amália Rodrigues in 1955 and later popularised by Dulce Pontes.

[15] "It's a Beautiful Day", the album's second international single, features an excerpt of "Un bel dì vedremo", from Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly.

Brightman made an appearance at the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson für Deutschland performing "It's a Beautiful Day" and "Harem".

One month later, Brightman joined Schiller on stage to perform "The Smile", a track included in the Harem Tour CD.

[26] Promotion in Canada continued in January 2004 with Brightman's Arabian-themed concert on CBC's Opening Night, which included British violinist Nigel Kennedy and Iraqi singer Kadim Al Sahir as guest performers.

[32] In Jordan, Brightman made a live guest appearance at the International Souk Ukaz cultural festival to sing her duet with Kadim Al Sahir.

It premiered at the New York Film Festival where later won the first prize for Best Musical Documentary and was later broadcast in the United States through PBS and in several other countries: Croatia (HRT), Turkey (CNBC-e), Finland (MTV3), Singapore (Arts Central TV), Canada (CBC).

[34] Beginning on 10 January 2004 and ending on 23 December 2004, the album's world tour spanned 119 stops, with sixty-eight in North America, twenty-four in Asia, twenty in Europe and five in Oceania.

[35] Jason Shawhan of Artist Direct gave the album 4+1⁄2 stars out of 5, saying that "Brightman and producer/long time collaborator Frank Peterson have outdone themselves with this effort, it's a beautiful piece of work worth the listening".

[8] Aaron Latham of Allmusic gave the album 3 stars out of 5, writing that while "adopting a Middle Eastern flavor to enhance her blend of classical and new age pop, Sarah Brightman's Harem continues her experimentation with thematic discs that began with 1993's oceanic Dive.