02/18/21: Vocal Journeys
Featuring David T. Little, Rhona Clarke, Steven Mackey, Martin Smolka, and 'T Geruis
Welcome to Keeping Score! This week I have five new releases for you.
The Music
Something Historical
American composer David T. Little and Canadian librettist Royce Vavrek released Am I Born, sung by the American choir The Choir of Trinity Wall Street. Energetic and stirring, the album details its focus:
Am I Born takes the listener on a journey through an impermanent Brooklyn. Set across centuries in the neighborhood plowed under to build the Brooklyn Bridge, Am I Born uses echoes of the past to explore what it means to live through rapidly changing times.
The neighborhood referred to is the one depicted below in American painter Francis Guy’s Winter Scene in Brooklyn.
Listen on Spotify or Bandcamp.
Something Resonant
Irish composer Rhona Clarke and Latvian choir State Choir Latvija released Sempiternam, covering choir pieces of Clark from the last thirty years. With texts from anonymous medieval lyrics to Irish poet Ulick O’Connor, complexity ranging from professional to amateur commissions, and moods ranging from poignant to joyous, this album has a bit of something for everyone.
Something Rhythmic
American composer Steven Mackey and British ensemble Psappha released Busted, Micro-concerto & Five Animated Shorts. The release notes state the album’s rhythm has a “particular character”, extended by the way the timbres and harmonies work together. Mackey uses irregular, distinctive rhythms, inspired in part from his time as a professional free-style skiier, which indeed gives the three pieces a unique style.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube Music, etc.
Something Experimental
Czechian composer Martin Smolka released 5 Choral Études. Originally written for amateur choir singers, Smolka uses new music techniques such as indeterminancy, aleatory (chance), speech, and other unusual techniques. Humorous and fun to listen to, be sure to check out this release.
Listen on Spotify, Amazon Music, etc.
Something Ambient
Belgian composer 'T Geruis released Slow Dance on Moss Beds, blending repeated minimalist melodies on piano with field recordings and other lyrical synths and chords. The Quietus writes:
There is a depth and otherworldly-ness to 't Geruis’s music that only the natural world can keep up with. The grand archaic sound of ‘gracieux’ evokes majestic mountains, the just over one-minute-short ‘entre les abres’ (‘amongst trees’) is an ode to the sacred – rather than the eerie – silence deep in the woods. There are obvious references to nature, too. Cackling geese, chirping birds, the highly distorted church bells at the end of ‘l'arrivée d'un visiteur’ paint a sonic portrait of the countryside. The record ends with the sound of a rattling horse carriage. Nostalgia is the sister of melancholia.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube Music, etc.