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Track(s) taken from CDA68083

The heavens' flock

First line:
Stars, you are the heavens’ flock
composer
Ēriks Ešenvalds (b1977)
SATB divisi; commissioned by Ethan Sperry and the Portland State Chamber Choir
author of text
Paulann Petersen (b1942)
Be here when I can see you, when I cannot

The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, Stephen Layton (conductor)
Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
CD-Quality:
Studio Master:
CD-Quality:
Studio Master:
Recording details: January 2014
Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Produced by Adrian Peacock
Engineered by David Hinitt
Release date: February 2015
Total duration: 3 minutes 28 seconds

Cover artwork: Autumn Moon (2013). Scott Kahn (b1946)
Private Collection / Bridgeman Images
 

Reviews

‘The sonority is secure from top to bottom … and the recording has clarity, detail and presence … lovers of this corner of the choral repertoire will find here much to enjoy’ (Gramophone)

‘An exemplary recording … an excellent place to become familiar with Ešenvalds's attractive output’ (Choir & Organ)» More

‘What a force the Trinity choir has become … and the strength-in-depth it has developed, in the first eight years of Stephen Layton's directorship’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More
PERFORMANCE
RECORDING

‘Latvian composer [Ēriks Ešenvalds's] rich, sonorous choral writing is in almost permanent ecstasy, with sopranos sailing over great waves of cluster chords, a colouristic vision … all beautifully sung’ (The Guardian)

‘Much here is rarified and quite lovely, indicative of a young composer in the thralls of an abundance of talent’ (Audiophile Audition, USA)» More

‘The music is very well crafted for voices, … the writing is consistently imaginative … the Trinity College choir sings exceptionally well … they make a super sound; the balance is consistently excellent and the timbre is appealingly fresh’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘With excellent recording and splendid notes, I can only welcome this with enthusiasm’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘The result is a collection that in terms of imagination and aural allure is beyond anything I have heard since the halcyon age of the young Benjamin Britten … full of small gems’ (The Oldie)» More

‘Trinity College Choir Cambridge under the direction of Stephen Layton give superlative performances of varied and engaging choral works by the Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds. Contemporary music making at its best’ (The Northern Echo)

‘A composer with a deep love and respect for music … Layton's flowing phrasing and the choir's effortless a capella delivery, embellished here and there by beautiful solo voices … reinforce the beauty inherent to the music’ (Classical Music Sentinel)» More

‘Conductor Stephen Layton, along with the Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, should be commended not just for this excellent performance, but also for raising the profile of [Ēriks Ešenvalds], whose ability to write music that deeply affects listeners not just in Latvia, all over the world is a rare talent’ (The Baltics Today, Latvia)» More

‘Stephen Layton draws extraordinary and urgent performances from his young singers—finding both the power … and delicacy … performances [are] charged with real emotional intent. The result is arresting in its intensity’ (Sinfini Music)» More

The heavens’ flock is a celestial meditation, an American commission for Ethan Sperry and the Portland State Chamber Choir. The words are by Paulann Petersen, the Poet Laureate of the state of Oregon. This is a simpler vision than that of Northern Lights, but its single paragraph is glowing in its diatonic certainty; the poem’s blaze may be small, but it is bright and it is beautiful.

from notes by Gabriel Jackson © 2015

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