Songs, Landscapes and Histories
The New Music Players
The Orchestra of Sound and Light
métier mex 77131
On this single CD, you will find a multicoloured festoon of contemporary composer styles, many of their works recalling English Early Music; in two cases, the ever-marvellous Thomas Tallis, while Evelyn Ficarra bases the first of her two pieces (for solo piano) on a poem by a Medieval Japanese poet. Pre-existing music, drawings, poetry and above all, the rolling chalk landscapes of the English South Downs lie at the heart of these new works.
Ed Hughes opens the CD with In ieiunio et fletu based on a dark motet by Thomas Tallis. The warm harmonies are delivered by strings while a tinkling piano part adds spice. His second piece, Sky Rhythms sets a poem sung by Rachel Farago in bright free flowing style.
It is the music of Ed Hughes that concludes the CD performance with Dark Angel, a piece in five multi-hued movements inspired by illustrations drawn by William Blake for Milton’s Paradise Lost. Pointed rhythmic writing shines brightly in these movements, especially the first.
Shirley J. Thompson’s first piece Mighty Mandela is an extended melodic piece for solo flute performed deliciously by Rowland Sutherland who appears later as a composer. His first piece Eternal is also based on music by Thomas Tallis. His second, Modes from the Downs opens in expressively English pastorale style before bringing in the shining soprano voice and moving to influences of jazz. This should not really work, but it absolutely does, and excitingly too.
Matthew Sheeran bases his only piece Languet Anima on the early French style known as Ars Subtilior which blended complexity with serenity. Sheeran puts the flute up front in a piece which certainly captures that idea of weightless serenity.
Evelyn Ficarra’s two pieces are the most openly avant-garde. The Arbitrariness of Language for piano solo played by Richard Casey has a lively brittleness to it while What Larks is splendidly colourful and painterly, with a finely wrought touch of humour. At the end, the actual voices of larks can be heard. Does this not carry us right into the South Downs under its wide skies?
Review by Alan Cooper