Distant Voices, New Worlds: Songs, Landscapes and Histories

Featuring

Rowland Sutherland
Fiona Cross
Susanne Stanzeleit
Michael Atkinson
Richard Casey
Ed Hughes

Rachel Farago
Helen Whitaker
Alison Hughes
Lee Westwood
Joe Giddey
Rachel Fryer
Andrew Gourley
New Music Players
Orchestra of Sound and Light
Shirley J. Thompson
Matthew Sheeran
Evelyn Ficarra

Did you know?

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Composition History

Four new songs on the album were specially commissioned for the acoustic/electric line-up, performed by the Orchestra of Sound and Light.

Cultural Impact

Shirley J. Thompson's symphony "New Nation Rising: A 21st Century London Symphony," originally for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, became the framework for the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.

Performer Biography

The New Music Players, founded by composer Ed Hughes, is a contemporary classical group whose musicians perform a wide range of music from jazz to Baroque.

Recording & Production

All tracks on this album are first recordings and live concert performances.

Composer's Artistic Vision

The commissioned songs address the human experience of landscape, based on poems and texts specifically about the South Downs in England at different historical points.

Compositional Technique

The album features two ensembles: one is a 'classical' ensemble (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano) referencing Arnold Schoenberg's 'Pierrot' ensemble format.

Album & Artwork

The album title, "Distant Voices, New Worlds," refers to revisiting and reworking historical, literary, and compositional voices through contemporary musical expression.