James Wood's "Tongues of Fire" was commissioned by David Connell for the 140th Anniversary of the Yale Glee Club in 2001.
Instruments
The percussion instrumentation for "Tongues of Fire" is based around a quartet of oil drums, which are used to produce rich timbres and as resonators for other instruments.
Recording & Production
This album features two distinct recording locations: "Tongues of Fire" was recorded in Leipzig, Germany, and "Cloud-Polyphonies" in New Haven, CT, USA.
Compositional Technique
In "Tongues of Fire," the central text from the Acts of the Apostles is set in Latin-American Spanish, with complementary texts in eight other languages to create a 'patchwork' of singing styles.
Compositional Technique
The 'Polyphonies' in "Cloud-Polyphonies" refers to a complex web of 'Points of Imitation' or distorted canons, with each percussionist playing two distinct polyphonic voices.
Composer's Artistic Vision
James Wood's "Cloud-Polyphonies" explores the phenomenon of large formations of organisms, like bird flocks or fish shoals, where individual elements move freely yet maintain a shared purpose.
Composer's Artistic Vision
For "Tongues of Fire," composer James Wood chose the story of Pentecost to acknowledge and emphasize America's rich cultural diversity, drawing inspiration from gospel and spiritual music.
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