Composer Jacob Cooper initially wrote the song 'Silver Threads' for a recital by vocalist Mellissa Hughes in March 2011, later expanding it into a larger song cycle.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Jacob Cooper's approach to setting text involves creating an overall atmosphere for the text to breathe, rather than prescribing sounds for individual words.
Performer Biography
Vocalist Mellissa Hughes, who performs on this album, has a busy international career in both contemporary and early music and has premiered works by many notable composers.
Composition History
The song cycle's texts were developed through a collaborative process between composer Jacob Cooper and five poets, where each poet responded to an initial haiku by 17th-century Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō and to previously written poems.
Interpretation
Jacob Cooper chose Mellissa Hughes for this recording because of her ability to bend and shift her voice while maintaining warmth, and her capacity to sing vibrato-less with warmth, which the music required.
Recording & Production
The album was mixed by Damian Taylor, known for his work with pop and non-classical musicians like Björk, to achieve a blend of electronic timbres with classical ideas and a 'pop immediacy'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Jacob Cooper views the laptop as a contemporary 'folk instrument' due to its prevalence, making its sounds the 'folk sounds of today' and a natural accompaniment for a song cycle.
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