SKU: PE.EP68578
ISBN 9790300759630. English.
Of Time and Passing (2016) is a cycle of three choral songs written specifically for the London-based ensemble, VOCES8, taking into consideration their versatilityand ability to beautifully intone a range of vocal colors with precision and grace.
The first song, I. Life, sets my translation of the poem A Vida by Brazilian poet Olavo Bilac (1865-1918), a poet I discovered while studying Brazilian Portuguese at the University of Michigan. I was drawn both to the simplicity of the text and to the possibilities of teasing out dual contrasting moods. In the beginning and end, this song explores a texture that is very much alive: wave-like contours, throbbing sounds, and plenty of flowing movement. Rising eighth-note motives in particular emphasize the fleetingness of life. But in the middle of the song, the listener is given a slowed-down atmosphere to savor life's beauty.
II. To Everything a Season capitalizes on VOCES8's ability to effectively interpret popular genres a cappella. This ancient text is taken from Ecclesiastes (dated around 300 B.C.) but I set it to a modern, rhythmically-regular and percussive pop-style idiom. Since popular music in whatever era is designedto appeal to a specific ?present time?, it is by its very nature ephemeral, and therefore seemed an apt metaphor to evoke the transitory nature of seasons.
III. Into Your Hands, confines the writing into no more than four parts, often with octave unisons.This creates a more direct and word-focused setting in which the Psalmist?s urgent words are placed at the forefront. Largely homophonic, this song is at times chorale-like, at times madrigal-like,finall y relinquishing it?s tension into peaceful rest, proclaiming ?You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God??
- Daniel Knaggs
SKU: PE.EP73540
ISBN 9790577021799. 190 x 272 mm inches. English.
A 4-minute gently flowing arrangement by Joshua Pacey of the traditional Irish/Scottish song. Written for unaccompanied SSAATTBB with soprano and tenor solo. Score includes rehearsal piano reduction.
First recorded on VOCES8's 2019 album Enchanted Isle.
SKU: PE.EP71816A
ISBN 9790577020402. 420 x 297mm inches. English. Rumi Rumi; translation by Andrew Harvey.
Love Abide encapsulates the very contemporary ethos of multicultural spiritual devotion in a world populated by a rich diversity of faiths--all feeling, as deeply and as aesthetically, the compelling potency of music with love. A rich offering on a theme of interfaith connectivity. The Japanese lullaby-inspired Zen Love Song and the title work Love Abide are totally absorbing.BBC Music Magazine, 5 starsWith its outspoken positive approach, Love Abide is like a musical bouquet of healing herbs. Roxana Panufnuik's beautifully crafted music is inventive and truly enjoyable. The Colla Voce Singers produce singing of exceptional quality, with impressive control and a very good balance. Remy Franck, www.pizzicato.lu, 5 starsIf I had to choose a 'glass-half-full' contemporary composer, then Roxanna Panufnik would be near the top of my list. Her Music exudes openness and inclusivity, and it is in the choral settings where hope and positivity - two words that lie at the heart of her work - are most keenly felt. ... much of her recent work can be seen to be built on the solid foundations laid down on this impressively varied and diverse collection. A music of hope in dark and troubled times. Pwyll ap Sion, Gramophone Magazine. This product is Printed on Demand and may take several weeks to fulfill. Please order from your favorite retailer.
SKU: PE.EP73703
ISBN 9790577023649.
Coronation Sanctus by Roxanna Panufnik was commissioned by His Majesty King Charles III for The Coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023. It is a 2-minute piece for double choir and organ described by Roxanna Panufnik as festive and glittering. The music quickly builds and finishes ecstatically, with organ fanfares and flamboyantly colorful harmonies.
