Reflections

by Paul Smith

Overview

The image for this release gives you little indication of what's going on, but you can plunge in and sample most of the tracks for an idea. The materials draw on medieval music, the Baroque, folk song, and more, but all of the pieces feature some kind of monophonic melody, accompanied by drones or choruses of various kinds. Paul Smith, a composer and the director of the ensemble Voces8, created and arranged all the music on the album. The publicity connected with the release mentions Smith's world travels and his recordings of singing by 2,500 performers (apparently including a 700-voice Belgian choir) and audience members along the way. You can hear the influences from Japan, Africa, and elsewhere (sample the traditional Edo Lullaby), but the 2,500 singers actually play only a small role in the sound. Most of what you hear is from the three vocal groups involved -- Voces8, the VCM Foundation Choir, and Apollo5 -- and the larger group of singers seems to be heard mostly in small background samples. The music is a mixture of electronic and acoustic elements, and of precomposed sounds and notation. Tempi and texture are relatively unchanging, but within this context there are fresh sounds, and Smith gets credit for making something new out of the basic pop musical mysticism genre. Recommended for those who like the vibe. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	08/09/2019
Label:	Vcm / Voces8 Records
UPC:	5060140210238

Tracks

1. Chant
2. Reflections
3. Waves and the Boy
4. Beata viscera II
5. Dido is Broken
6. Queen of Nevers
7. Edo Lullaby
8. The Lake Isle of Innesfree
9. O Gwen
10. Nunc Dimittis
11. Let Your Mind Be Still
12. In Paradisum/Iayyo

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Paul Smith   Primary Artist,Piano,Electronics,Electronics,Piano
Voces8   Primary Artist,Vocal Ensemble
VCM Foundation Choir   Primary Artist
Neil Valentine   Primary Artist,Viola
Eleonore Cockerham   Primary Artist,Soprano (Vocal)
Andrea Haines   Primary Artist,Soprano (Vocal)
Clare Stewart   Primary Artist,Vocals
Sam Dressel   Primary Artist,Baritone (Vocal)
Apollo5   Primary Artist,Vocal Ensemble
Massed Choirs   Choir/Chorus
Kinderchoere der Chorakademie Dortmund   Choir/Chorus
Staffordshire Community Choir   Choir/Chorus
Three Rivers Community Choir   Choir/Chorus
University of Winchester Music Centre Chorus   Choir/Chorus
Voces8 Scholars   Choir/Chorus
Voix Du Fleuve   Choir/Chorus
Waelrant Youth Choir   Choir/Chorus
Scherzo Choir   Choir/Chorus
St. John's International School Primary Choir   Choir/Chorus
Camerata of Veritas Academy   Choir/Chorus
Cantus of Veritas Academy   Choir/Chorus
Canto Bello   Choir/Chorus
Domino Cantes Polish Choir of Brussels   Choir/Chorus
Kalamazoo Male Chorus   Choir/Chorus
Mas Rockt Schulchor   Choir/Chorus
Middle School Choir of the Lancaster Academy For the Performing Arts   Choir/Chorus
Singing Brussels 2019 Massed Choir   Choir/Chorus

Technical Credits

Dave Rowell   Engineer
Barnaby Smith   Engineer,Producer
Michal Karcz   Design,Artwork
Paul Smith   Arranger,Composer,Executive Producer,Producer,Composer,Arranger
Apollo5   Arranger
Clare Stewart   Producer
James Waterhouse   Engineer
Neil Valentine   Composer,Producer
Bill Hare   Producer
Perotin   Composer
Thomas Tallis   Original Material
Henry Purcell   Original Material
Traditional   Composer