John Luther Adams: Arctic Dreams Synergy Vocals

• John Luther Adams (b. 1953):
• 1Adams: Arctic Dreams: No. 1, The Place Where You Go to Listen06:26
• 2Adams: Arctic Dreams: No. 2, Pointed Mountains Scattered All Around07:13
• 3Adams: Arctic Dreams: No. 3, The Circle of Suns and Moons07:48
• 4Adams: Arctic Dreams: No. 4, The Circle of Winds07:12
• 5Adams: Arctic Dreams: No. 5, River with No Willows06:26
• 6Adams: Arctic Dreams: No. 6, One That Stays All Winter06:56
• 7Adams: Arctic Dreams: No. 7, Where the Waves Splash, Hitting Again and Again01:53
• Total Runtime43:54

Info for John Luther Adams: Arctic Dreams

"Arctic Dreams" (2020) is both warmly seductive and intense—a work whose seven sections bloom with passion as they map a musical journey through landscapes real and imagined. George Grella wrote in the New York Classical Review, “Adams’s manner is that of Thoreau—to be in a place, incorporate it into his memory and values, and recreate that through music. It misses the point to say he is inspired by nature—Adams is changed by nature and his music is a catalogue of the places that changed him.” Alex Ross, music critic for The New Yorker, has called Adams “one of the most original musical thinkers of the new century.”

Adams comments on "Arctic Dreams":

"Arctic Dreams was the first music I composed in my 'aeolian' sound world, which grew out of my experiences listening to wind harps on the tundra. It is scored for four string players, four singers, and three layers of digital delay.

"The harmonies of this music arise from the first seven odd-numbered harmonics above the low D of the double bass. Extensive retuning of the strings is employed, with only the C string of the cello at its usual pitch. As in several of my later string quartets, all the string sounds are produced by natural harmonics, or open strings.

"The sung text is a series of 'Arctic Litanies,' composed of the names of Arctic places, plants, birds, weather, and seasons, in the languages of the Iñupiat and Gwich’in peoples of Alaska.

"The digital delays create a virtual choir and string orchestra in 32-part canonic textures, with delay times ranging from 1.125 to 32 seconds."

"Arctic Dreams is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Barry Lopez, and is titled after one of his greatest books."

Synergy Vocals:
Micaela Haslam, soprano
Amanda Morrison, soprano
Heather Cairncross, alto
Simon Grant, bass

Robin Lorentz, violin
Ron Lawrence, viola
Michael Finckel, cello
Robert Black, double bass

Synergy Vocals
specialise in close-microphone singing, providing bespoke teams of vocalists for concerts, recordings and soundtracks, and has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence. The group has performed Berio’s Sinfonia all over the world, and is well-known for its close association with Steve Reich and its unparalleled performances of his music.

Neither a choir nor an ad hoc group of soloists, Synergy Vocals’ mission is to put teams of excellent singers together whose combined sound matches the one that a composer, conductor or band has in mind for a particular piece or album.

We know that every singer sounds different from another, so each team of voices is carefully selected to create the perfect blend. If vocals were coffee, then Synergy Vocals would be the top barista in the best coffee shop!

Booklet for John Luther Adams: Arctic Dreams