Eric Whitacre: Water Night

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In The River Cam...Vaughan Williams and Elgar are acknowledged points of reference, and the mellowly lyrical lines spun for solo cello are feelingly played here by Julian Lloyd Webber, for whose... — BBC Music Magazine, July 2012, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 16th Apr 2012
Catalogue No: 2796323
Label: Decca
Length: 75 minutes

Whitacre: Alleluia

Work length9:24

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Tim Scott Whiteley (bass (vocal)), Chris Tortise (tenor), Katherine Nicholson (alto), Kim Porter (alto), Caroline Trevor (alto), Ben Alden (tenor), Sam Boden (tenor), Ben Breakwell (tenor), Benedict Hymas (tenor), George Pooley (tenor), Simon Wall (tenor), Greg Skidmore (bass (vocal)), Martha Mclorinan (alto), Chris Watson (tenor), Matthew Davies (bass (vocal)), Will Dawes (bass (vocal)), Gareth Dayus-Jones (bass (vocal)), Jack Halsey (bass (vocal)), Alexander Learmonth (bass (vocal)), Robert Macdonald (bass (vocal)), Timothy Murphy (bass (vocal)), Ruth Massey (alto), Lucy Goddard (alto), Eleanor Harries (alto), Grace Davidson (soprano), Laura Oldfield (soprano), Elizabeth Drury (soprano), Alice Gribbin (soprano), Amy Haworth (soprano), Kirsty Hopkins (soprano), Emilia Hughes (soprano), Sophie Jones (soprano), Kate Semmens (soprano), Amy Wood (soprano), Ruth Gibbins (alto), Stuart Young (bass (vocal))
Eric Whitacre Singers
Eric Whitacre
Recorded: 2011-10-13
Recording Venue: St Albans The Martyr Church, Holborn, London

Whitacre: Equus

Work length9:02

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London Symphony Orchestra
Eric Whitacre
Recorded: 2012-01-18
Recording Venue: Henry Wood Hall, London

Whitacre: Oculi Omnium

Work length3:17

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Chris Watson (tenor), Kim Porter (alto), Caroline Trevor (alto), Ben Alden (tenor), Sam Boden (tenor), Benedict Hymas (tenor), George Pooley (tenor), Simon Wall (tenor), Matthew Davies (bass (vocal)), Ruth Massey (alto), Will Dawes (bass (vocal)), Gareth Dayus-Jones (bass (vocal)), Alexander Learmonth (bass (vocal)), Robert Macdonald (bass (vocal)), Greg Skidmore (bass (vocal)), Tim Scott Whiteley (bass (vocal)), Stuart Young (bass (vocal)), Katherine Nicholson (alto), Ruth Gibbins (alto), Martha Mclorinan (alto), Grace Davidson (soprano), Elizabeth Drury (soprano), Alice Gribbin (soprano), Kirsty Hopkins (soprano), Emilia Hughes (soprano), Laura Oldfield (soprano), Kate Semmens (soprano), Amy Wood (soprano)
Eric Whitacre Singers
Eric Whitacre
Recorded: 2011-10-13
Recording Venue: St Albans The Martyr Church, Holborn, London

Whitacre: The River Cam

Work length11:54

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Julian Lloyd Webber (cello)
London Symphony Orchestra
Eric Whitacre
Recorded: 2012-01-18
Recording Venue: Henry Wood Hall, London

Whitacre: Her sacred spirit soars

Work length6:58

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Stuart Young (bass (vocal)), Simon Wall (tenor), Katherine Nicholson (alto), Kim Porter (alto), Caroline Trevor (alto), Ben Alden (tenor), Sam Boden (tenor), Ben Breakwell (tenor), Benedict Hymas (tenor), George Pooley (tenor), Chris Tortise (tenor), Chris Watson (tenor), Tim Scott Whiteley (bass (vocal)), Martha Mclorinan (alto), Matthew Davies (bass (vocal)), Will Dawes (bass (vocal)), Gareth Dayus-Jones (bass (vocal)), Jack Halsey (bass (vocal)), Alexander Learmonth (bass (vocal)), Robert Macdonald (bass (vocal)), Timothy Murphy (bass (vocal)), Greg Skidmore (bass (vocal)), Ruth Massey (alto), Eleanor Harries (alto), Grace Davidson (soprano), Lucy Goddard (alto), Laura Oldfield (soprano), Elizabeth Drury (soprano), Alice Gribbin (soprano), Amy Haworth (soprano), Kirsty Hopkins (soprano), Emilia Hughes (soprano), Sophie Jones (soprano), Kate Semmens (soprano), Amy Wood (soprano), Ruth Gibbins (alto)
Eric Whitacre Singers
Eric Whitacre
Recorded: 2011-10-13
Recording Venue: St Albans The Martyr Church, Holborn, London

Whitacre: Water Night

Work length6:06

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London Symphony Orchestra
Eric Whitacre
Recorded: 2012-01-18
Recording Venue: Henry Wood Hall, London

Whitacre: Goodnight Moon

Work length5:09

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Hila Plitmann (soprano)
London Symphony Orchestra
Eric Whitacre
Recorded: 2012-01-18
Recording Venue: Henry Wood Hall, London

Whitacre: When David Heard

Work length17:38

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Chris Watson (tenor), Kim Porter (alto), Caroline Trevor (alto), Ben Alden (tenor), Sam Boden (tenor), Ben Breakwell (tenor), Benedict Hymas (tenor), George Pooley (tenor), Chris Tortise (tenor), Simon Wall (tenor), Matthew Davies (bass (vocal)), Stuart Young (bass (vocal)), Ruth Massey (alto), Will Dawes (bass (vocal)), Gareth Dayus-Jones (bass (vocal)), Jack Halsey (bass (vocal)), Alexander Learmonth (bass (vocal)), Robert Macdonald (bass (vocal)), Timothy Murphy (bass (vocal)), Greg Skidmore (bass (vocal)), Tim Scott Whiteley (bass (vocal)), Katherine Nicholson (alto), Eleanor Harries (alto), Martha Mclorinan (alto), Grace Davidson (soprano), Laura Oldfield (soprano), Elizabeth Drury (soprano), Alice Gribbin (soprano), Amy Haworth (soprano), Kirsty Hopkins (soprano), Emilia Hughes (soprano), Sophie Jones (soprano), Kate Semmens (soprano), Amy Wood (soprano), Ruth Gibbins (alto), Lucy Goddard (alto)
Eric Whitacre Singers
Eric Whitacre
Recorded: 2011-10-13
Recording Venue: St Albans The Martyr Church, Holborn, London

Whitacre: Sleep My Child

Work length6:22

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Simon Wall (tenor), Katherine Nicholson (alto), Kim Porter (alto), Caroline Trevor (alto), Ben Alden (tenor), Sam Boden (tenor), Benedict Hymas (tenor), George Pooley (tenor), Chris Watson (tenor), Martha Mclorinan (alto), Matthew Davies (bass (vocal)), Will Dawes (bass (vocal)), Gareth Dayus-Jones (bass (vocal)), Alexander Learmonth (bass (vocal)), Robert Macdonald (bass (vocal)), Greg Skidmore (bass (vocal)), Tim Scott Whiteley (bass (vocal)), Stuart Young (bass (vocal)), Ruth Massey (alto), Amy Wood (soprano), Ruth Gibbins (alto), Grace Davidson (soprano), Laura Oldfield (soprano), Elizabeth Drury (soprano), Alice Gribbin (soprano), Kirsty Hopkins (soprano), Emilia Hughes (soprano), Kate Semmens (soprano)
Eric Whitacre Singers
Eric Whitacre
Recorded: 2011-10-13
Recording Venue: St Albans The Martyr Church, Holborn, London

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About

Eric Whitacre follows the Grammy-winning success of his debut Decca album, Light and Gold (2743209), with Water Night, a brand new album that features no less than seven World Premiere Recordings. Light and Gold was awarded ‘Best Choral Performance’ in February 2012 at the 54th Grammy Awards for Whitacre’s first recording as both composer and conductor. This second disc for Decca juxtaposes music written as a young composer alongside brand new repertoire, both choral and orchestral, displaying the different influences and styles of Whitacre.

The Eric Whitacre Singers positively shimmer on these world premiere recordings of “Alleluia” and “Oculi Omnium”, two of the brand new works alongside one of the greats of his oeuvre, “Her Sacred Spirit Soars”. “Equus” is played by the full forces of the London Symphony Orchestra.

By way of contrast, “The River Cam” is a beautiful, pastoral piece that demonstrates Nevada-born Whitacre’s absorption of the works of Elgar and Vaughan Williams during his time in the UK as a visiting Fellow at Cambridge University. It was written at the invitation of the distinguished cellist, Julian Lloyd Webber, to mark his 60th birthday in 2011, who also gives the performance here.

An unexpected gem of the album is a setting of Goodnight Moon, the multi-million selling American children’s book by Margaret Wise Brown (Harper Collins). Written for soprano and strings, this tender piece is performed by Hila Plitmann, a Grammy-winning artist with great commitment to contemporary music.

The title track, “Water Night”, is one of Eric Whitacre’s most performed works, heard on this album performed by the strings of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Reviews

July 2012

In The River Cam...Vaughan Williams and Elgar are acknowledged points of reference, and the mellowly lyrical lines spun for solo cello are feelingly played here by Julian Lloyd Webber, for whose 60th birthday the piece was written...[When David heard] remains one of Whitacre's most intensely expressive pieces. It's raptly performed here, with the composer conducting, and is the high point of this particular programme.

May 2012

At times on this second release for Decca, Whitacre 'does Whitacre' very well indeed. The positives are to be found in works which build upon the firm foundations laid down in his trademark choral style...[Oculi Omnium's] consonant-sounding clusters create wonderfully rippling effects. Such stacked harmonies are heard on earlier works on this disc, such as the ambitious 17-minute When David heard.

13th April 2012

It's packed with premiere performances, including new choral works "Oculi Omnium" and "Alleluia", the latter a single-word showcase for the Eric Whitacre Singers, the later stages of which achieve a glistening, white-light clarity.

27th April 2012

Whitacre’s young singers can really sing, and Grace Davidson’s soprano solos are a joy. When David Heard, the longest piece, attains some thoughtful majesty...Taken in small doses, there is something endearing, and very American, about the music’s naivety and sunshine smile.

METRO 11th June 2012

At its best - and there's plenty on Water Night - his music builds beautiful cathedrals of sound...to hear the Eric Whitacre Singers recorded with such bloom and depth is a real treat.

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Eric Whitacre: Water Night

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