Vita Nova
Christopher Brannick, Alexander Balanescu, Gavin Bryars Large Chamber Ensemble, The Hilliard Ensemble, David James, Rebecca Firth, Annemarie Dreyer
Although the galaxy of English composer Gavin Bryars encompasses other labels, there’s something special about the constellations specific to ECM’s New Series. Incipit Vita Nova remains the most lucid survey of his sound, especially in the title composition for male alto and string trio. Sung by the inimitable David James, it communicates with the power of mythic poetry. Glorious Hill (1988) is performed by its dedicatees, the Hilliard Ensemble, and foreshadows the coherence of the instrumental pieces that round out the program, including the fantastic Sub Rosa, which reimagines Bill Frisell’s “Throughout” as an anthem for worlds beyond our own.
