Gavin Bryars: A Native Hill (2021)

The style of composer Gavin Bryars turned from minimalist influences (and those of John Cage) early in his career to a broadly accessible although hardly trite tonality later on. This was in part a response to the musicians he worked with: he has composed a number of pieces expressly for specific virtuoso choirs, both in the U.K. and here for The Crossing in the U.S. The collaboration extends to work with individual singers in the choir, which has a distinctly American sound heartily recommended to anyone who has not yet ... Read More

The style of composer Gavin Bryars turned from minimalist influences (and those of John Cage) early in his career to a broadly accessible although hardly trite tonality later on. This was in part a response to the musicians he worked with: he has composed a number of pieces expressly for specific virtuoso choirs, both in the U.K. and here for The Crossing in the U.S. The collaboration extends to work with individual singers in the choir, which has a distinctly American sound heartily recommended to anyone who has not yet encountered it. Bryars sets texts from an essay by writer Wendell Berry describing aspects of the natural environment that suggest a philosophical idea. He ranges from limpid consonance to dense dissonances, perhaps evoking a journey deeper into a more complex wilderness. There are original touches, including whistling from the choristers. The pairing of Bryars and The Crossing earned a Grammy award for the album The Fifth Century, recorded for ECM; the sound here, from the Navona... Read Less