Elizabeth Bay

Blue/ Michael Galasso

A story of the COVID pandemic, for choir and string orchestra. This track covers the beginning of the Pandemic in Wuhan.

2. A Local Emergency

Album inspired by Vivaldi, as if he was accompanied by Mozart, Beethoven and Bach.

When Seasons Collide – A Concerto of Masters Part VII

from the upcoming "Some Kind of Champion" Sara Lov's (singer of Devics) 3rd album produced by Zac Rae and featuring collaborations with Dustin O'Halloran, Scott Leahy, Jonathan Price, Zac Rae and Hauschka.  Released October 30.

The Sharpest Knife (featuring Hauschka)

Original remix to Patrick Watson's new single.

Patrick Watson - Love Songs for Robots (remix)

Poppy Ackroyd turned heads in the neo-classical world with her previous works Escapement and Feathers, as well as her involvement in Hidden Orchestra (Tru Thoughts). Advocated by giants of the genre, Hauschka and Nils Frahm, the unique musician has returned, freshly signed to Bjork’s label One Little Indian Records, with a mini-album, Sketches, to be released on 4th August 2017.

Sketches

Time

Cover #24 from the series "Songs I Love" by Piers Faccini

The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s musical arrangement of the poem ”My Heart's in the Highlands" by Scottish poet Robert Burns for countertenor, organ and bagpipes is without doubt, one of the most haunting songs I’ve ever heard. I was utterly spellbound the first time I heard the version recorded by the organist Stephen Layton and countertenor David James in 2003. Even without the music, the poem with its vivid picture of the Scottish highlands is majestic enough but with Pärt’s masterful composition, it becomes the song of a universal longing to return home and seems to speak to all of us, whether we come from the mountain, the desert or the sea. I’ve recently been collaborating with guitarist and oud player Gregory Dargent and chatting one day about what we could play together, we realised we were both unconditional Arvo Pärt fans. Being mostly for choir or orchestra, there’s not much of Pärt’s music that could work with just a voice and guitar but ”My Heart's in the Highlands" seemed a perfect piece to try and paint as if it were a timeless, traditional folk song. 

Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North,
The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth;
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,
The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;
Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,
My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.
2: 
Farewell to the mountains, high-cover'd with snow,
Farewell to the straths and green valleys below;
Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods,
Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.
__________
'Songs I Love vol.1' still available on:
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/songsilove1
Spotify: http://spoti.fi/1jbGOfl
Deezer: http://www.deezer.com/album/8050372
Google Play: http://bit.ly/songsiloveplay
__________
Piers Faccini : https://www.facebook.com/PiersFacciniMusic
Beating Drum : http://www.beatingdrumrecords.com

SONGS I LOVE #24

Piers Faccini - My Heart Is In The Highlands ft. Gregory Dargent (Songs I Love #24)

Radiohead - The Reckoner (Official String Quartet Remix)

<b>SARAH NEUFELD</b>, "Hero Brother"
from <i>Hero Brother</i>
Release date: 20 August 2013

http://sarahneufeldmusic.com/
http://cstrecords.com/cst095

Sarah Neufeld • "Hero Brother"

Lars Danielsson, Leszek Możdżer, Zohar Fresco - Asta

Iskra means 'a spark' to ignite. 

Iskra is a collaborative group of string players who enjoy making music together regardless of genre. The quartet has travelled extensively across Europe with Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson, performing at various prestigious concert halls and festivals, including the Steve Reich 75th Birthday celebrations for the Barbican, London and Cork Opera House, Ireland. A highlight includes performances of 'The Miners' Hymns' collaboration with American artist film maker Bill Morrison.

Iskra has also enjoyed working closely with pianist/composer Olafur Arnalds. A concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and European tour led to an invitation to perform at the sold out launch of the album “For Now I Am Winter’ (Mercury Classics 2013) at the Barbican Concert Hall accompanied by the Britten Sinfonia conducted by Andre de Ridder.

The quartet’s work with producer Jamie xx featured on the No. 1 best selling album by The xx entitled ‘Coexist’ (Young Turks/XL 2012). Recently Iskra contributed strings to Jamie's score for Tree Of Codes, a contemporary ballet created with choreographer Wayne McGregor and visual artist Olafur Eliasson for the Manchester International Festival.

Iskra’s collaborations with composer Alex Baranowski have featured on the soundtracks to the twice BAFTA nominated film McCullin (David Morris and Jacqui Morris, 2013) and for Sir Nicholas Hytner’s production of Hamlet at the National Theatre, London starring Rory Kinnear.

In 2007 Iskra were commissioned by Radiohead and XL Recordings to create a string quartet remix of their song ‘The Reckoner’ as part of the promotion of the album ‘In Rainbows’ (XL 2007).

Other highlights include collaborations with artists such as Vampire Weekend, Sufjan Stevens, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Katie Melua, Duke Special, My Brightest Diamond and composers Dustin O'Halloran and David Julyan. Recently Iskra performed as a trio alongside The Lone Bellow on Later...with Jools Holland (BBC Two).

Their forthcoming album celebrates their 10th anniversary and includes contributions from composers Johann Johannsson, Olafur Arnalds, David Julyan, Peter Gregson, Alex Baranowski, Isobel Waller-Bridge, Luke Anthony and Paul Frith.

Radiohead - The Reckoner (Official String Quartet Remix)

Iskra String Quartet