Hearth & Harmony gathers twelve cherished Christmas melodies, reimagined with the warmth of classical guitar and the rich textures of a string quartet. Each piece focuses on gentle phrasing, soft ensemble interplay, and a fireside calm that invites deep breath and stillness. The album moves through quiet carols, joyful hymns, and peaceful night pieces, all arranged to feel intimate and reflective. The music highlights pure melodic beauty and the closeness of a small chamber group gathered beside the glow of a hearth. It is a seasonal collection shaped for restful evenings, study, or quiet holiday moments.

The Child in the Evening Light

Gathered Hearts Rejoicing

The Stillness Over All

Voices Rising in the Hills

Cradle Beneath the Sky

Night of Gentle Peace

Heralds of a Bright Morning

Rejoicing Through the Land

Fugue in D for String Quartet, no. 81

Confessions Of A Pangolin

Contemporary classical composer
Check out www.nicholasvines.com for more information; CD available from http://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv5915/

Nicholas Vines’s compositional approach is firmly rooted in the technical resources of the Western classical canon, from plainsong and sixteenth-century counterpoint to recent advances in instrumental technique and electroacoustic technology. At the same time, every opportunity is taken to embrace sounds and ideas from an array of popular, experimental, Australian and non-Western traditions. This combination of rigour and pluralism – stemming from the composer's own heritage, his wide-ranging interests and the communities in which he lives and works - gives rise to music at once vectored and kaleidoscopic. Nostalgia, satire and farce often result from the inherent friction.

At their best, Nicholas Vines’ compositions evoke a sense of naïve idealism at loggerheads - for better or worse - with the realities of the world. Sometimes the music loses itself in innocent physicality or elaborate fantasy, doggedly avoiding the tendrils of cold, hard fact. Often, however, it can’t escape, leading to various states of self-denial, self-mockery, decay and decadence. This on occasion can make the listening experience uncomfortable, even frustrating. Nevertheless, it is hoped through such intellectual and psychological challenge, the music's essential moral and visceral beauty becomes all the more poignant.

Volant Records is a story-driven label and shared universe: cinematic concept albums, stutter-house, western sagas, haunted pop, and hymn-like instrumentals. Home to Jupiter Morrow, Avaline Ingels, Shadow Face, Buck Ramble, Choralith and more. All Worlds Reserved®.

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