"Ave Maria," a gem of sacred music is one of the most frequently composed and recorded works of sacred music in the Catholic songbook. Even though there is no shortage of versions, set to a wide range of styles, most people are only really familiar with Schubert's popular arrangement. Of course, Schubert's solid hold on the prime spot is well deserved, as his music was designed to draw reverent emotions from listeners, but there are many other worthy treatments of this prayer to the Blessed Mother that are worth exploring. Today, we bring to you "Ave Maria" by Franz Biebl, a 20th-century composer. Written in the 1960s, the piece did not gain much steam until 1989, when it was first performed in the United States. The piece combines the Latin text of the Angelus prayer with that of Ave Maria serving as the refrain. The Angelus is sung in plainchant, resting on one droning note while the singers recite the prayer, but the Ave Maria sections become steeped in polyphonic lines that ascend beautifully throughout. While the style is that of a motet, a musical form that can be traced back to some of the earliest forms of Christian music, the long-held colorful chords produced by the choir are very reminiscent of the Romantic period. Although the Romantic period in music ended around the time Biebl was born, it is obvious that he drew inspiration from this era. Voces8 does another fine job with this choral work, as is to be expected from one of the premiere sacred choirs in the world. As always they produce a sound so great that it seems impossible that there are not more people singing with them. If you're looking for more from Voces8, we suggest "A Boy and a Girl" by Eric Whitacre, one of the most talented living composers. WATCH/LISTEN TO THE VIDEO via Aleteia 

VOCES8 - Enchanted Isle is an album of music reminiscent of rolling hills, green valleys, rugged mountainsides, and sleepy villages. It features reimagined pieces originally written for film or television (such as Lord of the Ringsand Game of Thrones), new arrangements of Scottish and Irish melodies, and compositions set to texts by great English poets. The ensemble's fourth album looks inward to the music of Britain in "Enchanted Isle." Barnaby Smith, a countertenor in the group, spoke with 89.7WCPE: Wake Forest NC classical music host - Rob Kennedy about this new project. Listen to the attached clip. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Voces8 is the a cappella octet from the United Kingdom that has been wowing audiences since 2005.  The music on Enchanted Isle is reminiscent of rolling hills, green valleys, rugged mountainsides, and sleepy villages, a landscape on which the composers, arrangers and artists on this CD cast a contemporary eye.  The program features reimagined pieces originally written for film or television (like Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Harry's Game), new arrangements of Scottish and Irish melodies, and compositions set to texts by great English poets.  Samuel Barber's Agnus Dei, the choral version of his Adagio for Strings, seems natural in this setting, as does John Tavener's Song for Athene.  Choral sonorities-enhanced at times with flute and cello-recall watercolor vistas or carefully chiseled sculpture, conveying a sense of both longing and of profound belonging. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} For the week of June 10, 2019, VOCES8 'Enchanted Isle' is the WCLV: Cleveland 'Recording of the Week.' SEE THE PAGE

VOCES8 - Enchanted Isle is an album of music reminiscent of rolling hills, green valleys, rugged mountainsides, and sleepy villages. It features reimagined pieces originally written for film or television (such as Lord of the Ringsand Game of Thrones), new arrangements of Scottish and Irish melodies, and compositions set to texts by great English poets. The ensemble's fourth album looks inward to the music of Britain in "Enchanted Isle." Barnaby Smith, a countertenor in the group, spoke with Spokane Public Radio's Jim Tenenan about this new project. Listen to the attached clip.

New Classical Tracks with Julie Amacher is a Syndicated Feature airing nationally on Classical 24 and Statewide via Minnesota Public Radio. For Apr 3, 2019, the segment focuses on the new album by Voces8. Barnaby Smith is the artistic director, conductor, and a countertenor for the British vocal ensemble Voces8. On their latest recording, Enchanted Isle, we're introduced to two new members, baritone Christopher Moore, and a new mezzo-soprano contralto, Katie Jeffries-Harris. "I actually think that change is a really great thing in a group like ours because one of the difficulties of it is that it's the same eight singers all the time, which has so many benefits, but also it can get a little bit insular, and actually having a little bit of fresh blood every now and again can really liven things up." p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} span.Apple-tab-span {white-space:pre}

The British vocal ensemble VOCES8 releases Enchanted Isle, a new album of music reminiscent of rolling hills, green valleys, rugged mountainsides, and sleepy villages. Enchanted Isle features reimagined pieces originally written for film or television (such as Lord of the Ringsand Game of Thrones), new arrangements of Scottish and Irish melodies, and compositions set to texts by great English poets. The ensemble's fourth album looks inward to the music of Britain in "Enchanted Isle." Barnaby Smith, a countertenor in the group, spoke with Daniel Gilliam about this new project and how they've tried to capture the sound of their homeland. VOCES8 - Enchanted Isle is the 905WUOL: Louisville KY 'Featured Album'  LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH Barnaby Smith

The human voice is front and center this week on KDFC: San Francisco as we feature the latest from Voces8 as our Album of the Week. The U.K.'s star a cappella octet has a new album entitled Enchanted Isle. It contains re-imagined pieces originally written for film or television (such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones), new arrangements of Scottish and Irish melodies, and compositions set to texts by great English poets.       Photo by Andy Staples   p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

The human voice is front and center this week on KUSC: Los Angeles as we feature the latest from Voces8 as our Album of the Week. The U.K.'s star a cappella octet has a new album entitled Enchanted Isle. It contains re-imagined pieces originally written for film or television (such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones), new arrangements of Scottish and Irish melodies, and compositions set to texts by great English poets.              p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

The British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. Touring globally, the group performs an extensive repertory both in its a cappella concerts and in collaborations with leading orchestras, conductors and soloists. Versatility and a celebration of diverse musical expression are central to the ensemble's performance and education ethos. Thier latest Decca Records release; Enchanted Isle is an album reminiscent of rolling hills, green valleys, rugged mountainsides, and sleepy villages. Enchanted Isle features reimagined pieces originally written for film or television (such as Lord of the Ringsand Game of Thrones), new arrangements of Scottish and Irish melodies, and compositions set to texts by great English poets. In conjunction with the album release; VOCES8 conductor, Barnaby Smith has agreed to discuss with classical networks and stations throughout the US. Watch for our tweets!

Celebrated vocal group VOCES8 take listeners on a glorious journey through the musical landscape of Britain with their brand new album ‘Enchanted Isle', released on Decca Classics. The recording features a broad range of music from John Tavener and Thomas Adès to Radiohead and Enya, interspersed with folk tunes, world premiere recordings and music from hit TV shows Game of Thrones and Harry's Game. VOCES8 - Enchanted Isle is the CLASSIC107 'February Classical Recording Of The Month' and will be featured throughout the month.   READ THE FULL CLASSIC107 ARTICLE

For 27 January 2019, three new entries make it on to The Classic FM Chart this week. Voces8's new album Enchanted Isle goes straight in at No. 5, closely followed by Dragon by Two Steps From Hell at No. 8. The new film Mary Queen of Scots soundtrack by Max Richter also jumps in at No. 13, overtaking other film and TV soundtracks Game of Thrones, Gladiator and The Lord of the Rings. It's another week at No. 1 for Andrea Bocelli's Sì, No. 2 for Romantic Moments II by Andre Rieu, No. 3 for Katherine Jenkins' Guiding Light and No. 5 for Aled Jones & Russell Watson's In Harmony. SEE THE CLASSIC fM CHART p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Racin Coelho, a member of Quincy University's men's ensemble choir, said he was excited beyond words Saturday to get a chance to sing with members of the British a capella group Voces8. "I was just flabbergasted," the senior student said. Voces8 was in Quincy to perform a Quincy Civic Music Association concert Saturday night at Salem Evangelical United Church of Christ. While in town, the eight-member international touring group agreed to provide an hour-long "singers' workshop" Saturday afternoon at the Connie Niemann Center for Music on QU's North Campus. The free workshop attracted about 50 people.  Photo/Phil Carlson READ THE FULL Herald-Whig ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px}

New Classical Tracks is a syndicated feature heard nationally on C24 and statewide on Minnesota PR. LISTEN TO THE SEGMENT READ THE TRANSCRIPT - "We've been having a great time touring all around. We've got a wonderful new soprano as well, Eleanor, and perhaps most excitingly of all, we have a very brand-new composer-in-residence, called Jonathan Dove." That's what the British vocal ensemble Voces8 has been up to, according to Barnaby Smith, one of the group's founding members. At the heart of their latest recording, Equinox, is a song cycle written by Dove. "We wanted to record Jonathan's piece, which is called 'The Passing of the Year,' and we had the opportunity actually to do that at Abbey Road Studios, recording in the same room as the Beatles on John Lennon's piano. So that was very, very exciting. And this particular piece, tracks the passing of the year, as the title suggests, with a series of seven poems. "Probably the most virtuosic of the seven poems is 'Answer July,' where the piano part really is incredibly difficult. During the recording, Jonathan was saying, 'I thought I could play this when I wrote it,' and I think it gave him difficulties. And actually the choral parts, as well, are incredibly fast, very, very intricate and really beautifully written. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; min-height: 13.0px} "The favorite of my tracks from this particular series is 'Ah, Sun-Flower!' And the reason I particularly like it is because of the way the guys sing the solo line at the beginning of the song. And actually much like the second track from the set, it's sort of the music opens up so it starts with just a single vocal line sung by our tenors and basses in unison. But then as the piece progresses, it works its way into an eight-part canon, again sort of beautifully showing how the sunflower's face opens and is so radiant."

Spend New Year's Eve "Under the Stars" with Voces8 on this week's WCRB: In Concert with the Celebrity Series of Boston! In Concert captures the wealth of incredible music being performed in and around the Boston area. The series takes advantage of Boston's rich performing arts scene, from the Handel and Haydn Society to A Far Cry, from the Gardner Museum to Rockport Music, and beyond. See a full list of broadcast partners here. In Concert is the place for Boston-area music lovers to find the best performances by the world's greatest performers, with commentary and interviews with the artists.   p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; min-height: 13.0px}

New Classical Tracks is a Syndicated Feature airing Nationally on Classical 24 & Statewide on Minnesota Public Radio. Listen to Julie Amacher's Feature with Barnaby Smith from Voces8. READ THE TRANSCRIPT  - "I always think it's interesting when you ask people what their favorite season is," says Barnaby Smith, one of the founding members of British vocal ensemble Voces8. "Some say, summer, fall, spring … but I think this disc makes the case for winter. It's everything that's beautiful about the season and we've tried to put that in aural form." Voces8's newest recording, simply titled Winter, embraces the solitude and the sparseness of the season. At the heart of the recording is a three-movement work called PlainScapes, and it represents the Latvian flatlands. Julie Amacher: Tell me how this became the centerpiece of the recording. Barnaby Smith: This piece is set for violin, cello and choir. A collection of three soundscapes. And in each, the choral part is the backing track to these incredible violin and cello variations. So we were invited to sing them at the Wigmore Hall in London. And they're fascinating for so many different reasons … the sense of scale they have. Also for the sense of the interesting musical techniques the piece uses. So when we were beginning to talk to our label about what might go on this album, they naturally sprang to mind of course, because they represent the sparsity of the season in a very beautiful way. I love the powerful crescendo near the end of the second movement. Then it goes into the avian wonderland. How are those bird sounds being created? Well, we had quite a lot of fun with that. The crescendo itself is incredibly difficult to do - it took a few takes. We did cheat a little bit in the end. We were slightly concerned that some of our more learned listeners, certainly when it comes to ornithology, might pick up on the fact that we weren't making the correct noises for the birds that you might find on the Latvian flatlands. So initially we created bird noises ourselves. But then after the event when we were putting the edit together, we thought that we ought to consider what birds actually appear on the flatlands, of which the Marsh Warbler is actually one … in the end, you get a combination of both, which is quite fun. The challenge is to see if you can which are human and which are avian. That same composer, Peterisk Vasks, has another piece on the recording, "The Fruit of Silence." The text is by Mother Theresa. It's very easy when we're singing that sort of repertoire … moves relatively slowly, so you don't necessarily get the sense as a singer that you're singing one melodic line because the melodic line might last 35 or 40 seconds to actually get very caught up in the technical production of your sound in order to create the perfect blend. About halfway through our first rehearsal, I sort of noticed Mother Theresa's name and I actually engaged with the text. And it's very beautiful indeed. Would you read a bit of that text, please? The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service. And the fruit of service is peace. My favorite piece is the title track, Winter, by Rebecca Dale. This is a piece you commissioned for this recording. I think I like this track because it has a certain hint of Harry Potter in it. But again, a lovely text. I always feel humbled as an artist when somebody writes a piece of music for you. You get to bring not only somebody else's wonderful idea sort of into a performance, which is a very privileged position to have, but it also allows you to offer the world something that they've never heard before, something unique and new. It was a very good commission and I'm pleased. Now the recording closes out with a British folk song, "The Snow It Melts the Soonest." Is this about the promise of spring? It is, absolutely. So it seemed like quite a good end, hinting at the next season. So it just again leaves the door ajar, shall we say. Not that we've even had any conversations about that with the label, but it was quite a nice way to finish, looking forward. Barnaby Smith and his ensemble Voces8, offering gorgeous harmonies and sonic textures to warm the long, dark days of Winter. Enter for a chance to win a copy of this recording - This week on New Classical Tracks, you can enter for a chance to win a copy of Winter by Voces8. Winners will be drawn at random. Be sure to enter by 9 a.m. CST on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017. p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px}

Listen to Julie Amacher's New Classical Tracks interview. New Classical Tracks is a Syndicated feature airing Nationally on PRI: Classical 24 & Statewide on Minnesota Public Radio. READ THE TRANSCRIPT - "We like to open doors," explains Paul Smith of the British vocal ensemble Voces 8. "This idea that we might find someone who loves Tallis but hasn't heard of Massive Attack, or loves Massive Attack and hasn't heard of Tallis - actually, if we can just open people's minds to the wide array of music that exists in the world. We're a group with eclectic tastes. We like to include those tastes but also really share them and encourage people to broaden their horizons." When Voces8 began to compile pieces for their latest recording, Lux, Paul's brother Barney says it made sense to consult with ClassicFM, the largest commercial classical radio station in the U.K. "For us as a group to get our music heard, we want to give people what they want to listen to," Barney says. "Getting in touch with a radio station that caters to the needs of a wide market is quite important for us. They have so much feedback on all the tracks they play that we wanted to get their input, to make sure that we were singing music that people really wanted to listen to." The end result is a rollercoaster adventure spanning four centuries of choral arrangements from the Renaissance to 21st-century popular music. Barney explains the concept behind this new release. "We call this recording Lux," he says. "Many people associate choral singing and the sound of a choir with radiance. The image on the front cover portrays that well. It's a wonderful shot of the sun shining bright into the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London. And I think for me, that's a fantastic image that I have in my head when I hear a glorious choir singing. So with that theme of light we wanted to choose music that was glorifying and uplifting. And so that's 'how we settled on Lux. "From there, we looked for great texts, great melodies and built a playlist which we are really, really proud of," Barney continues. "One of the most interesting things is the track by Eriks Esenvalds called 'Stars,' where this luminous effect is created by the harmonics of water glasses. And they create this beautiful halo under which we sing some beautiful music. So the theme of light is very important, and I think a great way to demonstrate the choral sound." According to soprano Emily Dickens, it took a village to record this piece. "We needed to get hold of about 16 glass players for this," she says. "We decided we'd ask our family and friends. We got to the church and Barney tuned the glasses to a pitchpipe, he was immaculate. We had my sister, Barney's family, Chris's wife, and they all sat down and played glasses to Barney's conducting and us singing - an experience we've never had before. We've only recorded with just us or a professional orchestra, and these were just amateur musicians - or not musicians at all - who just enjoyed being a part of the process." Paul agrees it was pretty special. "Actually," he says, "on Facebook when the album went to No. 2 on U.K. charts, I saw Emily's sister send a post saying, 'I'm delighted to get my first classical number No. 2. My sister's on the album, too'." Voces8 Paul Stuart / Decca - Emily recalls another memorable moment during the making of this new CD. "Recording 'The Luckiest' by American singer-songwriter Ben Folds - that was really special," she says. "It was something the group already knew before I joined, and I learned really for the first time in the last couple of years. Bringing it into a recording setting, where you have to learn it inside out and really get into the music, was brilliant. We've been performing it in America. It's one of the audience's favorite pieces over here - they really love it." "And actually, we had some good friends come over from the U.S. to spend time with us at the Gresham Center," Paul adds. "They were celebrating their 20th anniversary and wanted to renew their vows. So as a special gift to them, we had them join us. As they spoke their vows to each other, the only people in attendance were the eight of us and we sang 'The Luckiest' to them afterwards, and there was not a dry eye in the house. And we were with them again on this tour. When we performed, we dedicated the song to them. It's one of the hardest emotional things - to avoid crying on stage." Lux opens with "Ubi Caritas" by Norwegian-born composer Ola Gjeilo, who next year will be the composer in residence for Voces8. Barney explains that this recording actually opens and closes with this beautiful sacred text, which speaks of goodness and love. "It's a personal favorite text of mine," Barney says. "I was reading a magazine the other day where the writer was saying that he feels the text 'Ubi Caritas' always brings out the best in choirs, the best in their singing. Well, I often feel it brings out the best in composers. We have two fantastic settings on the CD to open and close. The first by Ola Gjeilo. The second by Paul Mealor, who shot to fame in 2011 when that setting was sung at the wedding of William and Kate. "The thing I love about it - it carries our message at the ethos of our group because our education work is very, very important to us. We feel extremely fortunate to have had such a fantastic opportunity both as individuals and as a group. And we'd like to give that opportunity back and to inspire other people to be creative, to use their voices, to express themselves. The text of the 'Ubi Caritas' sums that up - it's an important text to the group so it was nice to be able to open and close with it." Great texts and great melodies make up a radiant collection of choral pieces, all of which make for a very satisfying listening experience on Lux with Voces8. Enter for a chance to win a copy of this CD. This week on New Classical Tracks, you can enter for a chance to win a copy of Voces8's Lux CD. Winners will be drawn at random. Be sure to enter by midnight CDT on Tuesday, April 21, 2015.

Voces8, a young, British vocal octet led by Barnaby Smith, has released "Lux: Music by Tallis, Elgar, Tavener, Allegri, Rachmaninoff and others." It's the "others" which makes this album particularly unique. Along with radiant vocal classics like Rachmaninoff's all-night Vespers and Elgar's Lux Aeterna, there are a couple of pop arrangements: "Teardrop" by the band Massive Attack and "The Luckiest" by singer-pianist Ben Folds. One journalist has described Voces8 -- which consists of two women and six men -- as a cross between the King's Singers and Manhattan Transfer. It's that expansive approach that allows the group to carry off this eclectic repertoire. Voces8 - Lux on Decca/Universal Music Classics is the WQXR: New York / Album Of the Week

British a cappella octet VOCES 8 - Lux on Decca/Universal Music Classics features a selection of pieces spanning over 400 years: from Thomas Tallis and Gregorio Allegri to Massive Attack (Teardrop) and Ben Folds (The Luckiest - which appeared on the soundtrack for Richard Curtis's film About Time). The album title refers to the Latin word ‘light,' which has inspired composers throughout history with the meaning of hope, banishing darkness, and nurturing both the body and the spirit. Voces8's celestial performances on the album prove how few can better evoke the power of light in all its physical, spiritual and mystical guises than the timeless sound of a choir.  In addition to the soothing sound of unaccompanied voices blended in harmony, several tracks feature additions of saxophone, cello, harp and water glasses. Lux has been selected as Winnipeg's Classic 107 - Classical Recording of the Month for February. Partnering with McNally Robinson Booksellers. As an added bonus, host CKCL's Michael Wolch will do his very best to track down the featured artists, wherever they may be around the world, and chat with them about the new CD.  Tune in today as we feature the new CD by Voces8 entitled Lux, and hear about it right from Voces8 countertenor Barnaby Smith, who Michael caught up with in France last week.

British a cappella ensemble Voces 8 performs a selection of pieces spanning over 400 years: from Thomas Tallis and Gregorio Allegri to Massive Attack and Ben Folds. The album title ‘Lux' refers to the Latin word ‘light,' which has inspired composers throughout history with the meaning of hope, banishing darkness, and nurturing both the body and the spirit. Voces 8 'Lux' on Decca is the WFMT: Chicago New Release Of the Week. Featured tracks are Gjeilo: Ubi caritas (3:48) Tallis: O nata lux (2:58) Elgar: Lux aeterna (Nimrod) (3:52)      

Paul Smith and his younger brother Barnaby, the founding members of the vocal ensemble Voces8, fell into choral music by chance. Says Paul, "We were moving from the Lake District in the north of England down to London in the early '90s. Our parents were meeting at Westminster Abbey to go house hunting, and they saw a poster on the wall saying, 'Could this be your son?' and a picture of the choir underneath it. And as they hadn't found a school for us to go to, they decided we might as well have an audition. They gave us one singing lesson each and off we went to the audition." And before they were even teenagers, they met two future members of Voces8 at choir school. While singing in the Millennium Youth Choir, Paul and Barnaby met four more singers. On a whim, they decided to enter an international choral competition in Italy. So they needed a Latin-style name, and Voces8 was born. The singers in Voces8 were raised in the English Cathedral tradition, but their influences don't stop there. The Swingle Singers, the King's Singers, jazz ensembles like Take 6 and pop music all play a role in the repertoire Voces8 chose for their latest recording, Eventide. Barnaby (Barney to his friends), explains that as a singer, you can offer a heightened sense of emotion, "but as a performer, we can give something more to our audience because we're a singer and we have that individuality. So we wanted to translate that onto CD. And actually we thought the best way to do that was to choose this time of day when people are being most reflective or when people arguably need a greater moment of reflection. So with Eventide, we wanted to keep it simple and beautiful and just showcase as cleanly and purely as we could the voices within in Voces 8." Barney says the recording begins with music from the ensemble's British tradition,"Te lucis ante terminum" by Thomas Tallis. "We wanted to do Tallis with a twist," Barney says. "So we chose to arrange his music with an added instrument. So we took the plainsong thread of his music and translated that into a sort of soundscape and added a saxophone over the top of that. And in the middle of the track we also give the Tallis rendition of the hymn tune, 'Before the Ending of the Day,' so it's a very good way to start Eventide." Two pieces by Patrick Hawes appear on Eventide. Hawes is a contemporary British composer who Barney says has been very successful in the UK. "He is a composer who is based around enchanting melody and sort of filmic soundscape harmony parts," Barney explains. "So his settings - they draw the listener in. They're very beautiful, very tranquil. They also include instruments: 'Reflexionem' has the cello and 'Quanta Qualia' has the saxophone. As well as some soaring sopranos and the harmony is written always in eight parts, so it's very deep and very sonorous." Voces8 have established a wonderful working relationship with Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo. Barney says Gjeilo's arrangement of the piece, "Second Eve," for eight voices is just incredible. "He's inspired by imagery," Barney says, "and he saw a photo of Mt. McKinley, in Alaska. And the sun was setting in the photo and of course when the sun is hitting the snow-capped peaks, it throws out a whole range of colors and the mountain itself in its full glory is magnificent, and that translates itself into an exceptionally rich vocal score. It's an incredible piece of music. He plays with the listener for four or five minutes, using Marian chants. And then at the end, there's just an incredible arrival at a brilliant chordal passage which has a chanting alto through the middle. It must be one of my high points of the CD." I told Barney one of my favorites on this recording is "Benedictus" by Karl Jenkins. "Yeah, well, I think the beauty of Karl's work is that it's often incredibly minimalist in its setting," Barney replies. "And obviously it's incredibly powerful and a popular piece in its original orchestral form, but surrounding that beautiful soprano melody with simple voices rather than orchestra almost increases the fragility of the textures and makes it even more innocent." More than 20 years ago, on a whim, Barney and Paul Smith fell into the world of choral music. This impromptu adventure has become their life's work as singers, and also as educators. Paul has written a textbook about the Voces8 method, which is used in almost a thousand schools already. Whether they're in the classroom, or on stage, Paul says it's all about doing what they love, with people they really care about. "But originally, it's totally grown out of friendship," he says, "and that friendship forms such an important part of our ethos as a group. When we stand on stage we're very fortunate to have a good time with our friends - and of course, making a career from that is a great pleasure indeed."   LISTEN TO THE   VOCES8 interview  on 'New Classical Tracks', Syndicated on PRI's Classical 24 & Minnesota Public Radio

Eventide: the slow transition from day to night. Seasoned British choral outfit VOCES8 is known for their ability to transition artfully from Renaissance music to jazz and pop arrangements, but for their debut album on the Decca label, they honed their sound to capture the coming of evening.  Eventide features classical works by Tallis, Bruckner, Britten, as well as modern composers. Their repertoire stretches beyond the expected to tackle music like Karl Jenkins' "Benedictus," John Williams' "Hymn to the Fallen." The group also commissioned Ola Gjeilo's "Second Eve"  for this album. The result is a soft and ethereal mix of voices that simultaneously calms and excites. Critic David Sonin writes, "to hear VOCES8 is an aural experience for their crisp intonation, sensitive attention to phrasing and the ability to produce a sound that spans the entire range of vocal colour." The album features VOCES8's extraordinary vocals and technical facility, which blend with solo instrumental accompaniment courtesy of Christian Forshaw's saxophone, Matthew Sharpe's cello, and Lavinia Meijer's harp to Tallis' "Te lucis ante terminum" and the plainchant (the two pieces that bookend the album). They offer an approach to the feel of sound that is fresh, attractive, and relaxing. Each performance is impeccable, and although Eventide lacks the traditional tension of vocal compilations, it makes up for it in sheer listenability. VOCES8 has achieved an accessible, impeccable performance worthy of taking you from day to night. Voces8 - Eventide is the WCRB: Boston 'CD Of the Week.' Hear Eventide all week on 99.5 WCRB. Photo by © Decca/Paul Stuart

Each month, WCLV - Cleveland Program Director Bill O'Connell selects a series of special CDs to be featured on the air throughout the month. Voces8 - Eventide has made Bill's August list. Here are a few comments from Bill on the disc. Voces8 is a new ensemble of eight young singers from England who offer here a stunning debut!  Their sure expression is given a contemporary edge in original arrangements from plainchant to Saving Private Ryan, as their perfectly blended sound is enhanced by haunting melodies for solo cello, harp and saxophone. The album evokes Eventide, that magical space between day and night, a time for unwinding, for finding the calm and solace. This disc recalls Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble's chart-topping Officium in the 90's. The album's track-list embraces everything from medieval plainsong to a transcription of John Williams's Hymn to the Fallen, plus exquisite arrangements of Emeli Sandé's Where I sleep and Second Eve by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo, as well as Morten Lauridsen's O magnum mysterium and recent scores by Eric Whitacre and Royal Wedding composer Paul Mealor. Voces8 - Eventide will be Featured Tue 8/5, Thu 8/14, Mon 8/25

Getting to spend the day with a cappella ensemble VOCES8 was quite remarkable. I got to listen to eight extraordinarily gifted singers collaborate and work towards choral mastery; I left that rehearsal musically filled and inspired. But what really stopped me in my tracks was their commitment to music education.  Quite often, groups of this caliber have educational outreach programs that function as a side dish to the main course. After speaking with Robin Tyson and Louise Hughes, members from the VOCES8 management team, it became abundantly clear that their educational program is a major component of their organizational structure. This commitment is so major, that the group even published a textbook through Edition Peters called The VOCES8 Method.  The author of the VOCES8 Method, Paul Smith (pictured below), was excited and passionate about sharing this research-based textbook with over 20,000 students a year, and he hopes to create more of its kind.  On top of it all, I got a chance to hear VOCES8's recent album release, Eventide, on the DECCA label and was blown away by their breath-taking artistry and freakishly superb blend. This album isn't currently available in the United States, but the wait is almost over, and you should be able to purchase it before the month is done. 

One of Britain's most exciting and versatile vocal ensembles makes its debut on Decca with the release of "Eventide." Voces8 features eight young singers who form one perfectly-blended sound. Their program, which explores the magical space between day and night, ranges from medieval plainchant to works by important contemporary choral composers and has been selected as one of WFMT - Chicago 'New Releases Of the Week featuring 2 tracks - Tallis: Te lucis ante terminum with Christian Forshaw, saxophone, Williams: Hymn to the Fallen, & Hawes: Reflexionem with Matthew Sharp, cello.