We Have Tomorrow
Delos, 2023
8/10
The rising tenor vocalist Eric Ferring finds himself in the area of artistic chambers sounds here, where the pianist Madeline Slettedahl and the Quatuor Agate ensemble accompany him.
Barber’s “Mélodies passagères” opens the listen with Ferring’s stirring and powerful voice alongside the dreamy, harmonic keys, and “Hold Fast To Dreams”, by Florence Price, follows with swirling piano amid the expressive and poetic singing.
Approaching the middle, Johannes Brahms’ “Gestillte Sehnsucht” unfolds with a sublime intimacy of heartfelt strings that suit the emotive vocals, while “Chanson d'amour” radiates a highly rich climate of warmth and beauty in the Amy Beach piece.
Landing near the end, Arthur Shepherd’s “Triptych” has the ensemble using both bare and dense dynamics via the breezy demeanor, and Gabriel Fauré’s “La bonne chanson” exits with the melodic keys, meticulous strings and strong detail to singing making this the album’s best.
An Iowan native who is racking up an impressive resume at a young age, Ferring’s appearances at the Metropolitan Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Spoleto Festival and Lyric Opera of Chicago is helping him carve out a very impressive place in the area of modern opera.
Travels well with: Aizuri Quartet- Earthdrawn Skies; John-Henry Crawford- Voice Of Rachmaninoff