Fetter & Air
Navona, 2022
8/10
A very daring effort, the composer Dominick DiOrio employs the many voices of the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia for the 562 audio files and 61 chorus members that explore hopes, dreams, fears and desires.
The title track- and only track- brings a collage of voices, some of which are talking, some that are singing, and it flows with a busy meshing of soaring vocal harmonies as they all converge into a very exciting climate.
The instrumentation is subtle, primarily, but very effective, where Ting Ting Wong (piano), Brendan Fullam (synthesizer), Kyle Conner (flute), Amanda Pfannenstiel (bassoon), Albert Crawford (trombone) and Mark Davidson (trombone) all accent the vocally strong listen with poise and much, much skill.
A very emotional and sometimes haunting collaboration, this is a raw and highly articulate venture that will resonate both musically and lyrically for those who really dissect the words and music of songwriting.
Travels well with: Jonathan Rhodes Lee- French Connections; Trio Casals- Moto Finale