Convergence
Blue Griffin, 2023
8/10
The flute, oboe and bassoon trio, The Elicio Winds, premiere 5 works penned by esteemed American composers for this listen that praises Alabama’s landscapes, history and culture.
The dreamy “lullaby/ballad/spiritual” starts the listen with Shawn E. Okpebholo’s vision unfolding with Virginia Broffit Kunzer’s light flute complemented by Conor Bell’s poetic bassoon, and “Voyage” continues the elegance thanks to Kathleen Carter Bell’s rumbling oboe that suits the cinematic qualities of the Joshua Burel piece.
In the middle, Margi Griebling- Haigh’s “Usonian Games” mixes lower registers with harmonic gestures of beauty, while “Birds Of Maycomb”, by Timothy Hagen, radiates a shimmering intimacy, where the 3 instruments blend with much grace.
Exiting the listen is Craig Michael Davis’s “Clockwork No. 5”, which has the 5 movement piece describing the Alabama landscapes with lush and rich waves of meticulous song craft.
A flawless display of exciting and memorable wind sounds, the trio find a great balance between passion and adventurousness.
Travels well with: Shea-Kim Duo- All Roads; Yvonne Lam- Watch Over Us