India Gailey

Butterfly Lightning Shakes The Earth

Redshift, 2024

9/10

Listen to Butterfly Lightning Shakes The Earth

The American-Canadian cellist India Gailey is joined by the Symphony Nova Scotia and conductor Karl Hirzer for these 2 involved pieces that explores their contemporary classical vision.

“Mountainweeps” starts the listen with 3 chapters, where solo cello miniatures emit much beauty and grace that, at just 3 minutes total, allows for an enlightening and emotive take on climate change in the on alpine environments.

The title track occupies the back half, and it’s a much longer affair, where waves of ambience, and stirring strings are complemented by cautious percussion, booming drums and well timed winds that create richness and strong attention to timbral gestures.

A powerful and dynamic body of work, Gailey’s experimental moments and timeless classical appeal again leaves us captivated.

Travels well with: India Gailey- Problematica; Mark Haney- Placentia Bay: Summer Of 1941