an expanding distance of multiple voices
Blue Griffin, 2026
9/10
Listen to an expanding distance of multiple voices
The Chicago violinist Sarah Plum treats us to the works of 6 different composers, where the Grammy Award Winning Yvonne Lam joins her for the really unique listen.
The title track by Jeffrey Mumford opens with the solo violin moving with an unpredictable and exciting demeanor that illustrates much adeptness, and “Olive Cotton”, by Osnat Netzer, follows with the solo viola radiating much emotion via the bowed and plucking techniques.
“Canticle” lands in the middle, and sees Plum’s solo violin cultivating tense and minimal qualities of the Sidney Corbett piece, while Mari Takano’s “Elegy” recruits 2 violins thanks to Lam’s inimitable playing for the harmonic and heartfelt album highlight.
Benjamin Fuhrman’s “Sirens” arrives at the end and pairs the violin with reverb pedal for the colorful and atypical landscape.
An experimental outing that utilizes classical ideas in a way that only Plum can, each track is delivered meticulously and with plenty of detail and timelessness.
Travels well with: Lorelei Ensemble- Scott Ordway: North Woods; Thomas Kotcheff/ Bryan Curt Kostors- Between Systems