Although composed of nine separate tracks, all individually titled, ‘Music for Another Loss’ works best when taken as a single piece. It centres around the delicate and nuanced dulcimer playing of Joel Hanson, with Sarah Kemp’s the sensitive violin work and the multi-instrumental input of Richard Adams combining to create something greater than the sum of the parts.
Crossing the boundaries of neoclassical and ancient folk, ‘Music for Another Loss’ is deeply evocative and has a truly timeless feel to it. ‘Heptonstall’ is a magnificently delicate piece that conjures a sense of great age and a richly historical tapestry, while at the same time sounding fresh in a way that’s utterly compelling. Evocative and mystical, the music is every bit as intriguing as the titles: ‘The Long Tunnel Ceiling’; ‘Slump Sundays’; ‘Chinese History of Colden Water’.
A fragile piano leads ‘The Canal’s Drowning Black (reprise)’ to conclude the album, and it’s nothing short of breathtaking in its delicate poise and rich atmosphere.
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The second disc, which contains vocal versions of several of the pieces, and alternative versions and mixes of others, rather than gilding the lily, reveals new facets to the exquisite compositions. The treatments are all extremely sensitive and preserve the atmosphere and integrity of the originals, and Yvonne Bruner’s vocals are perfect, intuitively and subtly being at one with the compositions.
Sometimes it’s just not possible to explain why a piece of music has the effect it does or precisely why it touches the listener in the way it does – it simply does.
Memory Drawings Online
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