Thanksgiving weekend the project's cellist Sophie Chang was in town. We played Thanksgiving morning at our home church, Church of the Ascension in Silver Spring. Friday we practiced all day (the service music showed us many spots we needed to clean up.) Then Saturday and Sunday we spent the day at Tonal Park with Charlie Pilzer engineering (and occasionally telling us to check tuning or take breaks.) Day One was two compositions of Dave Wiesler–Linda's Light and Betsy's Garden. Linda's Light is an absolutely dreamy piece that is the essence of what the new recording is about. Betsy's Garden was a commissioned pieced for dancer Betsy Platt that has ALL my favorite chords and harmonies–rich with major 7ths and 9ths and augmented 4ths. Sigh…talk about musical sweetness!
Day Two was first a canon in A minor that Sophie composed, reminiscent of some Taizé chants. A canon is like a round, with all the different parts playable together. She overdubbed a second cello track so we have 3 voices. Lastly was our “First Nation Dream Catcher's Suite”–4 melodies (mostly lullabies) from native American tribes. We first put this suite together for a Thanksgiving service several years back at our church where we were requested to play some indigenous music. Now we've properly arranged it and added a low whistle.
So–4 very different pieces. The cello really sings. The dulcimer sparkles in 4 octaves. This is my first recording using my Nick Blanton Forte and it sounds amazing!
I'll finish recording in February.
