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On Valentine's Day I decided to attend a choral concert with friends (I know, I know...this reeks of total choral geekery). I must admit, after hearing the Lorelei Ensemble absolutely nail Steve Reich's Know What is Above You, I knew I made the right decision. I was going to sit at home, watch West Wing re-runs, cook a steak and call it a night. Instead, I got treated to a night of exhilarating music. This group of extraordinarily gifted women sing with such precision and passion that I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by their performance. Like a true choral nerd, I went home and bought their CD, Live. Know. Love. (BTW, brilliantly plugged on their part during the concert) and started my jam session.
First track I checked out was David Lang's I Live in Pain. They nailed this piece in the live performance and of course, the track on the CD was even hotter. Instead of skipping back to the beginning of the disc, I closed my eyes and I let it run...rolling the dice a bit, hoping for the best. After 25+ minutes of aural ecstasy, I found myself wanting more. They deliver eerie, breathtaking performances on every track; locking and spinning intricately woven dissonance with masterful intonation and grand artistry. This group gets my REAL DEAL stamp of approval!
If you don't believe the hype, just check out these recordings (Concert Highlights):
This is definitely a CD worth checking out!
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