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Moonstrung Air
Gregory W. Brown composer
The Crossing | Donald Nally director
New York Polyphony “Spring” Ensemble | Eric Dudley conductor
The human voice: A forceful yet delicate instrument. The weight of its expression can be as heavy as a ringing bell or as light as the whisper of an autumn breeze. Composer Gregory W. Brown presents a collection of his vocal and choral works on the Navona Records release MOONSTRUNG AIR, capturing the wonder of the human voice as our rooted connection with nature.
Five Women Bathing in Moonlight depicts an idealized rendering of a sea-side party scene by poet Richard Wilbur, evoking a dreamlike and timeless atmosphere with shifting harmonic centers, imitative polyphony, quasi-Baroque ornaments, and canonic structures. Entrai, pastores, entrai and Three American Folk Hymns – “The Dying Californian,” “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” and “The Morning Trumpet” – are settings of traditional tunes that pay tribute to the original while drawing on Brown’s extensive singing and conducting background to create distinctive textures that range from incisive to gossamer. Imagery of the natural world and our gradual awareness of its presence in the shroud of our daily lives are primary themes in Vidi Aquam and Spring. Brown’s innovative and adept technique shines in Missa Charles Darwin, a setting of texts from Darwin in the form of the Roman Catholic Mass featuring DNA from one of Darwin’s finches translated into motivic material.
Brown is a composer, conductor, scholar, and experimental musician as well as founding artistic director for the Smith College Festival of Sound & Space. He received his DMA from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia and his MM from Westminster Choir College in Princeton NJ. He has studied with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Lewis Spratlan, Stefan Young, Adrian Childs, and others.
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Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 5 Women Bathing in Moonlight | Gregory W. Brown | The Crossing | Donald Nally, conductor | 5:05 |
| 02 | Vidi aquam: To Stir Up Our Wits | Gregory W. Brown | The Crossing | Donald Nally, conductor | 3:02 |
| 03 | Vidi aquam: Observing Nature | Gregory W. Brown | The Crossing | Donald Nally, conductor | 7:56 |
| 04 | Vidi aquam: Asking of Nature | Gregory W. Brown | The Crossing | Donald Nally, conductor | 4:59 |
| 05 | Spring | Gregory W. Brown | Spring Ensemble | Eric Dudley, conductor | 4:50 |
| 06 | Missa Charles Darwin: Introitus. Tropus ad Kyrie | Gregory W. Brown | New York Polyphony | 2:16 |
| 07 | Missa Charles Darwin: Gloria | Gregory W. Brown | New York Polyphony | 3:48 |
| 08 | Missa Charles Darwin: Alleluia | Gregory W. Brown | New York Polyphony | 3:07 |
| 09 | Missa Charles Darwin: Credo | Gregory W. Brown | New York Polyphony | 6:13 |
| 10 | Missa Charles Darwin: Sanctus | Gregory W. Brown | New York Polyphony | 4:09 |
| 11 | Missa Charles Darwin: Agnus Dei | Gregory W. Brown | New York Polyphony | 2:53 |
| 12 | Entrai, pastores, entrai | Gregory W. Brown | The Crossing | Donald Nally, conductor | 5:22 |
| 13 | 3 American Folk Hymns: The Dying Californian | Gregory W. Brown | New York Polyphony | 3:06 |
| 14 | 3 American Folk Hymns: Sweet Hour of Prayer | Gregory W. Brown | New York Polyphony | 4:21 |
| 15 | 3 American Folk Hymns: The Morning Trumpet | Gregory W. Brown | New York Polyphony | 3:50 |
Artist Information
Gregory W. Brown
Composer Gregory W. Brown’s works have been performed across the United States and Europe — most notably in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Cadogan Hall in London, and the Kleine Zaal of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. His commissions for vocal ensemble New York Polyphony have been heard on American Public Media’s Performance Today, BBC Radio, Minnesota Public Radio, Kansas Public Radio, and Danish National Radio; his Missa Charles Darwin received its European debut in March 2013 at the Dinosaur Hall of Berlin’s Museum für Naturkunde.
The Crossing
The Crossing is a professional chamber choir conducted by Donald Nally, dedicated to performing new music and committed to addressing social, environmental, and political issues through nearly 180 commissioned premieres. Collaborating with prestigious ensembles and venues like the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Park Avenue Armory, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall, The Crossing has released 35 albums, earning three GRAMMY® Awards for Best Choral Performance and multiple nominations. The Crossing is Musical America's 2024 Ensemble of The Year.
Donald Nally
Donald Nally collaborates with creative artists, leading orchestras, and art museums to make new works for choir that address social and environmental issues. He has commissioned nearly 200 works and, with his ensemble The Crossing (Musical America’s 2024 Ensemble of the Year), has produced 35 albums, winning three GRAMMY® Awards for Best Choral Performance, while nominated nine times.
