In this stunning double CD set, with a repertoire sequence that is beautifully balanced and considered, Paul Halley features sixteen new choral works from among his commissions of recent years. Halley’s signature style, of vibrant harmonies, lyrical melodies, and intricate rhythms, infuses these musical settings, underpinning a diverse range of texts, from George Herbert and Gerard Manley Hopkins to Emily Dickinson and Pablo Neruda. Keramion Singers present these works in definitive fashion at Halley’s direction with a vocal sound that is alternatively immediate and bright or rounded and atmospheric. Four acappella pieces showcase the choir's impeccable tuning and phrasing. Twelve accompanied works, with Halley on organ and piano, and additional instrumentalists on trumpet, French horn, timpani, and saxophone, reveal the singers' mastery of rhythmic range and contextual expression. This long-awaited release on the Pelagosmusic label is sure to please followers of Paul Halley's work as as a composer as well by those who admire his mastery of keyboard performance, and the choral sound he elicits from his renowned choirs. This album, which stands in a category all its own, possesses the inimitable setting, sound, and performances that are pure Halley. About the compositions The commission of each of these choral works came with certain parameters, as well as a specific text proposed by the commissioning organization or individuals. These texts cover a wide range, from the poetry of George Herbert, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Emily Dickinson and Pablo Neruda, to the psalter and the Song of Mary. Paul Halley notes, “It is significant that each text was chosen not by me, but by those for whom the musical setting was to be created. The words themselves pushed me into areas of musical expression that I might otherwise have left unexplored. For example, the poem “In the Wide Awe and Wisdom of The Night” called for a setting based on an octatonic scale and Hopkins’ sonnet generated a passacaglia of irregular (‘sprung’) rhythms and broken phrases. At times, I felt I wasn’t so much composing as translating, just as the poets themselves had translated brief glimpses of universal mysteries. These poems are clearly sufficient unto themselves, but perhaps, being sung, aspects of their inner power and beauty are made more manifest.” The physical album package of Paul Halley's "In The Wide Awe And Wisdom" from Pelagosmusic features a double CD, six-panel digipak, with all sixteen compositions, Marina Malvada's stunning artwork on the cover, and a sixteen-page booklet with complete texts and translations of all choral works on the recording. The physical package is highly recommended. About Keramion Singers Directed by Paul Halley with Nick Halley, assistant director. The current roster of Keramion Singers comprises professional musicians and choral scholars who regularly sing with Paul Halley at the institutions in Halifax, Nova Scotia where he serves as Director of Music. About Paul Halley Paul Halley is a Grammy Award-winning composer, choral conductor, and organist. Born in Romford, England in 1952, Halley received his early musical training in Ottawa, Canada, and at age sixteen became an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto. While Organ Scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge, Halley was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. He served as Organist and Choirmaster at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NY from 1977-1989, during which time he became principal writer and keyboardist for The Paul Winter Consort. Halley later settled in Connecticut and founded the choirs, Chorus Angelicus, and Gaudeamus. In 2007 he relocated to Halifax, Nova Scotia to become Director of Music at the University of King’s College, and in 2015 he was also appointed Director of Music at The Cathedral Church of All Saints, Halifax. Halley’s choral and instrumental compositions are distributed internationally by Pelagos Incorporated, the recording, music publishing, and arts management company which he established with his wife, Meg Race, in 1998. Credits Keramion Singers Paul Halley, director Nick Halley, assistant director Sopranos Jen Hall Elizabeth Halley Vanessa Halley Janelle Lucyk Marielle Nicol Dominique Saulnier Altos Anne Bell Katie Merwin Sarah Myatt Alan Rempel Karis Tees Tenors Nick Halley Paul Rogers Nicolas Veltmeyer Ben Von Bredow Jamie Whitley Basses Simon Blake Shaylan Burkhart Steve Roe Leo Timmins David Wallis Instrumentalists Paul Halley – organ and piano Nicolas Veltmeyer - organ, “A Brighter Garden” Tristan De Borba - soprano saxophone Curtis Dietz – trumpet Erin Donovan – timpani and cymbals Gina Patterson – french horn Production Produced by Paul Halley & Meg Race Executive producer – Meg Race Engineered by John D. S. Adams – Stonehouse Sound Art design and production – Kate Sinclair-Sowerby, Co and Co. Art supervision - Meg Race Recorded at The Cathedral Church of All Saints, Halifax, NS Art The painting used in the design of this package is “Voice of Joy” © 2017 by Marina Malvada. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Published Music All of the musical compositions on this recording are by Paul Halley (Back Alley Music ASCAP) and are available from Pelagos Incorporated. Thanks to The Very Reverend Paul Smith, Dean of The Cathedral Church of All Saints, Halifax, NS The Reverend Dr. Gary Thorne, Chaplain of the University of King’s College, Halifax, NS Dedication Meg and Paul dedicate this recording to the memory of their dear friend, Tom Bates (d. 2017), who was sound engineer for the previous nine recordings on the Pelagosmusic (and Joyful Noise) label.