#4624, John Luther Adams’ Veils and Vesper

American composer John Luther Adams is known for his expansive works inspired by stillness, solitude and the natural landscapes of his home state, Alaska. In 2005 he wrote Veils and Vesper, an electronic soundscape in four 6-hour parts. This sonic experience has been featured as a sound installation in museums, churches, concert halls and more around the world. 

It is a mathematical piece at its heart, playing with harmonic intervals and tones that span the spectrum of human hearing. There are three Veils - Rising, Crossing, and Falling - and one Vesper. Each section contains a different number of polyphonic voices moving at varying, almost imperceptible speeds that blend together to create a tapestry of sound.

For this edition of New Sounds, you will hear the premiere of the live performance version of the piece. Recorded live at Brookfield Place’s Winter Garden, the performance took place over two nights within its nine day installation. The first night featured the Ekmeles vocal ensemble performing with Vesper and the second featured the JACK Quartet and Bassist Robert Black accompanying all four parts. - Laura Boyman

Program #4624, with John Luther Adams

ARTIST: John Luther Adams, featuring the Ekmeles vocal ensemble and the JACK Quartet with Robert Black
WORK: Veils and Vespers
RECORDING: Live at Brookfield Place, October 2021
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.
INFO: bfplny.com/newsoundslive 

ARTIST: John Luther Adams 
WORK: Become Desert
INFO: johnlutheradams.net/become-desert