“Lux,” a recently released recording by the British vocal ensemble, VOCES8, revels in the naturally expressive beauty of the human voice. The album title refers to the Latin word for “light.” The group’s exceptional sense of blend and pure intonation produces warm, glowing overtones.
“Lux” includes a mix of old and new. O Nata Luxby English composer Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1585) and settings of the ancient Gregorian melody Ubi Caritas by Paul Mealor and Ola Gjeilo are alongside VOCES8’s version of Teardropby the British experimental rock band, Massive Attack (listen to the original song here).
Here is Stars by Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds (b. 1977). The text is a setting of a poem by Sara Teasdale. Throughout the piece, atmospheric layers of sound emerge from water glasses played with wet fingertips. This is music which is filled with a sense of awe-inspiring celestial majesty:
