Quietude by Alastair Penman
In the frantic world we live in, there are ever fewer opportunities to embrace peace and tranquillity and enjoy the natural world around us. This album invites the listener to take time for themself, to unplug from the digital world that we live in and to find solace in the beauty of music and of nature. Alongside the well-known works in this collection such as Erik Satie’s Gymnopédies and Felix Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words, there are new works with unusual instrumentations, aiming to lead the listener into rich and lush, but always calming sound worlds. Rialto features an ensemble of six alto saxophones, whilst Anton Bruckner’s Locus Iste is arranged for a single reed choir and After the Fire combines A clarinet, bass clarinet and synthesisers.
The final track of the album, A Prayer for Peace, was composed in November 2023, at a time when there seemed little hope in the world. On top of the ongoing war in Ukraine and escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine, we witness the failure of governments to act on the worsening climate disaster; it is easy to feel completely hopeless. This is a call to embrace our neighbours, find peace and work together to build a better future for our planet and for all life on earth.
Tracklist
| 1. | Rialto | 3:01 |
| 2. | Be Still | 4:32 |
| 3. | Gymnopedie No. 1 | 3:01 |
| 4. | Gymnopedie No. 2 | 2:36 |
| 5. | Gymnopedie No. 3 | 2:27 |
| 6. | After the Fire | 3:57 |
| 7. | Beau Soir | 2:43 |
| 8. | Homeward | 5:40 |
| 9. | Quietude | 3:35 |
| 10. | Lament | 4:41 |
| 11. | Song Without Words Op. 30 No. 1 | 4:36 |
| 12. | Song Without Words Op. 30 No. 6 | 2:49 |
| 13. | Evening Prayer (from Hansel and Gretel) | 2:59 |
| 14. | Locus Iste | 2:49 |
| 15. | A Prayer for Peace | 4:56 |
Credits
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Hailed as a “pioneering instrumentalist and writer” and praised for his “surpassingly beautiful music” and “undoubtedly brilliant mind”, saxophonist Alastair Penman is a dynamic and versatile performer and composer. Alastair is a City Music Foundation, Park Lane Group and BBC Introducing Artist as well as a Henri Selmer Paris, Vandoren UK, Buffet Crampon and Key Leaves Artist.