Sacred Concert

Anu Komsi · Marzi Nyman · Duke Ellington

2020 · Physical and digital · ABCD 450

Order on

Listen on

Credits

Performers: Anu Komsi — SopranoMarzi Nyman — Organ
Composers: Duke Ellington

About this release

Duke Ellington wrote Sacred Concert in the mid-1960’s and performed the work with his orches- tra and various soloists between 1966 and 1974 at churches around the USA and Europe. Ellington never wrote a score of Sacred Concerts, and it wasn’t until 1993 when John Høybye and Peder Pedersen produced a score mostly meant for choirs, but including the full vocal lines and harmonies. Ellington’s own perfor- mances were all different. The amount and order of the movements and everything about interpretation was agreed just before the start of each show, and the musicians and soloists improvised in true jazz style. The movements of Sacred Concert are reflections and allusions of traditional gospel songs and the historic roots of soul music in America, and the songs sung by black slaves in the hellish working conditions of the cotton fields. The threads of freedom, brotherhood, God’s mercy and praise run through each lyric. The album was recorded at the Kokkola Church in 2017, one long take at a time, making the im- provisa ecorded post-production in a studio by Anu and Marzi.

Tracks

Sacred Cocert
1.Praise Godcomp. Duke EllingtonISRC FIABA20000014:57
2.Heavencomp. Duke EllingtonISRC FIABA20000026:18
3.Fereedomcomp. Duke EllingtonISRC FIABA20000032:00
4.The Majesty of Godcomp. Duke EllingtonISRC FIABA20000044:19
5.Freedom is a wordcomp. Duke EllingtonISRC FIABA20000052:41
6.David Dancedcomp. Duke EllingtonISRC FIABA20000062:35
7.Almighty Godcomp. Duke EllingtonISRC FIABA20000074:01
8.Freedom is Sweetcomp. Duke EllingtonISRC FIABA20000081:12
9.Freedom spoken in different languagescomp. Duke EllingtonISRC FIABA20000090:45
10.Praise God and Dance- Finalecomp. Duke EllingtonISRC FIABA200001011:48

Reviews

Komsi & Nyman: Duke Ellington – Sacred Concert (Alba).
Duke Ellington sävelsi vuosina 1965–1973 kolmiosaisen Sacred Concert -kokonaisuuden, johon tarttuivat tällä kertaa sopraanolaulaja Anu Komsi ja urkujen äärelle istahtanut Marzi Nyman .
Elokuussa 2017 Kokkolan kirkossa taltioitu tulkinta tihkuu antaumuksellista heittäytymistä. Komsin elastiset lauluosuudet sekä Nymanin aistikas sormikarkelointi saattavat sävelet kliimaksiin – etenkin urkujen matalat äänet toistuvat vaikuttavina. ★★★★
Ilkka-Pohjalainen, 13.7.2020 · Juha Seitz
But by and large, this disc is quite enjoyable—dig the extra cadenza that Komsi throws into Heaven —and in addition to her vocal pyrotechnics it gives us a chance to hear Nyman’s very fine improvisations.
The Art Music Lounge · Lynn René Bayley · May 28, 2020
Read the review (opens in a new tab)
Das Werk, das Ellington in den Sechzigerjahren mit seinem Orchester in Kirchen in den USA und Europa aufführte, ist auf einer Alba-CD mit der finnischen Sopranistin Anu Komsi und dem Organisten und Sänger Marzi Nyman zu hören.
Pizzicato · Remy Frank · August 29, 2020
Read the review (opens in a new tab)