Includes unlimited streaming of Raven Chacon: Voiceless Mass
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz.
ships out within 3 days
Purchasable with gift card
$15.99USDor more
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
In partnership with Yucca Alta Records, New World is excited to offer "Voiceless Mass" in a special double LP format. Three playable sides presented in black vinyl with etched artwork by Raven Chacon (as pictured) on Side 4, making each copy a unique work of art.
Purchase includes unlimited streaming of Voiceless Mass, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Includes unlimited streaming of Raven Chacon: Voiceless Mass
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz.
ships out within 3 days
Purchasable with gift card
$45USDor more
about
“Owl Song is an acknowledgment of the nocturnal hunting bird, considered by some to have the ability of shapeshifting,” Chacon writes. “Owl Song asks its instrumentalists to cycle through a variety of timbres on their instruments, often with individual speeds to traverse the composition. They are sometimes guided by a voice, her distance unmeasurable from themselves, and must call out not to locate her position, but to see if she is still with them.”
Like Biyán, Owl Song is a sectional form with segments designated to be repeated variable times—Chacon even welcomes the infinite repetition of certain sections. The large heterogenous ensemble of winds, brass, percussion, harp, celesta, and strings rotates through different timbres on fixed pitches, sometimes independently and sometimes together. This creates a dreamlike atmosphere of overlapping patterns, mirroring Chacon’s contemplation of Navajo ceremonial songs...
The exploration of timbre in Owl Song extends beyond the standard use of traditional instruments, incorporating objects like drinking glasses on tile and a superball on a tom drum to create a rich array of overtones. At one
point in the piece, the score calls for “drumming on a crumpled blanket” to mimic the sound of flapping wings (on this recording, the percussionist ended up putting his winter jacket on a table and striking it with yardsticks). Among the instruments, the solo voice emerges as a sort of protagonist or a guiding presence. Unlike a traditional soloist, the voice does not dominate the texture, but blends, withdraws, and interacts with the instrumentalists. “There are times when the voice is asked to mimic instruments in the ensemble,” Chacon indicates. “The vocalist is asked to listen to other things that are happening. If it is a protagonist, it’s also something that’s waiting, watching, and perhaps hunting.” The shapeshifting quality of the ensemble is electronically enhanced by pre-recorded samples (found sounds, noises, sine waves, etc.) that are
activated by one of the performers. -- Eric Smigel, from the liner notes
credits
from Raven Chacon: Voiceless Mass,
released April 18, 2025
Owl Song (2021), for sinfonietta and voice, was commissioned by the Bit20 Ensemble, which is based in Bergen, Norway.
Ariadne Greif, voice; Janice MacDonald, alto flute; Margaret Butler Padilla, English horn; Bill Helmers, clarinet; Catherine Van Handel, bassoon; Don Sipe, trumpet; Dietrich Hemann, French horn; Megumi Kanda, trombone; Alex Weir, percussion; Marty Butorac, electronics; Emily Melendes, harp; John Orfe, celeste; Jeanyi Kim-Mandl, violin; Alex Ayers, violin; Erin Pipal, viola; Adrien Zitoun, cello; Christian Dillingham, bass; David Bloom, conductor
Even at 80 years old, Pharoah Sanders played his tenor sax with the conviction of a gospel preacher. Every second of this album is arrestingly beautiful. As far as I'm concerned, this is essential listening for anyone who considers themselves a fan of music. 3sidesinasquare