Produced by Jean Martin
Recorded @ Rosedale United Church, Toronto ON
With David Travers-Smith, J. Martin and Chris Willes
Mixed and Mastered by J. Martin
at The Farm, Toronto ON Canada
Cover Art and Photos by J. Martin
Liner Photos by Alisdair Jones
All pieces were Improvised and Recorded on February 17-18, 2009
by Duncan, Martin, Robertson, Lewis, Zubot and the Element Choir C SOCAN 2009
Christine Duncan - conducts The Element Choir a 51 voice improvising choir
Jean Martin - drums, trumaphone
Jim Lewis - trumpet
Eric Robertson - Cassavant Pipe Organ
Jesse Zubot - violin
February 17, 2009
1 Prologue 4:04
2 As the Crow Flies 12:00
3 Funhouse 14:00
February 18, 2009
5 Dapple 4:00
6 Bird Calling 11:00
7 Processional 10:43
8 Sun Up 10:30
I’ve watched the Element Choir grow into the wonderful paradox that it embodies on this record. It is both a ragged multiplicity – its membership reflects extreme differences of age, history, style, and education (just like that of any community) – and a remarkable unity under Christine Duncan’s singular leadership and conduction skills. Insofar as the Choir coheres into a single thing, though, it amounts to one of the five personalities who create this ostensibly small-group and – let it not be forgotten – freely improvised music: Duncan (Choir), Lewis, Martin, Robertson, and Zubot. They possess the musicality, playfulness, and restraint to allow these unique and, in the most sublime moments, overwhelming sound resources (not only instruments and voices, but also the space itself) to be harnessed and channeled into a tangible feeling of wonder. This is very literally a wonderful record.
-Scott Thomson, January 2010
This recording features Christine Duncan’s extraordinary 50-voice improvising ensemble, The Element Choir, in collaboration with Jesse Zubot, violin; Jim Lewis, trumpet; Jean Martin, percussion; and Eric Robertson, playing the church’s beautiful Cassavent pipe organ at Rosedale United .
