WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING

Presenting the world premiere recording of The Present, by renowned Scottish composer, Sir James MacMillan, with lyrics by Francis Henry Newbery. The release celebrates the 10th anniversary of the GSA Choir.

Writing about the work, Musical Director, Jamie Sansbury, says, “There is a sense of grandeur and of epic ambition in The Present that one associates more frequently with much longer, multi-movement works. This comes not only from the profound nature of the topic – the transience of the present moment and how, all too quickly, it is consigned to the past, immutable and unforgiving – but from the nature of the music itself. The very extremes of choral writing are present; wordless melodic lines, reminiscent of plainchant, performed by individual sets of voices, giving a feeling of monastic simplicity and calm contrasted, at times, with full-throated cries from the entire chorus; chords of unease and instability, of warning.”

The Present is also available to stream, or buy online from your preferred digital platform, here.