These two new works for choir were recorded with Harold Rosenbaum and the New York Virtuoso singers at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City. Both contemplate a path to transcendence or ‘true being’ through Union with the cosmos; The Unexcelled Mantra doing so from a Mahayana Buddhist point of view, and Unity from the Philosophical Tradition of Plato. 

Unity is a choral piece based on some of the musical and philosophical concepts of Plato's Republic. When reading the Republic, I was struck by the fascinating co-existence of profound and absurd ideas threaded throughout Plato’s work. 

The chosen text was taken from an area in the Republic when Plato discusses the power of mathematics, but from my vantage point I immediately also saw it as a metaphor for the phenomenon of meditation as described in Vedic and Buddhist traditions. This multi-dimensional observation was a key inspiration for me when writing the work, both considering the mathematical qualities of music and the esoteric concepts of achieving union with the All. 

Like many other earlier composers, I was interested in Plato’s ideas about the sanctity of the musical modes. This led me to experiment with the power Plato claimed existed in the Dorian and Phrygian modes. 

According to Plato: 

The Dorian, would "fittingly imitate the utterances and accents of a brave man who is engaged in warfare," while the Phrygian was suitable "for a man engaged in works of peace." 
Exploring these musical concepts and incorporating influences through the Western choral canon as far back as Perotin, through Bruckner and up to some of my own preferred sounds of today, I hope this work touches the mind and heart of all those who listen. 

Includes unlimited streaming of Unity & The Unexcelled Mantra Special Edition 7" Vinyl via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Released 15 October 2013