New At Noon Week of Nov. 6
This week, WGUC focuses on a brand new release that has all new music by living composers. fivebyfive is the ensemble, and the album is called “breath and fire.” From their website: As part of the glassblowing process, breath & fire both play a part as the glass expands, pops, morphs, and becomes a new work. When we imagine breath, there is a sense of expansion and contraction, a connection to and awareness of the current moment. When we think about fire, there is energetic movement, intensity, heat.
This album - this new work - has been like the glass, created through the energies of breath & fire as part of its own process of coming to life. The pieces on the album strongly invoke stillness or motion, and the recording process of matching spaces to the mood or pace in the music seeks to further draw out these energies as you listen.
These world premiere recordings run a wide range, with pulsing electronica to meditative and thoughtful melodies. The ensemble is quite varied and includes members: Laura Lentz, flute, alto flute, bass flute; Marcy Bacon, clarinet, bass clarinet; Ken Luk, electric guitar; Eric J. Polenik, bass; and Haeyeun Jeun, piano. Lentz is the artistic director, and Marc Webster serves as Executive Director & recording engineer. Webster is the defacto sixth member, as the mix of this release is very important.
We’ll hear five of the eight tracks on WGUC with Elaine Diehl for New at Noon, weekdays at 12:01pm. You can also sample this release on Spotify, and learn more at their website: fivebyfivemusic.com
