Surround Mix for John Luther Adams' "Canticles of the Holy Wind"

'Canticles of the Holy Wind' performed in the Met’s Medieval Sculpture Hall (Richard Termine for The New York Times)

'Canticles of the Holy Wind' performed in the Met’s Medieval Sculpture Hall (Richard Termine for The New York Times)

John Luther Adams was in the studio with producer Nathaniel Reichman mixing his highly-anticipated new choral piece "Canticles of the Holy Wind". The piece, commissioned by Chamber Choir Kamer and The Crossing Choir, was recorded in a church in rural Pennsylvania, and features The Crossing Choir led by conductor Donald Nally.

Nathaniel Reichman and John Luther Adams in The Blue Room.

Nathaniel Reichman and John Luther Adams in The Blue Room.

Cantaloupe Music’s ongoing commitment to surround-sound gave Nathaniel Reichman and recording engineer Paul Zinman the opportunity to record the piece as it was originally intended to be heard: four separate choirs surrounding the audience. Nathaniel says, “There’s always a let-down when you switch from the immersiveness of surround to the flatter, more ‘painterly’ stage of stereo. But in this piece, that difference is huge.”

John Luther Adams and Nathaniel have worked on many albums at Dubway together, including the 2015 Grammy-winning album (and Pulitzer Prize winning composition), Become Ocean. Looking ahead to the release of the new album, Nathaniel adds “John has written another profound and exquisite piece, and the choir’s performance is extraordinary. We’re all really proud of the result.”

Look for the album and new performances of "Canticles of the Holy Wind" in the spring of 2017.