Whitacre: Cloudburst (CD Review - CNN News, 2006)

'This one is in the We Told You So Department. American composer Eric Whitacre in his mid-30s, is – with the estimable Morten Lauridsen – a part of a growing bounty of choral exploration and development frequently now being recorded by the British-based Layton and his remarkable ensemble, Polyphony. And the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences have heard the word and smartly nominated this outstanding CD for a Best Choral Performance Grammy. The title work alone is a tour de force, the singers themselves creating the percussive sound of a raging storm. Note, also, the wrenching despair of “When David Heard” – this may be too much for families suffering the loss of military sons and daughers right now, by the way. Lauridsen’s new “Nocturnes” also with Polyphony – hits stores in February. For now, soak yourself in this superb “Cloudburst"'

See Recording Details