Songs of Ascension

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2011 studio album by Meredith Monk

Songs of Ascension

Studio album by

Meredith Monk

Released| May 13, 2011
Recorded| November 2009 at Academy of Arts and Letters, New York.
Genre| Minimalism
Length| 67:27
Label| ECM New Series[1]
Producer| Manfred Eicher
Meredith Monk chronology
| Beginnings
(2009)  | Songs of Ascension
(2011)  | Piano Songs
(2014)

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|

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [2]

Songs of Ascension is an album by Meredith Monk.[3] It was released on May 13, 2011, by ECM New Series. It was recorded at the BAM Harvey Theater, in New York, in 2009.[4]

It peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's Traditional Classical Albums chart.[5]

## Critical reception

[edit]

The Washington Post called the recording "radiant," writing that "although simple in its means, it is unusually rich, for Monk, in its timbres and textures."[6] The Independent wrote that "it's an innovative, provocative but enjoyable work, exploring the relations between voices and instruments ... Tremendous stuff."[7]

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Meredith Monk, except "Vow" co-written with Mieke van Hoek and "Clusters 3" co-written with Bohdan Hilash.

No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Clusters 1"| 3:17
2.| "Strand (Gathering)"| 1:55
3.| "Winter Variation"| 1:51
4.| "Cloud Code"| 3:31
5.| "Shift"| 1:51
6.| "Mapping"| 2:07
7.| "Summer Variation"| 3:16
8.| "Vow"| 3:12
9.| "Clusters 2"| 2:27
10.| "Falling"| 2:54
11.| "Burn"| 4:16
12.| "Strand (Inner Psalm)"| 3:12
13.| "Autumn Variation"| 2:48
14.| "Ledge Dance"| 1:50
15.| "Traces"| 1:20
16.| "Respite"| 5:56
17.| "Mapping Continued"| 1:29
18.| "Clusters 3"| 2:09
19.| "Spring Variation"| 4:03
20.| "Fathom"| 4:37
21.| "Ascent"| 9:26

## Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

* Sasha Bogdanowitsch – vocals
* Heather J. Buchanan – conductor
* Sidney Chen – vocals
* Emily Eagen – vocals
* Ellen Fisher – shruti box, vocals
* Katie Geissinger – shruti box, vocals
* Ching Gonzalez – shruti box, vocals
* Bohdan Hilash – alto saxophone, bass clarinet, khene, shruti Box
* John Hollenbeck – percussion, shruti box, vocals
* Ha-Yang Kim – cello, vocals
* Meredith Monk – shruti box, vocals, mixing
* Holly Nadal – vocals
* Toby Newman – vocals
* Courtney Orlando – violin, vocals
* Bruce Rameker – shruti box, vocals
* Todd Reynolds – violin
* Peter Sciscioli – vocals
* Nadia Sirota – viola, vocals
* Allison Sniffin – shruti box, vocals

Production

* Manfred Eicher – production, mixing
* James A. Farber – engineering, mixing
* Marion Gray – photography
* Sascha Kleis – design
* Paul Zinman – engineering

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "SONGS OF ASCENSION MEREDITH MONK". ECM Records. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
2. ^ Eddins, Stephen. "Meredith Monk: Songs of Ascension". Allmusic. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013.
3. ^ "Meredith Monk | Biography & History". AllMusic.
4. ^ Kozinn, Allan (October 22, 2009). "Bending Melodies on the Way to an Otherworldly Quest" - via NYTimes.com.
5. ^ "Meredith Monk". Billboard.
6. ^ Midgette, Anne (May 27, 2011). "CD review: Meredith Monk, ascending" - via www.washingtonpost.com.
7. ^ "Album: Meredith Monk, Songs of Ascension (ECM New Series)". The Independent. May 13, 2011. Archived from the original on 2022-05-24.

* v
* t
* e

Meredith Monk

Studio albums|

* Key
* Our Lady of Late
* Songs from the Hill/Tablet
* Dolmen Music
* Turtle Dreams
* Do You Be
* Book of Days
* Facing North
* Atlas: An Opera in Three Parts
* Mercy
* Impermanence
* Songs of Ascension

Compilation albums|

* Beginnings

Compositions|

* Atlas
* Possible Sky
* Stringsongs

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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