Search
27 results for “TheChoir”
-
The Secret Behind Powerful Harmonies
One of the defining characteristics of an outstanding choir is not the strength of individual voices, but the beauty of voices working together in harmony. Powerful harmonies are not accidental—they are the result of musical understanding, disciplined listening, and a shared commitment to excellence.
As a choir director and music instructor, I’ve learned that the choirs with the richest sound are not always those with the most talented singers. They are the choirs whose members understand that harmony is about collaboration, not competition.
- Listen More Than You Sing
One of the greatest mistakes singers make is focusing only on their own part. Strong harmonies begin when every singer actively listens to the voices around them.
Great choristers constantly adjust their tone, pitch, and volume to achieve a balanced ensemble sound.
A choir that listens together sings together.
- Master Your Vocal Part
Confidence in harmony begins with preparation.
Whether you sing soprano, alto, tenor, or bass, know your part thoroughly before rehearsal. When every section is secure, the choir can focus on musical expression rather than simply finding notes.
Preparation creates the flexibility required for creativity and improvisation.
- Prioritize Blend Over Volume
Harmony is not about singing louder than everyone else. It is about creating one unified sound.
Each singer should aim to blend with the choir by matching vowel sounds, tone quality, diction, and dynamics. The goal is for the audience to hear the choir—not individual voices competing for attention.
- Develop Excellent Pitch Awareness
Harmony depends on accurate intonation.
Regular ear training, scale practice, and interval exercises help singers recognize pitch relationships and maintain tuning throughout a performance.
When every voice is in tune, harmony becomes effortless and beautiful.
- Follow the Conductor
The conductor unifies the choir’s musical interpretation.
Watching the conductor helps the choir breathe together, enter confidently, shape phrases, maintain tempo, and communicate dynamics consistently.
Visual connection creates musical unity.
- Understand the Musical Story
Harmony is more than combining different notes—it is combining different voices to communicate one message.
When singers understand the meaning of the lyrics, they naturally shape their dynamics, phrasing, and emotional expression to support the message of the song.
Technical excellence becomes even more powerful when it is paired with genuine expression.
- Build Trust Within the Team
Exceptional harmony is built on genuine love and selflessness.
These allow singers to support one another, accept correction with humility, celebrate each other’s growth, and work toward a common goal without unhealthy competition.
A choir that values unity will always sound stronger than one driven by individual recognition.
Conclusion
Powerful harmonies are created long before the performance. They are built through disciplined rehearsals, attentive listening, musical preparation, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to serving the music rather than individual egos.
When every singer embraces these principles, the choir becomes more than a collection of voices—it becomes one musical instrument, capable of communicating beauty, emotion, and inspiration with remarkable impact.
Harmony is not simply about singing different notes at the same time. It is about different people working together with one purpose. No barriers, reservations, grudges, or color.
Reflection
When you sing with your choir, are you focused on being heard, or on helping the choir sound its very best?
#art #band #choir #churchchoir #collaboration #commitment #consistency #creativity #CulturalAwareness #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1928 #diversity #family #ImprovedDisciplineAndPatience #mindfulness #music #musicLanguage #musicians #musicperformance #performance #performancetips #rehearsal #respect #retreat #SATB #singer #singers #singersgospelSingers #stagepresence #teamBond #teamwork #Victoradenola“Powerful harmony begins when every singer values the success of the choir above the sound of their own voice. Unity is the foundation of every unforgettable performance.” — Victor Adenola
-
The Secret Behind Powerful Harmonies
One of the defining characteristics of an outstanding choir is not the strength of individual voices, but the beauty of voices working together in harmony. Powerful harmonies are not accidental—they are the result of musical understanding, disciplined listening, and a shared commitment to excellence.
As a choir director and music instructor, I’ve learned that the choirs with the richest sound are not always those with the most talented singers. They are the choirs whose members understand that harmony is about collaboration, not competition.
- Listen More Than You Sing
One of the greatest mistakes singers make is focusing only on their own part. Strong harmonies begin when every singer actively listens to the voices around them.
Great choristers constantly adjust their tone, pitch, and volume to achieve a balanced ensemble sound.
A choir that listens together sings together.
- Master Your Vocal Part
Confidence in harmony begins with preparation.
Whether you sing soprano, alto, tenor, or bass, know your part thoroughly before rehearsal. When every section is secure, the choir can focus on musical expression rather than simply finding notes.
Preparation creates the flexibility required for creativity and improvisation.
- Prioritize Blend Over Volume
Harmony is not about singing louder than everyone else. It is about creating one unified sound.
Each singer should aim to blend with the choir by matching vowel sounds, tone quality, diction, and dynamics. The goal is for the audience to hear the choir—not individual voices competing for attention.
- Develop Excellent Pitch Awareness
Harmony depends on accurate intonation.
Regular ear training, scale practice, and interval exercises help singers recognize pitch relationships and maintain tuning throughout a performance.
When every voice is in tune, harmony becomes effortless and beautiful.
- Follow the Conductor
The conductor unifies the choir’s musical interpretation.
Watching the conductor helps the choir breathe together, enter confidently, shape phrases, maintain tempo, and communicate dynamics consistently.
Visual connection creates musical unity.
- Understand the Musical Story
Harmony is more than combining different notes—it is combining different voices to communicate one message.
When singers understand the meaning of the lyrics, they naturally shape their dynamics, phrasing, and emotional expression to support the message of the song.
Technical excellence becomes even more powerful when it is paired with genuine expression.
- Build Trust Within the Team
Exceptional harmony is built on genuine love and selflessness.
These allow singers to support one another, accept correction with humility, celebrate each other’s growth, and work toward a common goal without unhealthy competition.
A choir that values unity will always sound stronger than one driven by individual recognition.
Conclusion
Powerful harmonies are created long before the performance. They are built through disciplined rehearsals, attentive listening, musical preparation, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to serving the music rather than individual egos.
When every singer embraces these principles, the choir becomes more than a collection of voices—it becomes one musical instrument, capable of communicating beauty, emotion, and inspiration with remarkable impact.
Harmony is not simply about singing different notes at the same time. It is about different people working together with one purpose. No barriers, reservations, grudges, or color.
Reflection
When you sing with your choir, are you focused on being heard, or on helping the choir sound its very best?
#art #band #choir #churchchoir #collaboration #commitment #consistency #creativity #CulturalAwareness #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1928 #diversity #family #ImprovedDisciplineAndPatience #mindfulness #music #musicLanguage #musicians #musicperformance #performance #performancetips #rehearsal #respect #retreat #SATB #singer #singers #singersgospelSingers #stagepresence #teamBond #teamwork #Victoradenola“Powerful harmony begins when every singer values the success of the choir above the sound of their own voice. Unity is the foundation of every unforgettable performance.” — Victor Adenola
-
The Secret Behind Powerful Harmonies
One of the defining characteristics of an outstanding choir is not the strength of individual voices, but the beauty of voices working together in harmony. Powerful harmonies are not accidental—they are the result of musical understanding, disciplined listening, and a shared commitment to excellence.
As a choir director and music instructor, I’ve learned that the choirs with the richest sound are not always those with the most talented singers. They are the choirs whose members understand that harmony is about collaboration, not competition.
- Listen More Than You Sing
One of the greatest mistakes singers make is focusing only on their own part. Strong harmonies begin when every singer actively listens to the voices around them.
Great choristers constantly adjust their tone, pitch, and volume to achieve a balanced ensemble sound.
A choir that listens together sings together.
- Master Your Vocal Part
Confidence in harmony begins with preparation.
Whether you sing soprano, alto, tenor, or bass, know your part thoroughly before rehearsal. When every section is secure, the choir can focus on musical expression rather than simply finding notes.
Preparation creates the flexibility required for creativity and improvisation.
- Prioritize Blend Over Volume
Harmony is not about singing louder than everyone else. It is about creating one unified sound.
Each singer should aim to blend with the choir by matching vowel sounds, tone quality, diction, and dynamics. The goal is for the audience to hear the choir—not individual voices competing for attention.
- Develop Excellent Pitch Awareness
Harmony depends on accurate intonation.
Regular ear training, scale practice, and interval exercises help singers recognize pitch relationships and maintain tuning throughout a performance.
When every voice is in tune, harmony becomes effortless and beautiful.
- Follow the Conductor
The conductor unifies the choir’s musical interpretation.
Watching the conductor helps the choir breathe together, enter confidently, shape phrases, maintain tempo, and communicate dynamics consistently.
Visual connection creates musical unity.
- Understand the Musical Story
Harmony is more than combining different notes—it is combining different voices to communicate one message.
When singers understand the meaning of the lyrics, they naturally shape their dynamics, phrasing, and emotional expression to support the message of the song.
Technical excellence becomes even more powerful when it is paired with genuine expression.
- Build Trust Within the Team
Exceptional harmony is built on genuine love and selflessness.
These allow singers to support one another, accept correction with humility, celebrate each other’s growth, and work toward a common goal without unhealthy competition.
A choir that values unity will always sound stronger than one driven by individual recognition.
Conclusion
Powerful harmonies are created long before the performance. They are built through disciplined rehearsals, attentive listening, musical preparation, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to serving the music rather than individual egos.
When every singer embraces these principles, the choir becomes more than a collection of voices—it becomes one musical instrument, capable of communicating beauty, emotion, and inspiration with remarkable impact.
Harmony is not simply about singing different notes at the same time. It is about different people working together with one purpose. No barriers, reservations, grudges, or color.
Reflection
When you sing with your choir, are you focused on being heard, or on helping the choir sound its very best?
#art #band #choir #churchchoir #collaboration #commitment #consistency #creativity #CulturalAwareness #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1928 #diversity #family #ImprovedDisciplineAndPatience #mindfulness #music #musicLanguage #musicians #musicperformance #performance #performancetips #rehearsal #respect #retreat #SATB #singer #singers #singersgospelSingers #stagepresence #teamBond #teamwork #Victoradenola“Powerful harmony begins when every singer values the success of the choir above the sound of their own voice. Unity is the foundation of every unforgettable performance.” — Victor Adenola
-
The Secret Behind Powerful Harmonies
One of the defining characteristics of an outstanding choir is not the strength of individual voices, but the beauty of voices working together in harmony. Powerful harmonies are not accidental—they are the result of musical understanding, disciplined listening, and a shared commitment to excellence.
As a choir director and music instructor, I’ve learned that the choirs with the richest sound are not always those with the most talented singers. They are the choirs whose members understand that harmony is about collaboration, not competition.
- Listen More Than You Sing
One of the greatest mistakes singers make is focusing only on their own part. Strong harmonies begin when every singer actively listens to the voices around them.
Great choristers constantly adjust their tone, pitch, and volume to achieve a balanced ensemble sound.
A choir that listens together sings together.
- Master Your Vocal Part
Confidence in harmony begins with preparation.
Whether you sing soprano, alto, tenor, or bass, know your part thoroughly before rehearsal. When every section is secure, the choir can focus on musical expression rather than simply finding notes.
Preparation creates the flexibility required for creativity and improvisation.
- Prioritize Blend Over Volume
Harmony is not about singing louder than everyone else. It is about creating one unified sound.
Each singer should aim to blend with the choir by matching vowel sounds, tone quality, diction, and dynamics. The goal is for the audience to hear the choir—not individual voices competing for attention.
- Develop Excellent Pitch Awareness
Harmony depends on accurate intonation.
Regular ear training, scale practice, and interval exercises help singers recognize pitch relationships and maintain tuning throughout a performance.
When every voice is in tune, harmony becomes effortless and beautiful.
- Follow the Conductor
The conductor unifies the choir’s musical interpretation.
Watching the conductor helps the choir breathe together, enter confidently, shape phrases, maintain tempo, and communicate dynamics consistently.
Visual connection creates musical unity.
- Understand the Musical Story
Harmony is more than combining different notes—it is combining different voices to communicate one message.
When singers understand the meaning of the lyrics, they naturally shape their dynamics, phrasing, and emotional expression to support the message of the song.
Technical excellence becomes even more powerful when it is paired with genuine expression.
- Build Trust Within the Team
Exceptional harmony is built on genuine love and selflessness.
These allow singers to support one another, accept correction with humility, celebrate each other’s growth, and work toward a common goal without unhealthy competition.
A choir that values unity will always sound stronger than one driven by individual recognition.
Conclusion
Powerful harmonies are created long before the performance. They are built through disciplined rehearsals, attentive listening, musical preparation, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to serving the music rather than individual egos.
When every singer embraces these principles, the choir becomes more than a collection of voices—it becomes one musical instrument, capable of communicating beauty, emotion, and inspiration with remarkable impact.
Harmony is not simply about singing different notes at the same time. It is about different people working together with one purpose. No barriers, reservations, grudges, or color.
Reflection
When you sing with your choir, are you focused on being heard, or on helping the choir sound its very best?
#art #band #choir #churchchoir #collaboration #commitment #consistency #creativity #CulturalAwareness #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1928 #diversity #family #ImprovedDisciplineAndPatience #mindfulness #music #musicLanguage #musicians #musicperformance #performance #performancetips #rehearsal #respect #retreat #SATB #singer #singers #singersgospelSingers #stagepresence #teamBond #teamwork #Victoradenola“Powerful harmony begins when every singer values the success of the choir above the sound of their own voice. Unity is the foundation of every unforgettable performance.” — Victor Adenola
-
The Secret Behind Powerful Harmonies
One of the defining characteristics of an outstanding choir is not the strength of individual voices, but the beauty of voices working together in harmony. Powerful harmonies are not accidental—they are the result of musical understanding, disciplined listening, and a shared commitment to excellence.
As a choir director and music instructor, I’ve learned that the choirs with the richest sound are not always those with the most talented singers. They are the choirs whose members understand that harmony is about collaboration, not competition.
- Listen More Than You Sing
One of the greatest mistakes singers make is focusing only on their own part. Strong harmonies begin when every singer actively listens to the voices around them.
Great choristers constantly adjust their tone, pitch, and volume to achieve a balanced ensemble sound.
A choir that listens together sings together.
- Master Your Vocal Part
Confidence in harmony begins with preparation.
Whether you sing soprano, alto, tenor, or bass, know your part thoroughly before rehearsal. When every section is secure, the choir can focus on musical expression rather than simply finding notes.
Preparation creates the flexibility required for creativity and improvisation.
- Prioritize Blend Over Volume
Harmony is not about singing louder than everyone else. It is about creating one unified sound.
Each singer should aim to blend with the choir by matching vowel sounds, tone quality, diction, and dynamics. The goal is for the audience to hear the choir—not individual voices competing for attention.
- Develop Excellent Pitch Awareness
Harmony depends on accurate intonation.
Regular ear training, scale practice, and interval exercises help singers recognize pitch relationships and maintain tuning throughout a performance.
When every voice is in tune, harmony becomes effortless and beautiful.
- Follow the Conductor
The conductor unifies the choir’s musical interpretation.
Watching the conductor helps the choir breathe together, enter confidently, shape phrases, maintain tempo, and communicate dynamics consistently.
Visual connection creates musical unity.
- Understand the Musical Story
Harmony is more than combining different notes—it is combining different voices to communicate one message.
When singers understand the meaning of the lyrics, they naturally shape their dynamics, phrasing, and emotional expression to support the message of the song.
Technical excellence becomes even more powerful when it is paired with genuine expression.
- Build Trust Within the Team
Exceptional harmony is built on genuine love and selflessness.
These allow singers to support one another, accept correction with humility, celebrate each other’s growth, and work toward a common goal without unhealthy competition.
A choir that values unity will always sound stronger than one driven by individual recognition.
Conclusion
Powerful harmonies are created long before the performance. They are built through disciplined rehearsals, attentive listening, musical preparation, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to serving the music rather than individual egos.
When every singer embraces these principles, the choir becomes more than a collection of voices—it becomes one musical instrument, capable of communicating beauty, emotion, and inspiration with remarkable impact.
Harmony is not simply about singing different notes at the same time. It is about different people working together with one purpose. No barriers, reservations, grudges, or color.
Reflection
When you sing with your choir, are you focused on being heard, or on helping the choir sound its very best?
#art #band #choir #churchchoir #collaboration #commitment #consistency #creativity #CulturalAwareness #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1928 #diversity #family #ImprovedDisciplineAndPatience #mindfulness #music #musicLanguage #musicians #musicperformance #performance #performancetips #rehearsal #respect #retreat #SATB #singer #singers #singersgospelSingers #stagepresence #teamBond #teamwork #Victoradenola“Powerful harmony begins when every singer values the success of the choir above the sound of their own voice. Unity is the foundation of every unforgettable performance.” — Victor Adenola
-
Behind the choir will be an extraordinary backdrop: a #RoodScreen made not of wood but of stone, twisting and curving to the sky. It's been dated to the 1350s. So, just after the #BlackDeath... Who would have supported innovation at such a time?
https://www.barnes1.net/clairefromclare/posts/20260618_Patronage_after_the_plague.html
@medievodons#StoneCarving #Craftsmanship #Patronage #GreatBardfield #Stebbing #LadyOfClare
-
Vanderlust – The Human Farm Review By Andy-War-HallAliens offer to take you away and give you a perfect—albeit short—life: do you say yes? According to Italian cosmic prog metal band Vanderlust, many of you would. “So, a bunch of people everywhere on Earth gave themselves” to the Coelacanths for that same offer, so opens The Human Farm. Several generations later, a human uprising leads to an escape from slavery and the discovery that the Coelacanths were all along harvesting Humans for their emotions. This isn’t meant to be funny. Vanderlust were deadset on telling a compelling sci-fi adventure in The Human Farm, enlisting guest keyboardist Francesco Londino (S91) and vocalist Martina Barreca (Mass Excess) to play the role of the Coelacanths. But did Vanderlust give us a sci-fi adventure for the ages with The Human Farm?
The gooey earnestness with which Vanderlust spill their adventure on The Human Farm is often matched by skill and musical vision. Vanderlust tear through speed-demonic numbers like “Viral Escape” or “Golden Shackles” with acerbically hooky, Vektor-gone-power-metal riffage while creating respite between the narrative beats with moody clean guitars and skittering drums on “The Turning Point” and “Connection Failed.” Guitarist Francesco Romeggini solos like mad on The Human Farm, shredding Megadethly over Blind Guardian riffs on the almost-instrumental “From the Cave – Fuga” and imbuing “Drive” with a gravitas and refinement. Bassist David Cantina and drummer Giacomo Mezzetti hold down Vanderlust’s rhythms, both driving (“Reborn…Again”) and groovy (“Humanity 3.0 – The New Canaan”) and shine on the “Battlefield”‘s bass solo and underlying fills. Ricca Morello’s vocals can get a bit mush-mouthed in the softer moments, but his power metal-inclined range and delivery crush the big moments, and Barreca’s death growls hit consistently, recalling Ophelion’s vocal duo on 2025’s The Jaunt. The Human Farm isn’t groundbreaking conceptually, but Vanderlust have the chops to tell their tale.
The Human Farm thrives in its biggest moments. Morello sounds his best when he goes all in, like on the Blind Guardian-coded power bonanza “Battlefield”1 and emotionally charged bookends “Humanity 2.0 – The Human Farm” and “Humanity 3.0 – The New Canaan.” Barreca’s growls add tons of punch to Vanderlust’s sound. When she trades lines with the choir on “Connection Failed” or clean sings on “Reborn…Again” and brings Meat Loaf melodrama to Dream Theater balladry, it feels so right. However, The Human Farm lulls when Vanderlust take the pedal off the metal. Momentum from “Golden Shackles” dissipates in the slow-burning of “The Turning Point” and doesn’t return until halfway through “Connection Failed,” and the barn-burning energy of “Viral Escape” is utterly deflated by the narrative interlude “…Find Them!”. However, Vanderlust are at any given time never too far off from another soaring crescendo, making The Human Farm an exciting listen, if not consistently so.
Vanderlust’s conceptual ambitions ultimately hinder The Human Farm, I feel. Vanderlust frequently dumb down musical ideas to allow narration more sonic space. This issue is exacerbated by the uniformly bad acting performances across The Human Farm, which resembles those 90s PC games where they just threw some interns into the booth. But even if the line reads were good, interjected into songs like “From the Cave – Fuga” and “Connection Failed,” they come off as a tacked-on concession to the story rather than an integral part of the music, coming off as distracting or even detrimental to the music. Vanderlust can do interesting things musically to tell their story, like having Barreca clean sing in “Reborn…Again” after the Coelacanths are defeated, reflecting them at their most vulnerable, or reworking the “Humanity 2.0…” motif into the end of “Humanity 3.0…,” where humankind has escaped captivity but find new challenges in freedom and lead some to question their revolution altogether.2 But for the most part, the way Vanderlust tell the story of The Human Farm detracts from what they do well: thrashy prog-power anthems.
If Vanderlust could hone their storytelling as well as their songwriting on The Human Farm, we’d have a great record on our hands. As is, there are too many conflicting elements in The Human Farm for more than a lukewarm recommendation, though there are fantastic songs throughout. Fans of prog-power will find things to like here, and Vanderlust is a band to keep an eye on, and I certainly will try to catch their third album should they make one. I’m not sure if Vanderlust have a Terminal Redux or Access All Worlds in them, but I wouldn’t put it past them either.
Rating: Mixed
#25 #2026 #Apr26 #BlindGuardian #DreamTheater #ItalianMetal #MassExcess #MeatLoaf #Megadeth #Ophelion #PowerMetal #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #RockshotsRecords #S91 #TheHumanFarm #Vanderlust #Vektor
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: V0 VBR mp3
Label: Rockshots Records
Websites: facebook.com/vanderlustofficial | soundcloud.com/vanderlust-music
Releases Worldwide: April 17th, 2026 -
Over the holidays I crocheted this mastodon for m'husband.
I originally posted on my profile on Mastodon.lol, which sadly has now joined the choir eternal, so the original post has vanished into the ether.So apologies if you have already seen this, but I wanted to repost it because I'm especially proud of it.
Not my design, I just followed a pattern
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mortimer-the-mammoth
#amigurumi #Crochet #crochetofmastodon #crochetodon #johnMasodon
-
Over the holidays I crocheted this mastodon for m'husband.
I originally posted on my profile on Mastodon.lol, which sadly has now joined the choir eternal, so the original post has vanished into the ether.So apologies if you have already seen this, but I wanted to repost it because I'm especially proud of it.
Not my design, I just followed a pattern
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mortimer-the-mammoth
#amigurumi #Crochet #crochetofmastodon #crochetodon #johnMasodon
-
Over the holidays I crocheted this mastodon for m'husband.
I originally posted on my profile on Mastodon.lol, which sadly has now joined the choir eternal, so the original post has vanished into the ether.So apologies if you have already seen this, but I wanted to repost it because I'm especially proud of it.
Not my design, I just followed a pattern
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mortimer-the-mammoth
#amigurumi #Crochet #crochetofmastodon #crochetodon #johnMasodon
-
Over the holidays I crocheted this mastodon for m'husband.
I originally posted on my profile on Mastodon.lol, which sadly has now joined the choir eternal, so the original post has vanished into the ether.So apologies if you have already seen this, but I wanted to repost it because I'm especially proud of it.
Not my design, I just followed a pattern
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mortimer-the-mammoth
#amigurumi #Crochet #crochetofmastodon #crochetodon #johnMasodon
-
Over the holidays I crocheted this mastodon for m'husband.
I originally posted on my profile on Mastodon.lol, which sadly has now joined the choir eternal, so the original post has vanished into the ether.So apologies if you have already seen this, but I wanted to repost it because I'm especially proud of it.
Not my design, I just followed a pattern
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mortimer-the-mammoth
#amigurumi #Crochet #crochetofmastodon #crochetodon #johnMasodon
-
Wim Henderickx explores the pitfalls of intercultural relationships in The Convert: ‘My opera is highly topical’
On 10 May, the Opera Ballet Flanders presents the world premiere of The Convert by Wim Henderickx. The libretto was written by Krystian Lada and is based on the book of the same name by Stefan Hertmans. At the time of the First Crusade, a young Catholic woman converts to the Jewish faith and finds herself torn between two worlds.
‘It was love at first sight’, enthuses Wim Henderickx during a Skype conversation. ‘I was working on a play about Hadewych when The Convert was mentioned in a television programme. I had been searching for a suitable opera-subject for ages. I bought the book, read it in two days and sketched my entire opera on the third.’
The soprano Lore Binon sings Vigdis © Hans Op de Beeck / © Tim CoppensThe theme of someone who burns their boats behind them has preoccupied him all his life: ‘It touches on essential questions about the human condition that are typical of my humanity, my being a composer. How far can you go as a person before you capitulate? Why do people commit suicide, when and why do they finally give up? Vigdis, the main character in Hertmans’ novel, keeps going until the bitter end and eventually breaks down both mentally and physically.’
HUMAN DRAMA
But this is not the only appeal of the book, which is based on historical facts: ‘A second theme is the religious question, which is still very topical today. Replace the Taliban with the Crusaders and you have a reverse jihad, perpetrated by the West from our religious point of view. At the same time, it touches on a current cultural problem: what if you fall in love with the wrong person? When a Moroccan girl falls for a western boy, or vice versa?’
Henderickx regards this as a timeless theme that lies at the core of opera: ‘It is about impossible love, a human drama. As a young, naive girl, Vigdis is attracted to David, a somewhat exotic boy from another culture, the son of a rabbi. She recklessly converts to his faith, without considering the consequences. Her Catholic surroundings cannot accept such a step, so she has to flee from certain death for the rest of her life.’
Henderickx feels compassion for Vigdis, who changes her name to Hamoutal at her Jewish baptism: ‘She comes from a well-to-do Viking family, but realises fairly quickly that she has irrevocably lost all her privileges and the respect and love of her relatives. She is happy with David and is lovingly accepted into the Jewish community, but must hide from the ruthless wrath of her parents. This makes her doubt her faith as well, hence the subtitle Praying to whom?’
Wim Henderickx during a rehearsal of The ConvertTORN BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
The young couple make a long and harsh hike from Normandy to a village in the Provence, where they find shelter through a befriended rabbi and will have two children. On the way, they are constantly harassed by people who think they recognise them and threaten to report them to her parents. In such anxious moments, Vigdis at times lapses into reciting her familiar Catholic prayers, to David’s slight annoyance.
Still, we should not be too hard on him, Henderickx says: ‘David belongs to a dominant culture and simply cannot help himself. After all, Vigdis was neither requested nor required to convert, but once she has taken that step there is no way back: she must from then on abide by Jewish laws.’
‘I myself live in the Jewish neighbourhood in Antwerp. It’s my experience that their religion is not driven by a missionary urge as are Christianity and Islam, so I can understand David’s reaction. But despite everything he is a gentle and caring man. He does try to reassure Vigdis, but finds it difficult when she prays to her Christian God. Of course you can wonder why he didn’t convert to her faith, but in the end David too must pay for his choice of Vigdis with his life.’
FROM NAIVE TEENAGER TO CARING MOTHER
When Crusaders pass through the village where the family is hiding, they carry out a bloody pogrom. They kill David in front of Vigdis, who is pregnant with their third child. One of the knights recognises her and spares her life, but takes her children with him. Again she has to flee. Ever fearful of discovery, she loses her new-born baby on the way. After much wandering, she ends up in Cairo, where she marries an older man, with whom she has another child.
Wim Henderickx & Stefan HertmansHenderickx: ‘Vigdis is an incredibly strong woman. In the beginning, she is still a somewhat thoughtless young girl, but she develops into a loving mother who never gives up. When her new husband finds out that her children are living with her parents in Normandy, she immediately returns to France, determined to retrieve them. She takes her son with her, but when the infant dies on the way, she loses her mind. Broken, she returns to the village where she once lived with David. She hides in a cave, where she neglects herself and lives like an animal.’
BREAKDOWN AND REDEMPTION
‘I wrote her to pieces at the end’, says Henderickx, almost apologetically, ‘I really let her break down completely’. This is in line with Hertmans’ novel, in which Vigdis dies witless and ragged, after eating poisonous mushrooms. Krystian Lada’s libretto follows the original closely, but in consultation with Henderickx he sometimes made minor changes to the original. ‘I found Vigdis’ inglorious death a little too desolate; I didn’t want to end my opera like that. But how then? In the end I opted for a twofold finale.’
‘The horror of her fate is expressed in Vigdis almost literally losing her voice. She descends into a very low register, where she switches from a half-sung Sprechstimme to a spoken voice. This is manipulated and, as it were, ripped apart by electronics. Thus her voice becomes a succession of incoherent, desperately emitted sounds. But I needed a catharsis, to overshadow this intense drama. That is why the choir sings the Kaddish at the end, a Jewish prayer for redemption and peace.’
Just as the opera ends with a Jewish prayer sung in Aramaic, it begins with the Catholic Magnificat, sung in Latin. ‘In the extremes of the opera, the two great cultures at issue stand side by side, or if you like, opposite each other’, says Henderickx. These different worlds are also reflected in the music: ‘I was inspired by Catholic and Jewish chants, but never used literal quotations. Open fifths and the ringing of church bells evoke associations with the world of Vigdis, while sliding microtones refer to David’s oriental background.’
COEXISTING SOUND WORLDS
The orchestra also includes three instruments that are characteristic of the Middle East: an oud (a plucked instrument akin to the lute); a qanûn (a trapeze-shaped plank zither strung with three-stranded strings) and a duduk (a double reed instrument with a muffled sound, akin to the oboe).
Henderickx did not use a church organ, which could function as a typical western counterpart to the eastern instruments. He does however make frequent use of clarinets: ‘There are three clarinettists, the third of whom also plays bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet. In this way I can suggest various organ registrations. Like the more oriental instruments, this gives me the opportunity to add extra layers of sound that recall the world of Vigdis and David. After all, the sound universes of both parties, both religions and cultures coexisted.’
Even more important, he believes, is to make the universal, timeless aspect of their story tangible: ‘By spicing up the somewhat archaic sound textures with modern dissonances, I draw the story into the modern age. Thus, right at the start, the Magnificat is accompanied by the sounds of duduk, qanûn and oud. These different musical worlds are encompassed by a large melodic line. For it is all about Great Emotions! I am not at all afraid to underline them in my music.’ To illustrate this, he sings in flowery coloratura: ‘Ma-hag-ni-hi-fi-cat’.
First Crusade (c) WikipediaTIME BECOMES SPACE
He consciously avoided the use of leitmotifs: ‘I have tried to transcend that, it’s not about whether the music follows the story or vice versa. It all belongs together, it is one trip. There are recurring elements, such as ostinatos, drones and a kind of empty sound in which time becomes space. Vigdis literally sings about this. It is an idea that fascinates me as a composer: music is an art of time, but what if that time becomes space and comes to a standstill? We translate this thought into the concert hall, where we place speakers around the audience so that the sound comes from all sides.’
‘This concept of time becoming space is more important to me than whether Vigdis is accompanied by a horn or a trumpet or a melodic motif. I have tried to express her emotions along the way – from young girl to caring mother to half-wild woman. One problem was that from beginning to end she is on the road, fleeing from one country to another. First with David, then alone.’
Henderickx feared The Convert might become an opera about travel: ‘To avoid this, I have created different musical layers. First there is the dramatic stratum, in which the pace must be maintained. Take for instance the pogrom at the end of the first act. That has become an impressive war scene, with screaming people, an “exploding orchestra”, and an animalistic howl from Vigdis when David is killed.’
MEDIEVAL STORY HIGHLY TOPICAL
‘On the other hand, moments are needed to create inner peace. For example, at the beginning of the second act Vigdis sings a lament, while cradling her new-born baby. Krystian and I have also included a few dreams that act as a counterbalance to the hectic nature of travel. In these, a different type of music can be heard, in which everything seems to come to a standstill. These moments also give the audience a chance to catch their breath.’
‘For, once again: the story may be set in the Middle Ages, but it is more topical than ever. That is what I want to make palpable with my opera.’
This article first appeared in the April issue of the Dutch music magazine Luister. I translated it at the request of Norsk Musikforlagene, Henderickx’ publisher.
On Sunday 18 December 2022 Wim Henderickx sadly died of a stroke, only 60 years old.
#KrystianLada #OperaBalletFlanders #StefanHertmans #TheConvert #WimHenderickx
-
Breaking Free from Monotone Singing
One of the most common challenges I observe as a vocal instructor and choir director is monotone singing. Many singers have beautiful voices, yet their delivery lacks expression because they sing almost every note with the same pitch, energy, or emotional intensity.
Music is more than producing sound—it is communicating a message. When expression is missing, even the most powerful lyrics can lose their impact.
What Is Monotone Singing?
Monotone singing occurs when a singer uses little or no variation in pitch, dynamics, or vocal expression. The performance sounds flat, repetitive, and emotionally disconnected, even if the words are correct.
For choirs, monotone singing can make the entire ensemble sound lifeless and reduce the emotional impact of the music.
Common Causes of Monotone Singing
- Limited Listening Skills: Some singers focus only on memorizing lyrics without carefully listening to melody, phrasing, and musical expression.
- Lack of Vocal Confidence: Fear of making mistakes often causes singers to play it safe, resulting in restricted vocal expression.
- Poor Breath Support: Without proper breath control, singers struggle to sustain phrases, shape melodies, and sing with dynamic contrast.
- Singing Without Understanding the Lyrics: When singers do not understand the message of a song, they cannot communicate its emotions convincingly.
- Insufficient Ear Training: Difficulty in hearing pitch changes can make melodies sound flat and reduce vocal flexibility.
How to Overcome Monotone Singing
- Listen Before You Sing: Study recordings by skilled vocalists and choirs. Pay attention to how they use phrasing, dynamics, and emotion—not just the notes.
- Understand the Message: Before singing, ask yourself: What is this song communicating? What emotions should it convey? Which words deserve emphasis?
- Develop Dynamic Control: Practice singing passages softly, then gradually louder, without losing pitch or tone quality. Dynamic variation brings life to your performance.
- Improve Breath Management: Good breath support gives you greater control over phrasing, tone, and vocal expression. Breathing exercises should be a regular part of your vocal practice.
- Strengthen Your Musical Ear: Practice scales, interval training, and melodic exercises regularly. The better you hear musical movement, the more confidently you can reproduce it.
- Sing with Intention: Don’t simply sing the notes. Communicate the story behind them. Let your facial expression, tone, and delivery reflect the meaning of the lyrics.
When the message becomes personal, expression becomes natural. – Victor Adenola
For Choir Directors
Create rehearsals that go beyond learning notes. Help singers explore:
- The meaning of the lyrics.
- Appropriate dynamics.
- Vocal blend and balance.
- Emotional connection.
- Stage presence.
- Clear diction and articulation.
When singers understand both the music and the message, the choir becomes far more engaging.
Conclusion
Great singing is not defined by vocal power alone. It is the ability to connect music with meaning and communicate it authentically.
Every song tells a story. Every phrase carries emotion. Every singer has the opportunity to move hearts—not merely by singing louder, but by singing with understanding, conviction, and expression.
Reflection
When people hear you sing, do they only hear your voice, or do they also experience the message behind your song?
#art #choir #churchchoir #musicDirector #musicLanguage #musicperformance #performance #performancetips #practicing #rehearsal #rehearsals #singer #singersgospelSingers #singingtips #Victoradenola #voicecoach“A memorable voice is not the loudest one in the room, but the one that brings every lyric to life with meaning, conviction, and expression.” — Victor Adenola
-
Breaking Free from Monotone Singing
One of the most common challenges I observe as a vocal instructor and choir director is monotone singing. Many singers have beautiful voices, yet their delivery lacks expression because they sing almost every note with the same pitch, energy, or emotional intensity.
Music is more than producing sound—it is communicating a message. When expression is missing, even the most powerful lyrics can lose their impact.
What Is Monotone Singing?
Monotone singing occurs when a singer uses little or no variation in pitch, dynamics, or vocal expression. The performance sounds flat, repetitive, and emotionally disconnected, even if the words are correct.
For choirs, monotone singing can make the entire ensemble sound lifeless and reduce the emotional impact of the music.
Common Causes of Monotone Singing
- Limited Listening Skills: Some singers focus only on memorizing lyrics without carefully listening to melody, phrasing, and musical expression.
- Lack of Vocal Confidence: Fear of making mistakes often causes singers to play it safe, resulting in restricted vocal expression.
- Poor Breath Support: Without proper breath control, singers struggle to sustain phrases, shape melodies, and sing with dynamic contrast.
- Singing Without Understanding the Lyrics: When singers do not understand the message of a song, they cannot communicate its emotions convincingly.
- Insufficient Ear Training: Difficulty in hearing pitch changes can make melodies sound flat and reduce vocal flexibility.
How to Overcome Monotone Singing
- Listen Before You Sing: Study recordings by skilled vocalists and choirs. Pay attention to how they use phrasing, dynamics, and emotion—not just the notes.
- Understand the Message: Before singing, ask yourself: What is this song communicating? What emotions should it convey? Which words deserve emphasis?
- Develop Dynamic Control: Practice singing passages softly, then gradually louder, without losing pitch or tone quality. Dynamic variation brings life to your performance.
- Improve Breath Management: Good breath support gives you greater control over phrasing, tone, and vocal expression. Breathing exercises should be a regular part of your vocal practice.
- Strengthen Your Musical Ear: Practice scales, interval training, and melodic exercises regularly. The better you hear musical movement, the more confidently you can reproduce it.
- Sing with Intention: Don’t simply sing the notes. Communicate the story behind them. Let your facial expression, tone, and delivery reflect the meaning of the lyrics.
When the message becomes personal, expression becomes natural. – Victor Adenola
For Choir Directors
Create rehearsals that go beyond learning notes. Help singers explore:
- The meaning of the lyrics.
- Appropriate dynamics.
- Vocal blend and balance.
- Emotional connection.
- Stage presence.
- Clear diction and articulation.
When singers understand both the music and the message, the choir becomes far more engaging.
Conclusion
Great singing is not defined by vocal power alone. It is the ability to connect music with meaning and communicate it authentically.
Every song tells a story. Every phrase carries emotion. Every singer has the opportunity to move hearts—not merely by singing louder, but by singing with understanding, conviction, and expression.
Reflection
When people hear you sing, do they only hear your voice, or do they also experience the message behind your song?
#art #choir #churchchoir #musicDirector #musicLanguage #musicperformance #performance #performancetips #practicing #rehearsal #rehearsals #singer #singersgospelSingers #singingtips #Victoradenola #voicecoach“A memorable voice is not the loudest one in the room, but the one that brings every lyric to life with meaning, conviction, and expression.” — Victor Adenola
-
Breaking Free from Monotone Singing
One of the most common challenges I observe as a vocal instructor and choir director is monotone singing. Many singers have beautiful voices, yet their delivery lacks expression because they sing almost every note with the same pitch, energy, or emotional intensity.
Music is more than producing sound—it is communicating a message. When expression is missing, even the most powerful lyrics can lose their impact.
What Is Monotone Singing?
Monotone singing occurs when a singer uses little or no variation in pitch, dynamics, or vocal expression. The performance sounds flat, repetitive, and emotionally disconnected, even if the words are correct.
For choirs, monotone singing can make the entire ensemble sound lifeless and reduce the emotional impact of the music.
Common Causes of Monotone Singing
- Limited Listening Skills: Some singers focus only on memorizing lyrics without carefully listening to melody, phrasing, and musical expression.
- Lack of Vocal Confidence: Fear of making mistakes often causes singers to play it safe, resulting in restricted vocal expression.
- Poor Breath Support: Without proper breath control, singers struggle to sustain phrases, shape melodies, and sing with dynamic contrast.
- Singing Without Understanding the Lyrics: When singers do not understand the message of a song, they cannot communicate its emotions convincingly.
- Insufficient Ear Training: Difficulty in hearing pitch changes can make melodies sound flat and reduce vocal flexibility.
How to Overcome Monotone Singing
- Listen Before You Sing: Study recordings by skilled vocalists and choirs. Pay attention to how they use phrasing, dynamics, and emotion—not just the notes.
- Understand the Message: Before singing, ask yourself: What is this song communicating? What emotions should it convey? Which words deserve emphasis?
- Develop Dynamic Control: Practice singing passages softly, then gradually louder, without losing pitch or tone quality. Dynamic variation brings life to your performance.
- Improve Breath Management: Good breath support gives you greater control over phrasing, tone, and vocal expression. Breathing exercises should be a regular part of your vocal practice.
- Strengthen Your Musical Ear: Practice scales, interval training, and melodic exercises regularly. The better you hear musical movement, the more confidently you can reproduce it.
- Sing with Intention: Don’t simply sing the notes. Communicate the story behind them. Let your facial expression, tone, and delivery reflect the meaning of the lyrics.
When the message becomes personal, expression becomes natural. – Victor Adenola
For Choir Directors
Create rehearsals that go beyond learning notes. Help singers explore:
- The meaning of the lyrics.
- Appropriate dynamics.
- Vocal blend and balance.
- Emotional connection.
- Stage presence.
- Clear diction and articulation.
When singers understand both the music and the message, the choir becomes far more engaging.
Conclusion
Great singing is not defined by vocal power alone. It is the ability to connect music with meaning and communicate it authentically.
Every song tells a story. Every phrase carries emotion. Every singer has the opportunity to move hearts—not merely by singing louder, but by singing with understanding, conviction, and expression.
Reflection
When people hear you sing, do they only hear your voice, or do they also experience the message behind your song?
#art #choir #churchchoir #musicDirector #musicLanguage #musicperformance #performance #performancetips #practicing #rehearsal #rehearsals #singer #singersgospelSingers #singingtips #Victoradenola #voicecoach“A memorable voice is not the loudest one in the room, but the one that brings every lyric to life with meaning, conviction, and expression.” — Victor Adenola
-
This is a Spanish language commercial for the former Venezuelan airlines Viasa. There is a DC-10 throughout and snappy music all sung to by the lovely voice of Gianna Alfano.
Amar el espacio, el viento, las nubes, eso es volar.
The choir goes: Solo con VIASA, siempre con VIASA.Sentir que el tiempo vuela, contar con gente amable y cordial eso es volar.
Choir: Solo con VIASA, siempre con VIASA.
#viasa #dc10 #aviation #venezuela -
Dear Icelanders
I recommend you to vote against EU membership negotiations for the following reasons:
1. The EU is not a democracy because the parliament does not have the usual rights a democratic parliament has: Proposals are made in the EU commission and the council of the EU member states and not in the parliament. The parliament can just say yes or no, with the latter usually resulting in "negotiations" so that proposals will still pass later. Since Iceland will only get a few seats in the parliament because of its size, the rest of the EU can overrule the few icelandic representatives. Have a look on how EU legislation works and decide for yourself if that would be democratic enough for you:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/about-parliament/en/parliaments-powers/legislative-powers
2. EU journalists get sanctioned nowadays when they report the "wrong" matters. Lookup the case of german journalist Hüseyin Doğru: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%BCseyin_Do%C4%9Fru
Icelandic journalists can face the same consequences when reporting "wrongly".
3. The EU is beginning to fall apart from the right-wing politics of member state governments: Some Schengen borders like the german ones are closed again and national rivalry is rising - often because of disagreements on how to "handle" refugees and because of member state decisions regarding militarisation. Iceland will be joining the party when others are thinking about leaving (like France might after the next election) and one already left (UK).
4. Adopting the Euro would mean that Iceland cannot handle the next financial crisis or crash "locally". Instead, the ECB will decide what to do and Iceland will just be a very small voice in the choir.
-
How to Prepare for Choir Rehearsal
A productive rehearsal begins long before the choir gathers. The quality of every rehearsal depends on how well each member prepares beforehand.
As a choir director and music instructor, I’ve discovered that the most successful rehearsals are not those where people come to learn everything from scratch—they are those where members arrive prepared, focused, and ready to contribute.
Preparation is a sign of respect for the choir, the director, and the music you have been entrusted to present.
- Spend Time with the Music
Don’t wait until rehearsal to hear the songs for the first time. Listen to the recordings, study your vocal part, and become familiar with the melody, rhythm, and lyrics.
Personal preparation makes group rehearsals more productive.
2. Warm Up Your Voice
Your voice is your instrument, and every instrument performs better when properly prepared.
Spend 10–15 minutes doing breathing exercises, humming, lip trills, and vocal scales before rehearsal. A warmed-up voice is more flexible, controlled, and less likely to become strained.
3. Pray and Prepare Your Mind
Whether your choir serves in ministry or performs professionally, mental and spiritual preparation are important..
Leave behind unnecessary distractions and come with a willingness to learn, receive correction, and contribute positively to the team.
A focused mind leads to a focused rehearsal.
4. Arrive Early
Being early gives you time to settle in, greet your team, organize your music, and warm up without rushing.
Punctuality reflects professionalism and respect for everyone’s time.
5. Bring Everything You Need
Come prepared with your music folder, notebook, pencil, water bottle, tablet, or any materials required for rehearsal.
Being prepared minimizes interruptions and keeps rehearsals flowing smoothly.
6. Review Previous Corrections
If the choir director gave corrections during the last rehearsal, take time to practice them before the next one.
Growth happens when corrections are applied—not merely heard.
7. Come Ready to Listen
Rehearsal is more than singing. It is a time to listen carefully to instructions, blend with other voices, and work together toward a common goal.
A choir that listens well learns faster.
8. Bring the Right Attitude
Perhaps the most important preparation is your attitude.
Come with humility, patience, teachability, and a willingness to support your fellow choir members. Encourage others, avoid distractions, and focus on contributing to the success of the entire team.
Great rehearsals are built by people with great attitudes.
Conclusion
Choir rehearsal is not just about learning songs—it’s about building excellence together. Every member contributes to the atmosphere, the progress, and the final performance.
When everyone arrives prepared, rehearsals become more efficient, music becomes more expressive, and the choir grows stronger with every session.
Preparation doesn’t guarantee perfection, but it gives excellence the opportunity to thrive.
Reflection
If every member of your choir prepared the way you do, how much more effective would your next rehearsal be?
#art #band #bands #bootCamp #choir #churchchoir #commitment #consistency #musicDirector #rehearsal #respect #retreat #SATB #singers #singersgospelSingers #VictoradenolaGreat performances begin long before the stage. They are built by singers who prepare with discipline, rehearse with purpose, and serve with excellence.” — Victor Adenola
-
How to Prepare for Choir Rehearsal
A productive rehearsal begins long before the choir gathers. The quality of every rehearsal depends on how well each member prepares beforehand.
As a choir director and music instructor, I’ve discovered that the most successful rehearsals are not those where people come to learn everything from scratch—they are those where members arrive prepared, focused, and ready to contribute.
Preparation is a sign of respect for the choir, the director, and the music you have been entrusted to present.
- Spend Time with the Music
Don’t wait until rehearsal to hear the songs for the first time. Listen to the recordings, study your vocal part, and become familiar with the melody, rhythm, and lyrics.
Personal preparation makes group rehearsals more productive.
2. Warm Up Your Voice
Your voice is your instrument, and every instrument performs better when properly prepared.
Spend 10–15 minutes doing breathing exercises, humming, lip trills, and vocal scales before rehearsal. A warmed-up voice is more flexible, controlled, and less likely to become strained.
3. Pray and Prepare Your Mind
Whether your choir serves in ministry or performs professionally, mental and spiritual preparation are important..
Leave behind unnecessary distractions and come with a willingness to learn, receive correction, and contribute positively to the team.
A focused mind leads to a focused rehearsal.
4. Arrive Early
Being early gives you time to settle in, greet your team, organize your music, and warm up without rushing.
Punctuality reflects professionalism and respect for everyone’s time.
5. Bring Everything You Need
Come prepared with your music folder, notebook, pencil, water bottle, tablet, or any materials required for rehearsal.
Being prepared minimizes interruptions and keeps rehearsals flowing smoothly.
6. Review Previous Corrections
If the choir director gave corrections during the last rehearsal, take time to practice them before the next one.
Growth happens when corrections are applied—not merely heard.
7. Come Ready to Listen
Rehearsal is more than singing. It is a time to listen carefully to instructions, blend with other voices, and work together toward a common goal.
A choir that listens well learns faster.
8. Bring the Right Attitude
Perhaps the most important preparation is your attitude.
Come with humility, patience, teachability, and a willingness to support your fellow choir members. Encourage others, avoid distractions, and focus on contributing to the success of the entire team.
Great rehearsals are built by people with great attitudes.
Conclusion
Choir rehearsal is not just about learning songs—it’s about building excellence together. Every member contributes to the atmosphere, the progress, and the final performance.
When everyone arrives prepared, rehearsals become more efficient, music becomes more expressive, and the choir grows stronger with every session.
Preparation doesn’t guarantee perfection, but it gives excellence the opportunity to thrive.
Reflection
If every member of your choir prepared the way you do, how much more effective would your next rehearsal be?
#art #band #bands #bootCamp #choir #churchchoir #commitment #consistency #musicDirector #rehearsal #respect #retreat #SATB #singers #singersgospelSingers #VictoradenolaGreat performances begin long before the stage. They are built by singers who prepare with discipline, rehearse with purpose, and serve with excellence.” — Victor Adenola
-
Laudare – Requiem [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]
By Killjoy
Requiem is a concept album in the truest sense. Laudare, a young group from Leipzig, Germany that promotes its music as “violent poetry,” chose to follow one of the oldest musical themes: a Requiem Mass. All lyrics are in Latin and taken directly from the liturgical text of a Catholic Mass for the Dead, which puts Laudare on a well-trodden path with the likes of Mozart, Verdi, and countless other famous historical composers. This association is reflected in the music of Requiem, wherein Laudare have assimilated classical chamber music into their modest brand of post-metal. Rather than mourning the death of a specific individual, Requiem is an ode to the concept of death, “the inevitable, that we fear so much and that makes us human after all.”
The members of Laudare have matured rapidly as composers since their formation in 2017. I presume this is largely due to the arrival of cellist Almut Voigt. Her cello is allowed equal—and often greater—opportunity than Daniel Kaltofen’s guitar to carry the lead melodies. This places Requiem in a similar space as Anareta’s debut from last year, though the absence of the violin and viola gives Requiem a deeper, warmer sound. True to the theme, grief and mourning manifest in diverse ways. Sometimes with a doleful croon from Voigt or Kaltofen laced with tender piano, cello, or acoustic guitar passages (“Hostias,” “Rex Tremendae”), but more often through the anguished growls, screams, and wails of bassist Marie-Luise Thurm (best exemplified in “Offertorium”). The transitions between these two extremes are some of the smoothest I’ve ever heard, much to the benefit of the overall pacing of the record.
Requiem is a perfectly balanced affair with incredible synergy between all four band members. The first track, “Introitus,” opens with all three vocalists singing in reverent harmony, then shifts to Thurm’s biting barks embellished by female choral notes from Voigt. The cello and bass guitar complement each other, particularly during the quiet passage in “Quid Sum Miser” that leaves the two of them exposed. Drummer Oliver Ruß1 deftly matches whatever tempo and intensity is required, from frenetic rhythms (“Sanctus”) to soft drum rod taps (“Lacrimosa”) and rim clicks (“Quaerens Me”). As if all of this weren’t enough, they even collaborate with a live choir—courtesy of Unichor Leipzig—in a few of the latter tracks. The choir elevates the music to epic proportions in the finale of “Lacrimosa,” and when the powerful chorus of voices is punctuated by chilling screams is the high point of Requiem.
Like an obsidian dagger, Requiem is beautiful, delicate, and piercing in equal measure. Not a single note feels out of place; every single second is supremely sublime. I can think of nothing that I would change after dozens of listens. Even the total runtime is an ideal 42 minutes. With this, their sophomore full-length, Laudare ascend to a higher echelon of composers. Violent poetry, indeed!
Tracks to Check Out: “Dies Irae,” “Quid Sum Miser,” “Lacrimosa”
Show 1 footnote
- Who left Laudare shortly before the release of Requiem. ↩
#2024 #Anareta #ChamberMusic #GermanMetal #Laudare #MomentOfCollapseRecords #PostMetal #Requiem #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2024
-
"Mr. #Sandman" (or "Mister Sandman") is a popular song written by Pat Ballard and published in 1954. It was first recorded in May of that year by Vaughn #Monroe and his #orchestra and later that year by #TheChordettes and #theFourAces. The song's lyrics convey a request to "Mr. #Sandman" to "bring me a #dream" – the traditional association of the #folkloric figure (but in this context the meaning of dream is more akin to ' #dreamboat').
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU5UkSP7u2Y -
#StitchIt, Don’t ditch it: Resisting #FastFashion through #VisibleMending
Kaja Šeruga
Fri, June 13, 2025"Once a month between April and October, a group of stitchers takes to the streets of #EdinburghScotland, making themselves comfortable on camping chairs decorated with hand-embroidered banners inviting people to #stitchitdontditchit. Equipped with sewing baskets and mending skills, they repair their garments in public and teach interested passers-by how to do the same.
"The #EdinburghStreetStitchers, as they call themselves, are part of a growing movement that is reclaiming the ancient art of mending. Historically, mending was done in private and in ways that concealed, rather than announced, the repair. Choosing instead to mend visibly—whether through the color of the stitching or by doing it in a public location—is a statement and a conversation starter, Reasons to be Cheerful says.
" 'You are clearly stating that you have kept this from a #landfill,' says Kate Sekules, a mender who teaches fashion history at the Pratt Institute in New York City’s borough of Brooklyn, and is pursuing a PhD in the history and theory of mending. 'It’s also got the advantage of making everything you own unique and special. And when you’ve invested time and energy and thought and craft into your clothing, you value it so much more.'
"Inspired by the global #StreetStitching movement, the former pharmacist Mary Morton started the #Edinburgh group in 2022, three years after a discussion with her son sent her down a rabbit hole of research and learning about the #ClimateCrisis. 'At the end of all of that, I was absolutely horrified. I thought, ‘What can I do about it?' she recalls.
"Volunteering at the #SHRUBCooperative, which is working to reduce waste in Edinburgh, she learned about the high carbon impact of textiles—producing a kilogram of fabric releases 23 kilograms of greenhouse gases on average. 'I’ve always done a bit of sewing, so I thought teaching people how to sew and repair their garments was something I could do to help,' says Morton. She started teaching sewing at the cooperative’s #ZeroWaste Hub, but quickly realized she was preaching to the choir. 'I wanted to do something to reach out to the broader community and make them aware of the situation,' she says.
"The term 'fast fashion' was coined by the New York Times in 1989 to describe Zara’s business model, which turned a designer’s idea into a garment available to consumers in only 15 days. Today’s ultra-fast fashion retailers have further accelerated the pace of production: #Shein, for example, has created 52 micro-seasons per year and adds up to 10,000 items to its website each day. With plummeting prices and a rising throwaway culture, by 2014, people were buying 60 percent more clothes than at the turn of the millennium, and keeping them for only half as long.
"Today the fashion industry is responsible for 92 million metric tons of #TextileWaste annually, and the dyeing and finishing of textiles causes 20 percent of industrial #WaterPollution. Due to energy-intensive production and long supply chains, the apparel industry is responsible for eight percent to 10 percent of global #CarbonEmissions—more than aviation and shipping combined.
"The quiet, simple act of mending can go a long way toward reducing these impacts: According to research by the climate action NGO WRAP, 82 percent of repaired garments prevent the purchase of a new one, and extending the life of an item of clothing by only nine months reduces its carbon, water and waste footprint by a total of 20 percent to 30 percent.
" 'One of the other big benefits is to #NormalizeMending again,' says Morton. For most of human history, textiles were time-consuming to produce and expensive to buy, so mending them was second nature, says Sekules. Repairs were often visible out of necessity, since matching thread to existing fabric was a costly and often impossible proposition. One of the oldest extant examples of visible mending is a 2,000-year-old Egyptian tunic in the Whitworth Geller’s collection in Manchester, England, though the practice is far older than that. Over millennia people across the world developed their own distinct techniques of darning, embroidery and appliqué, using colorful patches or designs to hide holes and stains. 'It was made to seem deliberate, because it was a shameful sign of poverty to look as if you’ve been mended,' says Sekules.
"As mending fell out of favor in Europe and the U.S. in the late 20th century, the skills associated with it were also lost over time. 'As far as we can tell it used to be passed down the maternal line since time immemorial,' says Sekules. 'Then we forgot about it—culturally, it was just no longer a skillset we needed.'
"In recent years a growing opposition to fast fashion has coalesced under the umbrella of #SlowFashion, a movement championing quality over quantity and responsible use of resources. 'People are becoming more aware that the way we produce is harmful to people and the environment,' says Sam Bennett, maker, researcher and one-half of the duo behind Repair Shop, which takes mending commissions and offers online and in-person mending workshops. 'It’s a smaller, quieter form of #activism that I think is really exciting.'
"The resurgence of mending coincided with early Instagram, with visible mending especially well-suited to such a visual medium, and menders like Celia Pym and Tom van Deijnen started to document their mends on the platform in 2014. 'Those posts and popularity then allowed for people to create public workshops, publish books and so on,' says Bennett, who is working on a timeline documenting how mending skills have been passed on over the past 300 years. Much of the skill-sharing has also moved to virtual spaces, which makes it accessible to anyone with an internet connection. But while they serve their purpose, online workshops don’t have quite the same magic, says Bennett: 'It really started with community and sitting side by side with someone. And I think that in the end, that is still the most successful way to learn.'
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/stitch-don-rsquo-t-ditch-153005359.html
#SolarPunkSunday #VisibleRepair #VisibleMending #Mending #FiberArts #Crafting #DIY #MakeAndMend #RepairDontBuy #ResistFastFashion #BuildingCommunity
-
Ralph Fiennes, Jim Broadbent & Simon Russell Beale To Star In Nicholas Hytner-Alan Bennett Reteam ‘The Choral’; SPC Lands Rights
#Acquisitions #Casting #News #AlanBennett #JimBroadbent #NicholasHytner #RalphFiennes #SimonRussellBeale #SonyPicturesClassics #TheChoralhttps://deadline.com/2024/03/the-choral-ralph-fiennes-jim-broadbent-hytner-bennett-movie-1235864099/
-
Choir Etiquette Everyone Should Know
A successful choir is built on more than beautiful voices. It is built on respect, discipline, teamwork, and professionalism. No matter how talented a singer may be, poor attitude and careless habits can weaken the effectiveness of the entire team.
As a choir director and mentor, I’ve learned that the strongest choirs are not necessarily those with the best singers—they are those where every member understands that excellence begins with character.
Here are some essential principles of choir etiquette every chorister should practice:
- Be Punctual
Arriving on time is a sign of respect for your choir director and fellow choir members. It gives you time to settle in, warm up your voice, and prepare mentally for rehearsal or performance.
Punctuality reflects commitment.
2. Come Prepared
Don’t rely solely on rehearsals to learn your part. Practice at home, review recordings, and familiarize yourself with the music before rehearsal.
Prepared singers help rehearsals become productive instead of repetitive.
3. Listen More Than You Speak
When the director is giving instructions, listen attentively. Avoid unnecessary conversations, side comments, or distractions.
Listening carefully reduces mistakes and helps the entire choir move forward together.
4. Respect Every Team Member
Every singer plays an important role, regardless of voice part or experience. Encourage one another, avoid unhealthy competition, and celebrate each other’s growth.
A choir thrives when members build one another up.
5. Receive Correction with Humility
Corrections are meant to improve the choir, not embarrass individuals. Accept feedback positively and use it as an opportunity to grow.
A teachable attitude is one of the greatest strengths a singer can have.
6. Maintain Professionalism on and off the Platform
Your appearance, posture, attitude, and conduct all communicate something about you and your team.
Represent your choir with dignity, humility, and excellence wherever you go.
7. Stay Focused During Performances
Avoid unnecessary movements, conversations, or distractions while on stage. Maintain good posture, follow the conductor, and remain engaged from beginning to end.
Professionalism is often noticed in the smallest details.
8. Protect the Unity of the Choir
Avoid gossip, unnecessary criticism, and unresolved conflicts. Address concerns respectfully and seek solutions that strengthen relationships.
Unity creates an environment where great music can flourish.
Conclusion
Choir etiquette is not about following rules for the sake of rules. It is about creating a culture of respect, excellence, and teamwork where every member can contribute their best.
When each chorister values discipline as much as talent, rehearsals become more productive, performances become more impactful, and the choir becomes a place where people grow—not only as singers, but also as individuals.
Great choirs are remembered not only for how beautifully they sang, but for how well they worked together.
Reflection
What is one habit you can improve that would make you a stronger and more dependable member of your choir?
“Your voice may earn you a place in the choir, but your attitude, discipline, and respect determine the value you bring to the team.” — Victor Adenola
#art #band #bands #choir #churchchoir #commitment #consistency #ImprovedDisciplineAndPatience #Intentionality #musicDirector #retreat #singer #singers #singersgospelSingers #SocialSkills #stagepresence #teamBond #teamwork #Victoradenola -
Choir Etiquette Everyone Should Know
A successful choir is built on more than beautiful voices. It is built on respect, discipline, teamwork, and professionalism. No matter how talented a singer may be, poor attitude and careless habits can weaken the effectiveness of the entire team.
As a choir director and mentor, I’ve learned that the strongest choirs are not necessarily those with the best singers—they are those where every member understands that excellence begins with character.
Here are some essential principles of choir etiquette every chorister should practice:
- Be Punctual
Arriving on time is a sign of respect for your choir director and fellow choir members. It gives you time to settle in, warm up your voice, and prepare mentally for rehearsal or performance.
Punctuality reflects commitment.
2. Come Prepared
Don’t rely solely on rehearsals to learn your part. Practice at home, review recordings, and familiarize yourself with the music before rehearsal.
Prepared singers help rehearsals become productive instead of repetitive.
3. Listen More Than You Speak
When the director is giving instructions, listen attentively. Avoid unnecessary conversations, side comments, or distractions.
Listening carefully reduces mistakes and helps the entire choir move forward together.
4. Respect Every Team Member
Every singer plays an important role, regardless of voice part or experience. Encourage one another, avoid unhealthy competition, and celebrate each other’s growth.
A choir thrives when members build one another up.
5. Receive Correction with Humility
Corrections are meant to improve the choir, not embarrass individuals. Accept feedback positively and use it as an opportunity to grow.
A teachable attitude is one of the greatest strengths a singer can have.
6. Maintain Professionalism on and off the Platform
Your appearance, posture, attitude, and conduct all communicate something about you and your team.
Represent your choir with dignity, humility, and excellence wherever you go.
7. Stay Focused During Performances
Avoid unnecessary movements, conversations, or distractions while on stage. Maintain good posture, follow the conductor, and remain engaged from beginning to end.
Professionalism is often noticed in the smallest details.
8. Protect the Unity of the Choir
Avoid gossip, unnecessary criticism, and unresolved conflicts. Address concerns respectfully and seek solutions that strengthen relationships.
Unity creates an environment where great music can flourish.
Conclusion
Choir etiquette is not about following rules for the sake of rules. It is about creating a culture of respect, excellence, and teamwork where every member can contribute their best.
When each chorister values discipline as much as talent, rehearsals become more productive, performances become more impactful, and the choir becomes a place where people grow—not only as singers, but also as individuals.
Great choirs are remembered not only for how beautifully they sang, but for how well they worked together.
Reflection
What is one habit you can improve that would make you a stronger and more dependable member of your choir?
“Your voice may earn you a place in the choir, but your attitude, discipline, and respect determine the value you bring to the team.” — Victor Adenola
#art #band #bands #choir #churchchoir #commitment #consistency #ImprovedDisciplineAndPatience #Intentionality #musicDirector #retreat #singer #singers #singersgospelSingers #SocialSkills #stagepresence #teamBond #teamwork #Victoradenola -
Sentynel’s and Twelve’s Top Ten(ish) of 2025 By Steel Druhm
Sentynel
It’s been a couple of years since I had to start my AotY thoughts with “oof, what a year,” but oof, what a year. One thing after another piled up for months on end. I had some early success, actually writing reviews, but that left me almost no time to consume any other new music. A slowly escalating personal crisis then led to my neither writing nor consuming any new music for months. I began to fear that I genuinely wouldn’t be able to listen to enough to assemble a list—or that the server would implode at an inopportune time and I’d struggle to fix it. Fortunately, I was able to stay on top of server wobbles, despite the best efforts of endless AI scraper bots.1 A couple of months ago, I started managing new music again, and thus, a list emerged. I am moderately optimistic for 2026, at least on a personal level. (I offer no such optimism for the general state of the world.)
While this hasn’t been a particularly strong year for me, it’s hard to tell if that’s the year’s fault or just mine. My most common gripe has been unevenness: there have been a lot of records—including some I’ve ultimately loved—that have annoyed me through failing to sustain their heights throughout. Nonetheless, everything on my list belongs there. This year’s primary theme appears to be Angry Cello Guy, with a suspicious five entries on my list prominently featuring cellos or other bowed string instruments. Guitars are so 2024. There are multiple records here that are genre-hopping, experimental, and hard to classify. Otherwise, this is a pretty typical year for me, with post-metal heavily represented, several prog-adjacent pieces, and no surprisingly brvtal contenders, despite trying a few. Ah, well, next year.
My year has also kept me from getting to know this year’s intake of new writers as well as I’d like, but I’m sure they’re all lovely people with only somewhat questionable taste. To the brave crew of editors and promo jockeys, you have my thanks for your endless work; to the retiring veterans, please enjoy your sabbaticals without incident; and to the readers, long may you continue resisting the urge to let AI summarise our writing.
#ish. Scardust // Souls – Souls took a lot longer to grow on me than Strangers, and it’s more uneven than its predecessor. But the highs are fabulous. Noa Gruman is still preternaturally good on vocals. If the whole record were as good as the “Touch of Life” suite with her and Ross Jennings, this would be, no exaggeration, #1. Alas, while there are a couple of other bangers (“Unreachable”), much of the rest of Souls just doesn’t impress me, in that awkward sort of way you get when it’s really good and it feels unfair to moan about it too much, but you know they can do so much better.
#10. Jo Quail // Notan – Quail remains one of the most mesmerising live acts I’ve ever seen. Between the strength of her modern classical compositions and the frankly magical way she weaves them together live, armed with only a cello and a loop pedal, her shows are a must-see event. Fittingly, I saw Notan performed live before I heard the recording, but it’s worth it in recorded form too. The nature of loop pedal based composition lends itself to the sort of slow build that makes for really good post-rock/metal. Each piece goes in a pleasingly different direction and experiments with different additions to her sound palette. That she can do them live solo as well is merely the icing on the cake.
#9. Mares of Thrace // The Loss – I wrote most of a review for this album at release,2 but never quite got it over the line. I found it so raw it was hard to listen to. As my difficult period got worse, I just gave up on being able to listen to it at all, and with it any hope of finishing even a woefully late review. Where The Exile was immediately catchy and driving, The Loss’s immediacy is its anguish, and that was all I could hear. Mares of Thrace are already hard to genre pigeonhole, and The Loss is all over the place, spanning sludge, noise, prog, and doom, with trad inflections. I’m actually glad I didn’t manage to get the review done at the time. Coming back to it for list season, I appreciate it a lot more easily than I did at the time. The catchiness and driving energy are still there, but the additional stylistic variety makes it more interesting. The anguish adds weight and impact. The catharsis of the final track is well earned. It’s still a hard listen, but it’s a rewarding one. Who knows, maybe I’ll even get a TYMHM out!3
#8. Black Narcissus // There Lingers One Who’s Long Forgotten – This is just gorgeous. The best post-rock does an awful lot with very little, and Black Narcissus’ unhurried drums and bass do an absolutely astonishing amount. There’s no way something so minimalist and so languid should be able to sustain an hour of music. I cannot emphasise enough how absolutely beautiful There Lingers One Who’s Long Forgotten is, and its hour-long runtime just floats by. This is the epitome of “do one thing and do it well” as a philosophy.
#7. Fallujah // Xenotaph – Fallujah are a long time big name I had begun to appreciate more in the last couple of years, after seeing them live. They still hadn’t really clicked for me recorded, but Xenotaph changed that. Tech death’s curse is sterility, and the warmth of this record lifts Fallujah out of that trap. It’s, paradoxically, at once dreamy and bluntly impactful. The writing is as strong on melody as it is on technicality. It seems slightly redundant to say this about a record that’s on my year-end list, but I really enjoy the immediate experience of listening to Xenotaph. There’s something intensely satisfying about the smoothness: who says heavy music has to be abrasive? The production is still a sticking point, though.
#6. Concrete Age // Awaken the Gods – Awaken the Gods is just a lot of fun. There’s not enough metal drawing on the instruments and composition of folk music from the Caucasus and the steppes. It reminds me a lot of Mongol, but with better and more varied folk instrumentation. There’s a couple of songs that are a bit more straight thrash with folk instruments, which are less exciting, but it doesn’t detract from the rest of the record. It also delivers further proof of my theory that folk metal covers of terrible pop songs are the pinnacle of music. My go-to for when I wanted something to uncomplicatedly bang my head to.
#5. Calva Louise // Edge of the Abyss – Calva Louise are what happens when somebody spots an “all of the above” button under “genre” on the band creation screen and their curiosity gets the better of them. They are what you get if you take the Diablo Swing Orchestra and remove their classical instruments and sense of restraint. Something this absurd could only ever have been terrific or terrible. Obviously, this is terrific. AMG called it wild, unpredictable, and addictive, and it certainly is. They sound like nothing else I’ve ever listened to, and manage to be dangerously catchy on top of it. This hit in the middle of my difficult period, and it was nearly the only thing I listened to for a month. A teeny sense of easing off the gas on the last few songs is the only weakness. Spectacular.
#4. Völur & Cares // Breathless Spirit – Odd, unsettling, pretty, experimental, captivating—Breathless Spirit is a weird album. Violin and viola occupy the sonic space where you’d typically find lead and rhythm guitars. The composition wanders through modern classical, atmoblack, noise, jazz, folk, doom, and more. Actually, the main textural comparison I would draw here is to Hierophant Violent, though Breathless Spirit is far less single-minded in direction. Many of the more ambient sections, and some of the clean vocals, remind me of the build-up stretches of that album, and likewise, there’s some similarity in the crushing crescendos. Just in case you thought you knew where this was going, the other comparisons I’m going to draw are to fellow Canadians The Night Watch and Thrawsunblat. Of everything on the list, this is the one at highest risk of me feeling like I placed it too low in a year’s time—I found it late and it could grow on me further. A truly fascinating record.
#3. Messa // The Spin – While I’ve been a fan of Messa since their first record and through all their stylistic exploration, The Spin really blew me away. Sara Bianchin sounds fantastic, and there’s a wonderful allure to the tone of the rest of the band. Others have commented on The Spin feeling a bit like a collection of songs rather than a cohesive record, which is probably true and probably kept this from the top spot… but the songs are so damn good it’s hard to care that much. I came back to this a few times, even during the worst few months of the year, and had half of it stuck in my head half the time. At one point, I spent several days unable to get the opening riff of the opening track out of my head, and it doesn’t get any less addictive from there. In the last couple of months, I’ve had to actively resist putting it on at times to make sure I give other, less immediate records enough listening time.
#2. Psychonaut // World Maker – Yeah, so I’m a sucker for the kind of atmospheric post/prog metal played by bands like The Ocean or Dvne. Here is this year’s winner in that space. I’ve wanted to like Psychonaut in the past more than I actually have, but World Maker finally clicked for me in a big way. It’s intricate, catchy, in places techy, in others psychedelic. The songs unfold in interesting ways, and listening to it feels like exploring. From the buildup of the opening track, I knew this would be exactly what I wanted in this sort of music. And as Ken wrote in his review, the more personal dimension to World Maker’s themes elevates it (with some similarities to Pelagial’s place as the best Ocean album). A record that rewards time and attention.
#1. Shepherds of Cassini // In Thrall to Heresy – In Thrall to Heresy’s victory here was not exactly inevitable when I reviewed it back in February, but it was certainly likely. The glorious return of a niche band I loved and thought lost? It would have taken something spectacular to upset it. I listened to this all year, through the difficult period, and kept on loving it. For all that retro prog is a bit of an oxymoron, 00s-early 10s prog is one of my favorite eras of music. (There was a lot of rabbling in the comments about me not having explicitly compared them to Riverside and Tool, so to be explicit, if you liked Riverside through to SoNGS, you’ll like this. They’re far less pretentious than Tool.) In Thrall is a fresh enough take to feel like progression, not a throwback. Its violin leads add variety (as well as claiming the Angry Cello Guy crown for the year). Shepherds’ songwriting has matured in the last decade. Their instruments sound pleasingly chunky. A post-y twist presses additional musical buttons for me. One could only make this more laser-targeted at my specific musical niche by somehow adding industrial bluegrass.4 Don’t make me wait 10 years for the next record, please.
Honorable Mentions:
- 1914 // Viribus Unitis – Brutal and moving, this is some really good blackened death/doom. It’s not as good as Die Urkatastrophe, though—sorry, 1914 fans.
- Aephanemer // Utopie – The spectre of AMG’s law of diminishing recordings begins to haunt Aephanemer, for what is Utopie if not Aephanemer sounding like Aephanemer? It’s damn good, though.
- Ellereve // Umbra – Sad-girl post-metal? Yes please.
- Howling Giant // Crucible & Ruin – Just some really good stoner/psych.
- Net-Ruiner // Prototype – The synthwave/metal cross ends up being a little too much of a gimmick to land a proper list spot, but nonetheless an absolute blast.
- Raphael Weinroth-Browne // Lifeblood – I know I made an Angry Cello Guy joke up there, but it turns out you can, in fact, have too much cello. Weinroth-Browne’s multi-layered modern classical composition (in both senses) of cellos is always impressive and regularly emotive. Had Lifeblood been edited down to keep, say, the best 40 minutes of its current 60, this would have been up there in my list somewhere. Alas.
- Various Artists // KPop Demon Hunters – Relegated to HMs because this isn’t an album I like so much as it’s an album containing six songs I absolutely adore, and six others, but fuck me, the main cast songs (less “Soda Pop”) are bangers.
Songs o’ the Year:
- Calva Louise – “Impeccable”
- Concrete Age – “Boro Boro”
- Howling Giant – “Scepter and Scythe”
- HUNTR/X – “Golden”
- HUNTR/X – “Takedown”
- HUNTR/X – “What It Sounds Like”
- Messa – “Fire on the Roof”
- Saja Boys – “Your Idol”
- Scardust – “Touch of Life” suite
- Shepherds of Cassini – “Abyss”
- Tiktaalika – “Fault Lines:
Twelve
I am so behind on writing this. Behind on writing in general, really, but I’m writing this introduction very late by Angry Metal Standards®.5 Over the year, my writing for this blog waned notably, but I’m still very proud of my output this year, and discovered some delightful gems thanks to this blog and my privileged position to write for it. As is traditional, I want to extend my sincere thanks to my co-writers for their fantastic camaraderie and to the editors who allow me to keep writing here, probably against their better judgment. Everything changes all the time, but feeling right at home here stays the same.
Last year I claimed that, by any measure, 2024 was the worst year of my life, and I’m happy to say that remains true this year. Interestingly, however, I listened to much less music, and, more to the point, liked less music. In the past few months, I’ve been asking my co-writers here to recommend the music they think will top their own lists, and I just… kept not liking them. For some reason, almost nothing has been sticking musically. That’s not a comment on my colleagues’ tastes, of course—the writers here have an astounding talent for finding some of the best music there is. But I’ve been struggling to keep up.
So this year, I’m keeping things simple and writing about the twelve albums I liked best in 2025. Occasionally, when we talk about our end-of-year listings, there’s an idea that some albums need to be of a certain quality to be “worthy” of a top-ten (or top-top) spot, but if I start thinking that way, this list is never going to materialize. So I’ve gone with my gut and am now going to talk your ear off about the music I personally liked the most.
All of which is to say, I think my list is weird this year. I did my best! And I’m happy with it. But it’s weird.
Thanks for reading my nonsense in 2025—it really does mean a lot. Let’s all do it again next year!
#ish. Dawnwalker // The Between – A single-song album is such an ambitious undertaking, and I really can’t express enough how impressive it is that “The Between” feels like an actual half-hour song. Dawnwalker is so impressive on The Between, and the composition is truly a work of art. It’s grown on me since I reviewed it in October, and I just have to highlight the amazing songwriting from Mark Norgate and Dawnwalker before I dive into my list proper.
#10. Calva Louise // Edge of the Abyss – Let the weird begin! Edge of the Abyss is not something I thought for a second would make this list when Angry Metal Guy wrote about it, but it’s wormed its way into my head and heart. Deceptively catchy, a lot cleverer than it first appears, and filled to the brim with energy, Edge of the Abyss is a fun, memorable, and surprisingly relatable slice of… some kind of metal. I really don’t know how to categorize it, and I’m not sure how to get it out of my head either. Great album.
#9. Nechochwen // Spelewithiipi – Continuing with what may be another unusual pick, Nechochwen’s Spelewithiipi is not something I considered for this list straightaway. I have to admit, though, it has been a comforting listen that I’ve returned to often over the course of the year. It is well-composed, deceptively complex, and easy to spin again and again. On days I’ve felt low, there’s been a magic in Spelewithiipi that does wonders in keeping me well.
# 8. Völur & Cares //Breathless Spirit – Breathless Spirit is such an impressive album. For one thing, you’d never, ever guess there isn’t a lead guitar, despite the fact that Bates’s violin is a significant part of Völur’s unique character and spirit. As doom metal, Breathless Spirit dominates; it is powerful, mournful, wry, and cathartic. It’s a truly fascinating display of music, one that reveals new character every time you listen.
#7. Falling Leaves // The Silence That Binds Us – Speaking of doom metal, The Silence That Binds Us tells us that sometimes taking a break can be a good thing. It’s been thirteen years since Falling Leaves released their debut, and their sophomore feels like it had been simmering for a while. Expert compositions, passionate performances, and a huge atmosphere contribute to what I thought was “the” doom metal release of the year. There is so much care and attention in The Silence That Binds Us, so much feeling from every player, so much love in the production and master—even the cover art is gorgeous.
#6. Raphael Weinroth-Browne // Lifeblood – I didn’t expect Lifeblood to creep its way up here the way it has, but I’ve been listening to it more and more lately and realized I actually like it a lot more than a lot of other stuff. Raphael Weinroth-Browne’s compositions are stunning, and the more you listen to them, the better they get. For an instrumental, non-metal project, Lifeblood conveys so much meaning, so much emotion, and feels heavy for what it is. It’s a powerful work and a lovely one too—exactly what we’ve come to expect from as talented a cellist and composer as Weinroth-Browne.
#5. Aephanemer // Utopie – The direction Aephanemer’s music has taken since they first appeared on this blog with Prokopton is fascinating. Each release since has been a touch less aggressive and notably broader in terms of its composition and ambition. Utopie, I feel, balances these nuances the best—it’s an epic, sprawling album that reaches high and grasps onto something exciting. There is a level of care and attention to detail to Utopie that rewards repeat listens, and I still feel like I’m getting more and more into it as I listen. Who knows, maybe I’ll regret this “low” placement before long; this one’s a grower.
#4. Amorphis // Borderlands – Amorphis don’t need much introduction at this point, but lately I haven’t been very invested in their releases. It can be tough, I imagine, being such an iconic band with such a recognizable sound. But Borderlands feels fresh to me; an old formula done right, modernized reasonably enough to stand out, and with the gusto of a much newer band. Incidentally, this was also the first CD I’ve purchased in years—an impromptu grab at a record store I’d forgotten existed—and the bonus tracks therein are amazing additions (“Rowan and the Cloud” is a delightful closer, more so, I would argue, than “Despair”). It’s nice to be enamored by Amorphis again. They seem to still know what they’re doing.
#3. Saor // Amidst the Ruins – I’ve slept on Saor in the past, but Amidst the Ruins is an amazing album. Rarely is black metal—atmospheric black metal, no less—so impassioned, but I’ve never wanted to visit Scotland so much as the first time I heard “Rebirth” at the end of my first listen. It’s hard to quantify what makes Amidst the Ruins such a special record, really. The blend of black metal and folk metal isn’t new, nor is the style in which Marshall writes so well. But listening to Saor, you can’t help but feel his pride and awe for a homeland you may never have seen yourself. Amidst the Ruins crept its way into my rotations again and again throughout the year, and it’s been the most pleasant musical surprise of 2025 for me by far.
#2. Apocalypse Orchestra // A Plague Upon Thee – I really thought I’d give Apocalypse Orchestra my top spot, but admittedly, I thought that before I’d even heard it. The way these guys blend medieval themes with folk, doom, and metal is genuinely fascinating and incredibly well done. Add to the list that they perform thorough research and the music is educational on top of it all—what’s not to love? A Plague Upon Thee was my most-anticipated album of the year, and Apocalypse Orchestra really delivered, with sweeping epics telling takes of historic darkness and endearing humanity. Everything from the bagpipes to the choirs sounds amazing, and while I did have a couple of reservations initially, the simple truth is that this music is so well up my alley—and is performed so well too—that I was always bound to love it enough for this list. I can only hope to uncover more music as wonderfully niche as this again.
#1. 1914 // Viribus Unitis – I have not listened to every item of music released in 2025, but I still think I can say that none could be more powerful than 1914’s Viribus Unitis. I listened to nothing heavier, nothing more memorable, and nothing so relevant as 1914’s story of a Ukrainian soldier caught up in the mania of the First World War. From battle-frenzied bloodlust to heartbreaking captivity, his story follows 1914’s relentless message of the horrors of war. In the past, I’ve praised 1914 for the honesty in their bleak outlook on their namesake war, and Viribus Unitis could not have done a better job in following that idea. The songs range from brutal to cathartic; every guest musician elevates their song, and the choir is a brilliant way to balance trademark heaviness with emotional impact. Viribus Unitis is the most impactful album I’ve listened to in a long, long time, and I admire every musician involved for their part in that. Viribus Unitis was my top album for 2025 the moment I finished the first spin.
Honorable Mention
- Marko Hietala // Roses from the Deep – I’ve looked back at my review of Roses from the Deep a couple of times since writing and wondered if my personal admiration for Hietala’s career made me over-excited to review it. Is it possible I rated it highly simply because it’s such a fascinating culmination of the career of a musician I like? Either way, I’m keeping to the course—this was a fun listen in a year where I didn’t find so many upbeat albums to enjoy, and I keep coming back to it in bits and pieces depending on my mood; it’s a diverse exploration, and you can tell everyone had a good fun creating it.
Song of the Year
This was a hard one. There are so many powerful, emotional songs littered throughout this list—especially on Viribus Unitis, where the passion is particularly raw. But in keeping with the theme of what I personally found most affecting, I just keep coming back to this little gem on Autumn Tears’s latest. “Martyrdom – Catharsis (Where Gods Go to Die)” has a strangely compelling quality that kept me coming back again and again since I first reviewed Crown of the Clairvoyant. The singing, choirs, organ—really, everything about the composition is mesmerizing. I don’t imagine a lot of people will have this one on their year-end playlists. It’s a niche, quiet little song, but it’s wormed its way into my heart and speaks strongly to how I’ve felt about 2025 in a way I can’t quite describe.
Crown of the Clairvoyant by Autumn Tears
#1914 #2025 #Aephanemer #Amorphis #ApocalypseOrchestra #BlackNarcissus #CalvaLouise #ConcreteAge #Dawnwalker #Ellereve #FallingLeaves #Fallujah #HowlingGiant #JoQuail #Lists #MaresOfThrace #MarkoHietala #Messa #Nechochwen #NetRuiner #Psychonaut #RaphaelWeinrothBrowne #Saor #Scardust #SentynelSAndTwelveSTopTenIshOf2025 #ShepherdsOfCassini #VölurCares