A few days ago, we had our first snowfall in the Columbia River Gorge. The first snow of the season is always a bit magical, especially when you live in a forest. You go to bed in one reality and wake up in another, as if you’ve sleep-walked through a wardrobe and awoken in Narnia!
To take the enchantment even further, the leaves on the deciduous trees here are still fairly yellow, though the last of the leaves are just now beginning to fall. This time of year is my favorite—when autumn and winter are held together in a single moment, a liminal space where the natural world is in the in-between, often echoing the liminality of our own lives.
This changing of the seasons reminds me of a project I worked on about two years ago. One of my favorite vocal ensembles is an a cappella octet from England called VOCES8. Not only are they masters at performing well-known classical pieces, but their contemporary approach to choral music has led them to collaborate with modern composers such as Ólafur Arnalds, Slow Meadow, Eric Whitacre, Jon Hopkins, Christopher Tin, and Paul Simon. Their fresh take on a timeless genre has filled my creative life with much inspiration.
So when the company’s founder, Paul Smith, reached out to collaborate on a nature-based composition titled “Distant Earth Renewal,” I enthusiastically said yes! Not only is Paul’s music stunning, but the lyrics he wrote for this project capture the essence of the changing seasons in such a beautiful and poetic way. Luckily, I had some aerial footage already shot that fit perfectly for this collaboration. All the visuals were filmed near my home in the PNW.
Please, sit back, relax, and enjoy! And wherever you live, I hope you’re able to enjoy your own changing of the seasons, whatever that may look in your world today.
The seasons change,
Earth slowly wakens,
The great dawn breaks,
Portrait of renewal.
Frigid rally of death,
Dance of transition.
Cold winds whisper,
Last sonnet of winter,
First song of spring,
Symphony of life.
You can listen to the entire album, titled “Renewal?” on all streaming platforms. VOCES8 also just released a stunning new Christmas album titled “A Choral Christmas”, which I highly recommend!
Peace be with you,
Stephen P.