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An inspiring vocal mishmash

by Anna Pulkkis

"Voice of Generations is a mishmash, but also an inspiring example of open-minded repertoire planning."

Voice of Generations, from the record label of the Sibelius Academy, ”invites the listener on an eventful journey through diverse soundscapes of vocal music,” according to the booklet text. The stylistic spectrum is indeed broader than on the average recording.

Club for Five sings Aija Puurtinen’s Joka yö me unessa ajetaan (2019) in a flawless manner. Jazz trio Signe’s performance of Josefiina Vannesluoma’s Liian varhain (2019) is rougher, but the piece is wonderfully imaginative. MeNaiset evokes ancient rune singing in the brutal drama of Marityttö (2019), ”co-composed and arranged” by Anna-Kaisa Liedes on the basis of traditional Ingrian music.

Matthew Whittall’s blissful Lauantaisauna (2017) has everything it takes to become a classic, and Alex Freeman’s Calle sin nombre (2019) is a touching comment on US immigration policy. Whittall’s and Freeman’s works, as well as Fredrik Pacius’s Motette (1879), are sung by the Sibelius Academy Vocal Ensemble. The excellent performances notwithstanding, Motette and the excerpts from the 16th-century Piae cantiones collection appear superfluous in this context.

Voice of Generations is a mishmash, but also an inspiring example of open-minded repertoire planning.

Voice of Generations

Vocal ensembles Club for Five, MeNaiset, and Signe; quartet in Piae cantiones: Tuuli Lindeberg, Teppo Lampela, Juho Punkeri, Sampo Haapaniemi; Sibelius Academy Vocal Ensemble, cond. Nils Schweckendiek 

SibaRecords SRCD 1025