"Breathing Machines" has been digitally released. Click the album cover to go to the bandcamp album. Hard copies of CDs are available. You can order a copy from bandcamp.
Narwhal is a new music ensemble at Capilano University. "Breathing Machines" is the result of a year-long collaboration between Narwhal and the brilliant young composer/multi-instrumentalist/singer, Ridley Bishop. Ridley made an amazing recording of songs for vocie and wind quartet where he sang and played all the wind instruments himself. When I heard it, I knew we had to do them with a large ensemble.
The album was a major undertaking. Ridley and I arranged the music for seven female voices, 2 bass clarinets, guitar, bass, vibes, piano, and drums. The rehearsal process lasted several weeks and, after a truly epic live performance of the music, we spent many days in the studio. The students bought into the project 100% and their performances went far above and beyond 'student work'. Ridley's writing is truly unique, original, and beautiful. Many thanks to Lawrence Wu and Roland Choe for all the engineering work on the show and the CD.
