The Crossing & Donald Nally - At Which Point (2025) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Philadelphia based contemporary choral ensemble The Crossing releases their latest collection of premiere recordings of works written for them by Wang Lu, Ayanna Woods, and Tawnie Olson. The ensemble highlights its versatility in works that celebrate lush vocal harmonies and creative approaches to writing for ensemble voices.

The Philadelphia based contemporary choir The Crossing is intrepid in their commissioning activities, advocating both for contemporary music in general, and works that speak to social issues more specifically. With this latest release of three new works written for them by Ayanna Woods, Wang Lu, and Tawnie Olson, the ensemble turns its attention to questions surrounding the artistic and creative experience in contemporary society, giving musical space to pieces that endeavor to draw the listener into internal relationships to one’s own work and persistent renewal of purpose.

Ayanna Woods’ Infinite Body examines the impact unseen societal forces have on our bodies and spirits. Specifically focusing on the pressures of inhabiting a late capitalist system and contorting ourselves to navigate through it, Woods’ four movement work features her own texts that engage both the interior and exterior spaces of the self. The opening movement, “Infinite Growth,” alternates between pulsating sung melismas in the tutti choir, and lyrical rumination in a solo voice. “One Body” is a vigorous exhortation towards individual productivity and efficiency, a caffeinated, rhythmic celebration of getting things done whose satirical stance is only lightly veiled. “Do Be Do” thoughtfully asks the question, “What do you do, Do you worry about falling short?” while pointing to the beauties around us—the falling water and the wind blowing in the leaves. “Golden Hour” celebrates the power of human connection, gradually building through an initial quiet halo, richly voiced harmonies, weaving part singing, and finally arriving at an expansive, cathartic passage for a subset of the ensemble singing above a sustained pedal chord in the rest of the choir.

TRACKLIST

1. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Woods: Infinite Body: I. Infinite Growth
2. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Woods: Infinite Body: II. One Body
3. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Woods: Infinite Body: III. Do Be Do
4. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Woods: Infinite Body: IV. Golden Hour
5. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Lu: At Which Point: I. Prologue
6. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Lu: At Which Point: II. Beckoned
7. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Lu: At Which Point: III. The Sounding
8. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Olson: Beloved of the Sky: I. I went down deep
9. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Olson: Beloved of the Sky: II. I woke with this idea…
10. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Olson: Beloved of the Sky: III. Oh, that lazy, stodgy, lumpy feeling
11. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Olson: Beloved of the Sky: IV. The subject means little
12. The Crossing & Donald Nally - Olson: Beloved of the Sky: V. I made a small sketch



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