Reviews 5-22-2022 |
Music Reviews |
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Sharon Fendrich
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This album has a comforting quality to it that touches something deep inside the listener as it brings to mind the foundation of our existence here on earth. Nature. All the music on Sapphire Oak was composed, produced and arranged by Sharon Fendrich and it indicates the talents that Sharon brings to this project & it also shows that she is quite capable of translating the feelings she has for this subject into music that stirs those same emotions in her listeners. At times the music seems otherworldly & quite mystical as it opens your senses to the experiences that connecting with nature will afford anyone who is willing to spend some time contemplating the natural world. It is obvious that Sharon is very skilled in the crafting of music and these songs in particular prove that point. One of my favorties songs from this album is the very last song called Carry the Oak. I think this song lends it self to sitting in a chair in front of a Hobbit House and looking out over the simple & natural world that surrounds us. Sharon's music has an otherworldly feel to it and her storytelling is top notch. This album would be a great buy on a Bandcamp Friday come June 10. Recommended by Ambient Visions. Related Videos:
2. Leaves of Glory (3:40) 3. The Grove at Dodona (3:55) 4. Runic Roots (4:15) 5. Call of the Ruins (5:37) 6. The Oaken Door (3;30) 7. Dryad's Rejoice (5:10) 8. Of Badges and Crowns (4:41) 9. Under Her Canopy (5:47) 10. Sapphire Oak (3:55) 11. Carry the Oak (5:35)
About Sharon Fendrich: Composer Sharon Fendrich says she writes vividly thematic music. This might be one of the greatest understatements ever by a composer when describing their own music. Fendrich’s music defies easy categorization, and speaks confidently in a free-flowing, truly distinctive musical vocabulary. Her latest album, Sapphire Oak, is a revelation. Her music transports the listener with richly-orchestrated adventures that feel familiar and also take them to unexpected places. And just wait until you hear Sharon sing! Sharon was born and raised in Oregon. When you hear her music, you immediately feel the powerful influence of the gorgeous landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. A graduate of Tufts University, she established herself as a multifaceted artist with her award-winning debut 2019 album, Red Sky Prairie. This new release is confident, with new musical subtleties and complex orchestral textures that showcase her trademark thematic gifts. Sharon's process of composition is to improvise on a musical idea at the piano until it begins to take a shape under her hands. Like a master ceramist, Fendrich uses her keen instincts to manipulate the clay—the melodies, harmonies and countermelodies inhabiting her work—before committing it to the “kiln” (i.e.: recording) that delivers the song into the world. Like many of the great classical composers of the past, she sees no difference between improvisation and formal composition, and the result is music that is at once unconventional yet relatable. There is a freshness and authenticity to her work which distinguishes Fendrich as a unique musical voice. |