Tracks
Rejoicing, The Jig Is Up, Middle Earth, Toccata Andromeda, Maris Stella, Outer Hebrides, Shores of Ironbound, My Ladye Sarabande, Sands of Time, The Breughel Boys, Evening Song, Requiem for Dmitri
Notes
Performing his own compositions, Paul Halley introduces a new sound for a trio of traditional keyboard instruments. Recorded at the acoustically splendid Spivey Hall, Halley plays a Steinway concert grand, Rufatti pipe organ, and Carl Dudash harpsichord, among the finest examples of their kind in the world. As beautifully crafted as the instruments on which they are performed, Halley's multi-layered and multi-faceted arrangements present an astonishing new repertoire for a rarely heard ensemble. With melodies that evoke images from island shores to the steppes of Russia, with rhythms that derive from Renaissance dance to contemporary jazz, Halley delivers music with an enormous range of expression. This album is imaginatively conceived, finely wrought, and beautifully performed. It is pure joy. About Paul Halley: PAUL HALLEY, M. A. Cantab, FRCO, ARCT, Paul Halley was born in Romford, England in 1952 and received his early musical training in Ottawa, Canada. At the age of sixteen, he was made an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto. Having been awarded the organ scholarship at Trinity College, Cambridge, Halley received his M.A. with prizes in composition and performance, and was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, winning first prize in the College examinations. Via a circuitous route involving two years teaching in Jamaica, W.I., Halley became Organist and Choirmaster at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City where he served for twelve years, from 1977 to 1989, transforming the Cathedral's music program into a rich combination of classical and contemporary music. Concurrent with his tenure at the Cathedral, Halley became a principal member of The Paul Winter Consort, and earned six Grammy Awards for his contributions as featured writer and performer on many Consort recordings. Following his departure from the Cathedral in 1989, Halley settled in rural northwestern Connecticut and founded Joyful Noise, Inc., the non-profit organization which administers the activities and tours of the children's choir, Chorus Angelicus, and the adult ensemble, Gaudeamus. In 1999, Halley became Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Church, Torrington, CT where he inaugurated the Choral and Organ Scholars program in conjunction with Yale University's Institute of Sacred Music. In 2007, Halley relocated to Nova Scotia to become Music Director at St. George's Anglican Church, the Chapel of the University of King's College, and Atlantic School of Theology. Halley's choral and instrumental compositions are distributed internationally by Pelagos Incorporated, the recording, music publishing, and arts management company for which he acts as Creative Director. Halley's compositions have been performed and licensed by many notable artists and organizations including Sony Entertainment, Windham Hill/BMG Music, the New Jersey Symphony, John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra, The Louisville Symphony, Canadian Brass, Margie Gillis, Jennifer Muller and The Works, and numerous international band and choral festivals. Halley has received an ASCAP Composer Award each year since 1998, and his recordings and performances are frequently aired on NPR and CBC. Halley creates three to four new, commissioned works per year, and performs frequently as a guest artist in venues throughout North America. Halley lives with his wife and business partner, Meg Race, on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. They enjoy exploring the islands of Mahone Bay in a traditional Cape Cod catboat which rejoices in the name, "Magnificat".
