Exaudi's 'Pocket Universe' Album Brings Together Four Eclectic Vocal Works

Exaudi and their conductor, James Weeks, have released "Pocket Universe" (NMC), an album described by The Guardian's Culture desk as bringing together four substantial, eclectic works composed for the vocal group during the 2010s.

According to the review, the album showcases a range of vocal techniques and stylistic approaches, from swooping folk phrasing to delicate harmonising and exuberant stylistic skill.

The first piece featured is "Guide" by Cassandra Miller, which the review states is based on a devotional song recorded in 1968 by folk singer Maria Muldaur. The Guardian reports that phrases from the original recording are repeated freely by Exaudi's singers in imitation of Muldaur's swooping, full-voiced style, building into what the review describes as "a kind of controlled cacophony."

Another work highlighted is Andrew Hamilton's "Proclamation of the Republic," which the review says imagines Irish revolutionary Patrick Pearse reading the historic proclamation outside Dublin's General Post Office at Easter 1916 to a public that is largely confused or oblivious. According to the review, the piece gradually pairs syllables on a repeating two-note figure, with the music eventually blooming into something that appears to unite the crowd as they walk away humming.

The Guardian's review characterizes the overall release as containing "a lot of joy," noting the eclectic nature of the four works brought together on the album.