We’re delighted to announce that EXAUDI’s new disc Voices by Jürg Frey is out now on Neu Records. We have been performing Jürg’s music for almost a decade and we’re thrilled to be releasing a disc of his unaccompanied vocal music. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jürg’s work, he writes incredibly beautiful and intimate music that soothes the mind and soul. His sound varies from sparse, single-voiced passages to soaring and rich harmonic language that shines and glistens – a listening experience both meditative and gently euphoric.

Artistic Director James Weeks on Voices

I’m excited and proud to share this recording of Jürg Frey’s music for voices – most of it written especially for EXAUDI – which we recorded over several nights in London in the high summer of 2022. The special qualities of Frey’s music have been recognised and celebrated for many years, but until recently the voice was a rare presence in his work. In 2016 EXAUDI commissioned its first piece from him, Shadow and Echo and Jade; immediately it revealed a unique emotional climate, the voices fragile against the backdrop of silence, then radiant and transfigured in the final, shimmering coda. This is music of deep feeling and quiet wonder: Jürg is a truly unique musical spirit, and for me these pieces open up quite new realms of vocal expression, fragile, intimate and profoundly human. We’ve been honoured to collaborate with him on this special set of works. Thanks to Santí Barguno of Neu Records for making it all happen, and to our crowd-funder supporters, without whom this recording would have been impossible. I hope it finds the wide audience it deserves.

 

Artistic Director of Neu Records, Santi Barguñó:

Voices is an album of remarkable depth, a musical experience that surprises even those familiar with Jürg Frey’s music. The works it contains retain the stillness and radical nature of Frey’s instrumental music, yet the inclusion of text and voices introduces a new narrative dimension, leading the listener to unexplored territories. The paradox lies in its overwhelming simplicity and genuine beauty, making it accessible to any sensitive listener. This is fiercely new music, built on simple elements that seem impossibly renewed in this way. The interpretation, however, posed an extreme challenge, masterfully tackled by the vocal ensemble EXAUDI in a true state of grace. The recording was made at London’s Temple Church in Dolby Atmos format, using an immersive, highly natural microphone system without spot mics or added artificial reverb, to preserve the timbre and interaction of the voices, as well as the essence of the proposal. It is a true honour for Neu Records to present this album.

 

To get hold of a copy of Voices, visit our Albums page.