By Herb Boyd | Published February 2021
At various points of this tour de force, composer Kyle Saulnier and his Awakening Orchestra brilliantly signify the chaos America is enduring—socially, politically and economically.
Parsing individual tracks on volume ii: to call her to a higher plain isn’t the best way to evaluate this symphonic palette, as it morphs from one mood to another. It has to be heard as a dramatic whole, reeling from collective crescendos, delightful fugues and sonorous interludes—especially the saxophone on “i can see my country from here, i. free labor, free land, free men.” The succeeding movements where flights of flute blend with piano and saxophone are beautifully rendered, delicately balancing the piece’s surge of power. But the music is never more potent than on “to call her to a higher plain, first cadenza,” Brooke Quiggins Saulnier’s violin passages leaping from hoe-down to hallelujah.
In effect, this is a Great American Songbook of another order. And while it references several specific themes inherent in our culture, the ensemble captures an epic, sweeping sound in a quest to reach a higher realm.
volume II: to call her to a higher plain: prelude & fanfare—the patriot; burn; throughout; i can see my country from here, i. free labor, free land, free men; i can see my country from here, ii. liberté, égalité, fraternité; i can see my country from here, iii. ethos, pathos, logos; i can see my country from here, i can see my country from here—epilogue; i remember; to call her to a higher plain, i. on the technicians of power; to call her to a higher plain, first cadenza; to call her to a higher plain, ii. on the acceptance of things that we can not change; to call her to a higher plain, second cadenza; to call her to a higher plain, iii. on the changing of things that we can not accept; the desc(diss)ent; lux aurumque. (113:55)
Personnel: Kyle Saulnier, conductor; Remy Le Boeuf, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, flute; Vito Chiavuzzo, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, alto flute, clarinet; Samuel Ryder, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet; Andrew Gutauskas, baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, bass clarinet; Felipe Salles, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute; Daniel Urness, Seneca Black, Nadje Noordhuis, Pablo Masis, trumpet; John Yao, Michael Fahie, Samuel Burtis, James Rogers, trombone; Michael Caterisano, vibraphone; Michael MacAllister, guitar; Aaron Kotler, keyboards; Joshua Paris, bass; Will Clark, drums; Seth Fruiterman, Julie Hardy, Nathan Hetherington, vocals; Brooke Quiggins Saulnier, violin.
