I have long been a fan of the new music band Alarm Will Sound. The band just released a new album on Nonesuch Records called Land of Winter, composed by Donnacha Dennehy. Its twelve continuous movements align with the months of the year, but the first movement is “December.” The land of winter in this case is Ireland, which was originally called “Hibernia” (literally, “land of winter”) by the Romans.
For me, this adventurous music conjures images of the Irish landscape and skyscape. I want to travel to Ireland again!
Alarm Will Sound has always impressed me in every way, from their fearless approach to the gnarliest score, to their breadth of repertoire, to their camaraderie and their individual and collective commitments to staying at the cutting edge of new music. Their connection with the Mizzou New Music Initiative at the University of Missouri has supported many dozens of young composers. There is no stylistic limitation to their programming. Kudos to Donnacha Dennehy, Alan Pierson, and all the musicians and members of the Alarm Will Sound organization for this outstanding recording!