{"product_id":"smith-nally-arc-in-the-sky","title":"Smith \/ Nally: Arc in the Sky - COMPACT DISCS","description":"\u003cb\u003eTitle: \u003c\/b\u003eArc in the Sky\u003cbr\u003e\n                                         \u003cb\u003eArtist: \u003c\/b\u003eSmith \/ Nally\u003cbr\u003e\n                                         \u003cb\u003eLabel: \u003c\/b\u003eNavona\u003cbr\u003e\n                                         \u003cb\u003eProduct Type: \u003c\/b\u003eCOMPACT DISCS\u003cbr\u003e\n                                         \u003cb\u003eUPC: \u003c\/b\u003e896931005401\u003cbr\u003e\n                                         \u003cb\u003eGenre: \u003c\/b\u003eClassical\u003cbr\u003e\n                                         \u003cb\u003eRelease Date: \u003c\/b\u003e2019-07-12\u003cbr\u003e\n                                         \u003cb\u003eNumber of Discs: \u003c\/b\u003e1\u003cbr\u003e\n                                         \n                                         \u003cbr\u003e\n                                         \n                                         \n                                         The Crossing has partnered with composer Kile Smith on several uniquely idiomatic works, spanning nearly a decade. But Navona Records' THE ARC IN THE SKY, Smith's 2018 setting of journal entries and poems of Robert Lax, is epic - an hour-long tour de force of thought and feeling that traverses topics ranging from Louis Armstrong to Jack Kerouac, and from Jerusalem to the shores of the island of Patmos. The enigmatic Robert Lax presents a fascinating aggregate of paradoxes: friend to Thomas Merton and the Beat poets; urbane yet reclusive; at times whimsical, at others blissful. Smith's music for unaccompanied choir meets these words fearlessly, building great waves of majestic sound next to fragile threads of contemplation, with a broad spectrum of musical and poetic influences based on Lax's varied interests and life experiences. The work begins with the ecstasy of Jazz - to Lax, a metaphor for life - born of his early days in New York City; the extraordinary close to the third movement is like a revival meeting. The middle section, Praise, subtly calibrates between the panoramic temple and the little things. The final section, Arc, reflects the culminations of Lax's personal and poetic voyage: a mixture of calm observation and awe, captured by Smith in simple, overlapping canons and broad, double-choir brush strokes of sound with rich harmonies building to an unparalleled climax. THE ARC IN THE SKY is a formidable example of the heights which artistic expression can reach when it's individual elements - that is, creative spirits from multiple spheres - work together in harmony. It is a pleasure to behold, and, as sung by two-time Grammy-winning choir The Crossing, an even greater pleasure to listen to.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTracks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAudio Sample:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n                                           \u003ci\u003eAll soundclips are provided by Tidal and are for illustrative purposes only. For some releases, the tracks listed may not accurately represent the tracks on the physical release.\u003c\/i\u003e\n                                           \u003cbr\u003e\n                                           \u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/embed.tidal.com\/albums\/111198671\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width:100%;height:700px\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e","brand":"Smith \/ Nally","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32477063446599,"sku":"39141583","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2976\/0132\/files\/3679563-2409680.jpg?v=1710998540","url":"https:\/\/tower.com\/products\/smith-nally-arc-in-the-sky","provider":"Tower Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}