Guillaume Dufay, John Tavener, John Dunstable, John Pickard, Andrew Maxfield, and Robert White. Featruing Sam Handley on Electric Guitar. “Although John Dunstable or Guillaume Dufay wouldn’t have dreamed of Fenders or Gibsons with layers of effects, an electric guitar not only seems like a fitting stand-in for a lute, but a fine (and portable) modern organ, particularly in the hands of our brilliant co-conspirator Sam Handley.” - Kameron Kavanaugh & Andrew Maxfield

Reviews

★★★★★

‘Congratulations to Sound of Ages choir and bravely innovative Artistic Director Kameron Kavanaugh. In their new EP First Light, the group combines two seemingly incongruous elements—music of the Medieval/Renaissance period and…electric guitar. My initial skepticism proved short-lived. The combination of Sound of Ages’ A-team quartet of singers and Sam Handley’s sensitive “21st-century lute” complement one another quite nicely. Vocal clarity, stylist interpretations and sturdy intonation abound throughout the album. New works by composer Andrew Maxfield add to an enjoyable aural experience.’

Andrew Crane, Director of Choral Activities, Brigham Young University, Utah

‘In Darkness Starts Maxfield creates a starry, lush harmonic landscape that is perfectly illuminated by the sweetly blended tones of the vocal quartet and gently reverberating electric guitar. The poetry is elevated by the sundry, expressive, and well-crafted musical textures. A daringly unique, and yet absolutely stunning marriage of vocal and electric guitar timbres.’

Benjamin Kapp Perry, Artistic Director - Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, Boston

“First Light, a daring collaboration between Kameron Kavanaugh and Andrew Maxfield, reimagines early Renaissance music through the lens of contemporary composition. Featuring the Salt Lake City-based choir, Sound of Ages, the album fuses early Renaissance with modern works creating a thought-provoking and meditative listening experience. The inclusion of an electric guitar as the modern stand-in for the lute and organ accompaniment effectively lifts these sacred masterpieces of the past and places them into a modern context. The studio production allows for a perfect balance between the Renaissance and modern improvisatory components, while preserving the utmost clarity and beauty of the voices of the Sound of Ages.”

Markdavin Obenza, Artistic Director - Byrd Ensemble, Radiance