O Albion

Arranged for the vocal group VOCES8, this stunning setting is adapted from the sixth movement of Ades' first string quartet, "Arcadiana." The lyrics are derived from a single line of William Blake's Visions of the Daughters of Albion: "The Daughters of Albion hear her woes, and echo back her sighs." In just 17 bars, this captivating music conjures a whole emotional world with sighing harmonies that echo the lament of the text.