Eric Whitacre's Water Night out April 3 on Decca

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Eric Whitacre Singers, London Symphony Orchestra, Hila Plitmann & Julian Lloyd Webber join Whitacre on the Composer/Conductor’s Second Decca Album
Water Night follows the Grammy-Winning, Chart-Topping Light & Gold
Virtual Choir 3 to be Unveiled Monday, April 2 at 6:30pm at Lincoln Centers’s David Rubenstein Atrium

On April 3rd, Decca will release Eric Whitacre’s Water Night, the composer and conductor’s second album on the label. With no fewer than seven world premiere recordings, Water Night features the Eric Whitacre Singers, the London Symphony Orchestra, soprano Hila Plitmann and cellist Julian Lloyd Webber.

The pieces on Water Night include well-known Whitacre works alongside brand new orchestral and choral repertoire, with different influences and styles. The title track, “Water Night," is one of Eric Whitacre’s most performed works, heard on this album performed by the strings of the London Symphony Orchestra. The Eric Whitacre Singers radiate in performances of “Alleluia” and “Oculi Omnium," two brand new compositions, as well as on “Her Sacred Spirit Soars." Bits of minimalism come through on “Equus," a piece performed by the full forces of the London Symphony Orchestra. “The River Cam” is a pastoral piece reflecting the influences of Elgar and Vaughan Williams. It was written at the invitation of cellist Julian Lloyd Webber on the celebration of his 60th birthday. The song “Sleep My Child” is a choral arrangement of a piece from Whitacre’s award-winning musical stage work “Paradise Lost."

The classic American children's book Goodnight Moon receives its first ever musical setting on Water Night. “I must have read Goodnight Moon to my son a thousand times,” says Whitacre. “I began hearing little musical fragments as I read, and over time, those fragments began to blossom into a simple, sweet lullaby.” Whitacre contacted the publisher to gain the rights to set the words to music. “To my surprise and delight, they agreed – the first time they had allowed Goodnight Moon to be used in such a way.” The lovely song is scored for harp, orchestra and soprano, here sung by Hila Plitmann.

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