Skylark Vocal Ensemble, Matthew Guard - Gentle Dark (2026) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Gentle Dark: I. My Darkness
02. Gentle Dark: II. In Your Sheltering
03. Gentle Dark: III. I Need Never Fear
04. Gentle Dark: IV. To Bed And To Sleep
05. Requiem: I. Requiem aeternam I
06. Requiem: II. Out Of The deep
07. Requiem: III. And God Shall Wipe Away All Tears
08. Requiem: IV. In Remembrance
09. Requiem: V. I heard A Voice From Heaven
10. Requiem: VI. Thou Knowest, Lord
11. Requiem: VII. Requiem aeternam II
12. Requiem: VIII. In paradisum
13. Love Song (Version for Mixed Voices)

Artistic Director Matthew Guard leads the Skylark Vocal Ensemble in this exciting new album featuring Gregory W. Brown’s Gentle Dark and Love Song, and Eleanor Daley’s Requiem. Both composers draw inspiration from the sacred chora lworks of Herbert Howells, and their requiems reflect his influence through their emotional depth, rich harmonies and lyrical modern expression.

American composer Gregory Brown's new secular requiem, Gentle Dark, is based on a text by novelist and poet James Agee. This world premiere recording captures the expressive freedom and evocative sound for which Brown is known, set to Agee’s powerful prose. The album also features the first professional recording of Daley’s complete Requiem.

Though distinct in voice and intention, both works share structural and harmonic elements that trace back to Howells, offering complementary perspectives on the expressive power of the human voice.