Don't know why, but for a while now I've had a strong urge to listen to choral music. Maybe it's the different sound or flashbacks from when I sang in the high school choir, but I really want to hear a good, large choir sing some pretty music to me.
Mass choirs are amazing. There is something about a wall of sound being created by a large group of human beings that is simply astounding. That said, I also have extensive experience playing in a small band behind a group of singers and still being told to play quieter.
Anyway, a few months ago, while playing with the local wind ensemble, we were given a transcription of Eric Whitacre's Sleep. It is a choral piece, obviously, re-arranged for a wind band. It really is a lovely piece, which is sometimes difficult to appreciate while playing a transcription. So through my friend, YouTube, I listened to a choir sing it. Beautiful harmonies, calming, and some impressive examples of niente dynamic shading. Niente means nothing and it can be done by singers or musicians. This happens when the musician gets so soft, so gradually and eventually fades off into nothing.
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