Credits:

Christopher Lowrey

Description:

A Journey Through Nature, Humanity, and ImaginationPresented by the American chamber choir Ensemble Altera and its founder Christopher Lowry, *The Four Elements* is an ambitious concept album centered on the themes of wind, earth, water, fire, and the fifth element, Quintessence (the essence of all things). Through choral works spanning from the Renaissance to the present day, the album portrays the elements of nature not merely as physical substances, but as living metaphors that symbolize human activity and imagination. In addition to works by William Byrd, Eric Whitacre, Morton Lauritzen, and Erik Essenvalds, as well as the world premiere recordings of Daniel Gredhills *For the Beauty of the Earth*the winning composition of the 2021 Ensemble Altera Composition Competitionand Michael Galepees *Flame of Love*. With its intricate and warm sound, this album invites listeners on a magnifice