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Ferris Wheels Release
The much-anticipated new Swingle Singers CD entitled "Ferris Wheels", the group's 22nd independent release, is in the final stages of post-production. The track list is a diverse collection of songs by well-loved singer/songwriters including Nick Drake, James Taylor, Sting, Stevie Wonder, and Joni Mitchell.
The Concept [excerpted from recent press release]
"Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels" is one of the lyrics from Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now.
The lyric conjures images of bright sunny days, hot summer nights, and distant fairgrounds. In the centre, the iconic attraction that everyone remembers, promising excitement as they are swept off the ground. But with every upward lift, there is a downward turn. All is not as it seems at the outset, just as Mitchell's lyric bears a deeper, darker contemplation. There is a flipside, another way of seeing and experiencing love and life; and the view changes moment by moment with each spin of the wheel.
The songs chosen for this album provide glimpses of this journey around the circle, each with its own perspective and its own story to tell, each facet adding to the bigger picture. But each song is itself a journey as well. The arrangers and producers have created a soundscape unique to each piece, so that the musical settings bring something new to these well-known lyrics, and take the listener to new places.
We hope that the ride is an exciting and provocative one!
