A Closer Listen
A lot of fun can be had with the original instrument, the human voice. One need not include lyrics, simply a sense of exploration, a willingness to reach past the boundaries of conversation, perhaps a bit of harmony and rhythm. In Solids for Voices, Copenhagen’s Valby Vokalgruppe accomplishes all these things, offering “Platonic solids reimagined as sound objects.”
The album also includes one of the oldest works ever featured on our site, Athénaios Athenaíou’s “Delfiske Hymne,” inscribed in 128 BC. While listening to this ancient hymn, one is connected with the distant past, while gleaning the continuity of humanity, stretching its vocal wings to communicate with the divine.
The majority of the pieces are composed by founder Anja Jacobsen, who also contributes light instrumentation. The opening “Icosahedral” refers to a 20-sided polyhedron, and one can view the various voices, contributed by a quartet of expressive women, as that very same object, turned and examined, each reflection and sparkle represented by a voice. Anders Lauge Meldgaard (whose own album is released only five days later) contributes New Ondomo to “Dodecahedral,” creating a swirling effect, while rhythmic harmonies populate “Monastère de Ségriès,” redolent of an ebullient morning prayer.
The flute of “Prime Solid” provides the album’s most non-vocal notes, but even here, it operates as a supportive force, finding its own place in the conversation. By the time the piece turns tribal, the flute has all but disappeared. In terms of sheer fun, “M” and “O” use only the sounds created by their letters, and should appeal instantly to kids; one can imagine this expanding into a 29-track album covering the entire Danish alphabet. “Octahedral” sounds like a happy collection of owls, singing in harmony after a fine meal of evening mice.
At its core, Solids for Voices is a happy demonstration not only of voice, but of finding one’s voice. The most accessible pieces invite one to sing along, while the most abstract beguile with layer and texture. One wonders if Jacobsen might inscribe one of her own pieces on a stone for posterity, to be rediscovered by the wondrous vocalists of centuries to come. (Richard Allen)
Fri Nov 07 00:01:30 GMT 2025