Joby Talbot - Piedra de sol (Conspirare)

Information

Composer: Joby Talbot

1. Sunstone: I. ...a crystal willow, a poplar of water...
2. Sunstone: II. ...a single presence like a sudden song...
3. Sunstone: III. ...I travel between galleries of sound...
4. Sunstone: IV. ...I travel your body as if through the world...
5. Sunstone: V. ...your skirt of corn ripples and sings...
6. Sunstone: VI. ...endless corridors of memory...
7. Sunstone: VII. …I search for a real moment, as alive as a bird…
8. Sunstone: VIII. ...writing of fire on a slab of jade...
9. Sunstone: IX. ...there is nothing in front of me, only a moment salvaged from a dream...
10. Sunstone: X. ...while time snaps shut its fan...
11. Sunstone: XI. ...oh life to be lived and already lived...
12. Sunstone: XII. ...facing an afternoon of saltpetre and stone...
13. Sunstone: XIII. ...there is nothing left of me but a gaping wound...
14. Sunstone: XIV. …in clarity…
15. Sunstone: XV. ...life and death make a pact in you, lady of the night...
16. Sunstone: XVI. ...open your hand lady who sows the seeds that are days...
17. Sunstone: XVII. ...gateway of being: awaken me and dawn…
18. Sunstone: XVIII. ...I want to go on, to go further...
19. Sunstone: XIX. ...a crystal willow, a poplar of water...

Conspirare

Craig Hella Johnson, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Divine Art

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Divine Art Records presents Piedra de sol (Sunstone), featuring composer Joby Talbot’s seventy-minute choral adaptation of Octavio Paz’s iconic surrealist poem. Performed by the GRAMMY® Award-winning ensemble Conspirare, directed by Craig Hella Johnson, and accompanied by percussionist Thomas Burritt on marimba, the composition reflects the cyclic symbolism of the Aztec calendar stone. Moving from ecstatic vision to ultimate enlightenment, the work weaves together rich vocal textures, complex rhythms, and vivid soundscapes. This immersive album stands as a profound sonic exploration of time, love, and spiritual transformation through masterly choral performance.

Born in London in 1971, composer Joby Talbot studied at Royal Holloway and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Simon Bainbridge. His expansive catalogue spans full-length narrative ballets for major global companies—including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the Benois de la Danse-winning The Winter’s Tale—as well as orchestral works, concertos, and film scores. In opera, he achieved critical acclaim with Everest (2015) and The Diving Bell and The Butterfly (2023). Following the 2026 premiere of his large-scale choral piece Piedra de Sol with Conspirare, Talbot continues to compose major concert works for international soloists and ensembles.

Conspirare is an internationally acclaimed professional choral organization led by Artistic Director Craig Hella Johnson, dedicated to delivering world-class live performances and recordings. With a discography of over 30 releases, the ensemble won the 2015 GRAMMY® Award for Best Choral Performance for The Sacred Spirit of Russia and has earned 12 nominations overall, including for their 2025 release advena. Featuring elite global vocal talent, including tenor Haitham Haidar, Voces8’s Savannah Porter, early music specialists Jonathan Woody and Dann Coakwell, and basso profundo Glenn Miller, Conspirare continues to captivate audiences worldwide with its expressive artistry and extraordinary ensemble precision.

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