Simon Andrews has earned a reputation as a creator of eloquent concert music that blends harmonic complexity and lyricism, introversion and broad gestures, and delicate timbres and bold statements. Here, on And that Moment When the Bird Sings, he offers up 10 compositions performed in a variety of configurations, from duos to trios and quintets, all of which emphasize his proficiency in both vocal and instrumental music...

First things first. If you're not a fan of modern Classical music, where the composer throws out the rule book and delivers pieces that clash, sound improvised and generally don't offer anything that will leave you emotionally drained... then you seriously won't enjoy this.

Yes, I get it. I totally understand that to stand out in a modern environment you need to deliver something new and a little different: be anarchic when it comes to your approach. The sad thing is that there are too many composers doing this and the end result is a cacophony of unfiltered and unwanted noise. What's wrong with form? Beautifully moving pieces? Music that if the players messed up you'd know instantly. For all I know 50% of this recording is accidental. There's no frame of reference... nothing to latch onto.

Fans of modern Classical compositions will probably love it. Me? I just longed for something to touch me on an emotional level - which from time to time it did.

6

Darren Rea