TRPTK Records

NEW RELEASE! •• 'BENEATH A PALE MOON' WAS OUR FEATURED ALBUM FOR AUGUST 2024 •• Click here to read our blog about this release! Beneath A Pale Moon is the debut album from BLOCK4. Formed in 2012, BLOCK4 is a British-European professional recorder quartet, presenting a dynamic approach to contemporary consort music as well as offering a captivating interpretation of music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. BLOCK4 is passionate about sharing the recorder’s diverse repertoire with a wide audience, and performs in all types of venues – in recent years the ensemble has been spotted in concert halls, museums, churches, schools, pubs, clubs, and libraries, among many others. In addition to concerts, BLOCK4 leads outreach work throughout the UK and frequently gives workshops for young recorder players, for those new to the instrument, and for both mainstream and SEND schools. Beneath A Pale Moon features music by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Matthew Olyver, Francisco Guerrero, Michael Praetorius, Andrew Crossley, Tarquino Merula, Michiel Mensingh, Wojtek Blecharz and arrangements of anonymous folk and medieval tunes. The CD booklet contains an accompanying story by Essa Flett. Emily Bannister, Verena Barié, Rosie Land & Daniel Scott recorders TTK0109 • Released 2024

NEW RELEASE! Sibil•la Ensemble draws inspiration from the Sibyls, the female prophetesses who have captivated the human imagination from ancient pagan times to the medieval era and Renaissance. Sibyls were revered across cultures for their divine insights and prophecies. They were seen as conduits between the mortal realm and the divine, shaping the spiritual beliefs of Western civilizations throughout history. The mystical concept of Viriditas is originating from the theological writings of the German Benedictine abbess, composer, philosopher, mystic, and polymath Hildegard von Bingen, ‘Sibyl of the Rhine’. Hildegard was known for her ability to commune with the divine and derive insights from nature. In Hildegard’s philosophy, Viriditas symbolises the vibrant, life-giving energy that permeates the natural world and the essence of greenness and flora. This divine force, both physical and spiritual, was believed to be experienced in moments of ecstatic connection, where the boundaries between humanity and nature blur. These 12th and 13th century chants and secular songs from Germany, Spain, France and Cyprus are centred around the concept of Viriditas. Each one is a tribute to the generative power of nature that the Sybils embodied, celebrating its rhythms, cycles, and eternal harmony. Music by Hildegard von Bingen, Moniot d'Arras, along with traditional medieval tunes and melodies from the Cantigas de Santa Maria. Also included are improvisations by group members Ivan Gianakis and Marguerite Maire. Kristia Michael voice, gothic harp Andrew Hopper voice, vielle, cittern, rebec Marguerite Maire recorder Jeremy Bass medieval lute Ivan Gianakis percussion Sanne van Gend hurdy-gurdy TTK0120 • Released 2024