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The gradual rollout of the National Symphony Orchestra’s recordings of symphonic works by Carlos Simon is completed with his Songs of Separation and Wake Up! Concerto for Orchestra. Based on poems of Rumi, Songs of Separation (four) was commissioned by the NSO and features mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges. Wake Up! was inspired by the poem “Awake, Asleep” by Nepali poet Rajendra Bhandari. The poet, “warns of the danger of being obliviously asleep in a social world, but yet how collective wakefulness provides ‘a bountiful harvest of thoughts,’” said Simon in his liner notes. These two works complete the album, which includes the previously released Tales–A Folklore Symphony and The Block.

Tracklist

The Block

Tales – a Folklore Symphony:
  I. Motherboxx Connection
  II. Flying Africans
  III. Go Down Moses (Let My People Go)
  IV. John Henry

Songs of Separation:
  I. The Garden
  II. Burning Hell
  III. Dance
  IV. We Are All the Same

Wake Up! Concerto for Orchestra

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