
Carmina Chromatico contains twelve tracks with only his voice singing all the parts. The composer gave his own twist in reconstructing layer by layer of the almost forgotten renaissance and baroque songs. Jonathan Hering used his bass to counter-tenor range in the compositions up to eight vocal lines. This DIY chewing over resulted in a puzzling journey of emotions.
We can’t deny this monks work shows dedication and an original interpretation in this bestowal of European polyphonic music. After a few listening trips we felt impressed how far the vocal range of Jonathan Hering extends. He managed to keep the avant-garde sound and mood within the perimeters.
The last track, Lachrymose, shows Jonathan Hering’s talent as a composer. More than eleven minutes of innovative music soaked with ancient influences and weeping ambiances. The cold organic atmosphere is your only guide when you take the journey into this polyphonic view of the composer’s world. There is hope in the end with the repeating of the ‘light everlasting’ words.
This album does not contain easy listening music. The quirky approach of the original songs is sometimes even a little artificial and scary. Jonathan Hering’s Carmina Chromatico is a piece for avant-garde lovers. Our kind of X-mas music.
Patsker