Nocturnes is a beautiful dreamy and rich series of journeys into the world of classical concepts created by Michael King via Dream Cloud Orchestra, which is both enriching and delightful, beginning with the evocative A Twilight Walk which establishes the beauty of the various works on the ten track album.
Immediately transporting both the mind and emotions into a place of magic is A Twilight Walk followed by the intriguing Night Clock Waltz, a deliciously romantic piece that evokes the subtle, sensual emotions encapsulated within the delicate steps of the dance; dancers swirling and swooping through the haunting shadows of the night.
King, as a teen involved with musical theatre, was fascinated by the almost immediate lift the addition to a musical performance a live orchestra made, realizing that music alone can tell a story and when added to a story, changes the vibrancy of the storytelling immensely.
The amazing world of Silent Movies with the accompanying live music, also had a profound impression on King, as these movies demonstrated comprehensively the immense power of music and storytelling.
As a more mature musician he wanted to explore the ability to tell stories though the many nuances of the orchestra, which has resulted in his debut album full of magic and mystique. Summer Night Wonders captures this perfectly.
Traversing the Darkness changes the ambience as it a little darker, more hesitant; the shadows of the night everywhere to be seen, the eerie nature of the unknown that is hidden within nocturnal obscurity. The chanting of voices adds to the ghostly layers.
Each of the pieces is considerably lengthy but none the less, well worth becoming immersed in the music, allowing the story you wish to tell to be woven. A dog lying asleep nestled at your feet, the switching on of the stars in the night skies, the slumber of refreshing sleep and the echoes of times past and still to arrive are all there, yours to enjoy as you drift gently through the night.
To awake wiser than when having first gone to sleep could be wondrous thing and on occasion can indeed occur; the ethereal Slumber’s Wisdom takes you to this place of profound knowledge allowing you to choose, to enjoy, to relax and let the pieces coalesce into a whole.
Nocturnes created by Dream Cloud Orchestra began as a project for Michael King and has arrived as a beautiful, fully fledged, in his words, “cinematic neoclassical work (with) a touch of ambience’’ which describes the work to perfection.
