Native Flute Journeys 5 By Sandi Horton

 

Native Flute Journeys 5

By

Sandi Horton

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The Flute of Sandi Horton has truly been making waves in the world of instrumental music in 2024, but now as we inexorably move slowly towards the end of that time, the artist has gathered some of her favourite winter based seasonal compositions to release, in this most sparkling of winters.

The joy starts from track one with Sandi’s version of the Christmas classic entitled O Come, O Come Emmanuel, I so enjoyed this rendition that I replayed the track a couple of times before I started to collate my thoughts and put them into words, this has to be one of the most haunting and beautiful arrangements of this piece in history. This new release also contains magical versions of famous pieces like Angels We Have Heard on High, O Tannenbaum, Coventry Carol and others.

Native Flute Journeys 5 is a 12 track release with some wonderfully fluent original structures contained within also, and it is these that I will focus on in this review. On the piece Winter Solstice (Padauk bass F Flute) we have a bliss filled moment of stunning flute to enjoy, Hortons almost meditative style on this track weaves us through the icy lands and lanes of deep midwinter with such style and grace.

Then we have the ambience created by the following musical narrative entitled Mary’s Song, where a higher note can be found, the creation was manifested by the utilisation of a (White Cedar, high E flute) and a more charming musical reverie you would be hard pushed to find.

Finally the next manifestation of mood filled flute is in front of us and called The Trees are Magical. One has to say that the arrangement and musical structures brought into life here by Horton are very redolent of the subject matter, simply gaze from your window at the trees moving in the winter wind, and enjoy this breath taking soundtrack.

Other winter and Christmas classics are included on this album as mentioned earlier, one of the long and lasting musical memories we all have is Greensleeves, and Horton’s version has a gentle, but palpable rhythm, whilst offerings like We Three Kings give us all a familiar reminder of this time of year, however her presentation here is extremely crisp and wonderfully fluent, raising our rhythms and hopes for brighter days ahead.

The project is concluded with the lullaby styled opus of Silent Night, a better way with which to finish an album of this elk you will not find, and a most charming re-imagination of this Christmas classic indeed.

Native Flute Journeys 5 by Sandi Horton is a solo flute based album that anyone looking for positive memories of winter and seasonal cheer should have, it contains 12 tracks of beautifully played flute, and all bathed in a most heartfelt and loving energy, it is certainly a collection of seasonal pieces you would be most proud of in your musical collection, so do yourselves a favour, and ask for a copy of Native Flute Journeys 5 by Sandi Horton to be placed in your Christmas stocking this year, your ears will love you forever.