James McVinnie - Dreamcatcher (2025) [Official Digital Download]

Organist and pianist James McVinnie makes his PENTATONE debut with?Dreamcatcher, an intimate sequence of contemporary classical music centred around the act of imagining.?The recording features the organ of St Albans Cathedral-an epoch-making instrument closely associated with legendary organists Peter Hurford and Ralph Downes. The piano segments of the album were recorded on a Steinway D of exceptional beauty at Studio Richter Mahr, co-founded by composer Max Richter and visual artist Yulia Mahr.?
A mesmerising sonic trip,?Dreamcatcher?reflects the unique artistic persona of McVinnie, whose mastery of core organ repertoire extends to an extensive body of work written for him by leading contemporary classical composers, as well as collaborations in the world of electronic and experimental music. The album features works by Nico Muhly, Meredith Monk, Laurie Spiegel, John Adams, inti figgis-vizeuta, Gabriella Smith, Giles Swayne, Bryce Dessner & Marcos Balter. The album's title is taken from Marcos Balter's work of the same name, written in response to the child separation crisis?at the US-Mexico border in 2018-"dreamers" ?being the name given to children?separated from their families by the Trump?administration's?immigration policy.?This?record?also presents the first ever recording of Giles?Swayne's?Riff-raff ?made on the St Albans organ for which the work was written in 1983-McVinnie's rendition embodying a perfect synergy between the piece's minimalist roots and the modernist?tonal?philosophy of this instrument.? Through his boundless approach to music making, innovative programming and captivating musicianship, James McVinnie has carved out a unique career as an organist and keyboard player.

TRACKLIST

01. James McVinnie - Smith: Imaginary Pancake
02. James McVinnie - Muhly: Patterns: Move along
03. James McVinnie - Muhly: Patterns: Palindromes
04. James McVinnie - Muhly: Patterns: Similar
05. James McVinnie - Muhly: Patterns: Very Fast Music
06. James McVinnie - Spiegel: The Unquestioned Answer (Arr. for Organ by James McVinnie)
07. James McVinnie - Monk: Ellis Island (Arr. for Organ by James McVinnie)
08. James McVinnie - figgis-vizueta: build-it-yourself
09. James McVinnie - Balter: Dreamcatcher
10. James McVinnie - Adams: China Gates
11. James McVinnie - Swanye: Riff-raff
12. James McVinnie - Dessner: Song for Octave



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