Sound Over All Waters

from Rambles – an online cultural arts magazine

"Renowned organist and choirmaster Paul Halley teams up with singer Theresa Thomason to produce “Sound Over All Waters”, a stunning CD of sacred and gospel music. The CD also features the professional vocal ensemble Kerámion, whose name comes from the Greek word meaning 'the clay jar". 

The serendipitous pairing of these two diverse talents, Thomason’s vocal artistry and Halley’s compositional brilliance, results in new music that is as exciting as it is engaging. Although from radically different musical backgrounds, she from the gospel tradition, he from classical choral and Anglican traditions, the feeling of joy and spontaneity that emanates from this album bespeaks a perfect collaboration.

Halley performs on various keyboards and composed much of the music on the CD, setting poetry and other selections to majestic, graceful melodies and arrangements. From the first exuberant track, “The Rain Is Over and Gone” based on verses from the Song of Solomon, to the starkly simple arrangement of the final song, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” Halley and Thomason present a seamless unity of passion and praise, blending the old and the new in a CD replete with respect for the content.

Thomason's vibrant and powerful voice rings with sincere devotion. She is a versatile performer, interpreting everything from Bible verses to gospel to the poetry of Wendell Berry and John Greenleaf Whittier with just the right degree of exquisite expression. 

"Hold to God's Unchanging Hand" is a lively gospel style song with a jazzy undertone while "Sound Over All Waters" has a traditional feel. "Circles," a poem by Wendell Berry, is moodier, more contemporary, yet it is not out of place, remaining true to the overall spirit of the CD. "Come Away to the Skies" has a swinging rolling melody with great rhythmic appeal. The mood shifts and changes with each song, but there is overall cohesiveness to the arrangements. 

Kerámion's performance meshes beautifully with Thomason' s singing; they have a clean, clear sound that supports and complements the solo voice flawlessly. They also get a chance to shine on their own with two familiar spirituals: "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." 

The penultimate track, "Freedom Trilogy," combines the talents of Thomason, Kerámion, the Choir of Sacred Sounds and members of Chorus Angelicus, the children's choir Halley founded. The track begins with the 16th century "Kyrie," sung in crystal clear harmony, which leads into to rousing South African hymns "Haleluya! Pelo Tsa Rona" and "Siyahambu." The hymns break off to a lively percussion bridge, after which Thomason launches into a silk smooth up-tempo rendition of "Amazing Grace." The choruses and Thomason combine to bring the selection to a dramatic conclusion, and one might expect that to be the finale of the album. But the final track of solo voice and organ reminds us that no matter how we share our worship, faith is something that comes from each of us alone. 

This CD is an enriching experience regardless of your belief system; there is a universality in the musical expression that transcends denomination. Thomason's sincerity and enthusiasm shines though on each track. "

- Donna Scanlon

from The American Organist Magazine

"Sound Over All Waters”, while a complete change of stylistic pace from “Sacred Feast”, fulfills the preceding disc’s promise of sonic “perfection”. Here the Cambridge-trained Anglican face of Paul Halley gives way to his persona of New Age jazz man and international eclectic. Teamed up with gospel diva Theresa Thomason and a supporting cast that would do Cecil B. DeMille proud, Halley commands a unique medium remarkable for its fluidity and emotional power. The performances are superb, with Thomason wielding the wattage of a pop diva, the sincerity of the best of the old-time gospel singers, and a diction that many opera stars could well emulate. Choral and solo deliveries are so clean, in fact, as to be perfectly intelligible from start to finish against the background hum of rush hour traffic – a serious test for any artist’s or engineer’s ability. 

On a disc where all the selections are standouts, “Freedom Trilogy” merits special note. “Trilogy” here refers not to the individual tunes that are so magically blended, first sequentially and then simultaneously, but rather to the three sonic worlds that the tunes represent: Gregorian chant yields to the sounds of Africa before both are gloriously embraced by “Amazing Grace”. Halley’s vision of a world without boundaries is powerfully conveyed in a work that will continue to delight, inspire, and amaze after many repeated auditions.”

- Jennifer Kolmes