120: Ura qe Lidh Motet, by Ensemble Tirana

Ensemble Tirana (Albania)
Ura qe Lidh Motet (2014)
18 tracks, 65 minutes
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There are traditions of polyphonic choral singing all over the world, and it’s always glorious. It’s what unites vocal traditions from Gaelic psalm singing on the Isle of Lewis to the Dong people of south-west China to the Aka and Baka of central Africa; there are particularly revered styles from Corsica and Georgia that have long been known to international audiences. There’s just something about many voices singing so tightly together yet independently, where there is always multiple melodies occurring at once and quite often several harmonies interacting too, that inspires quiet awe.

By far my favourite polyphonic tradition, however, is that of Albanian iso-polyphony, which is showcased wonderfully by Ensemble Tirana on this album. Iso-polyphony is based around sung drones; from these drones blossom melodies and countermelodies that always reference back to the drone, creating ever-shifting patterns of harmonies throughout. The singers’ voices are occasionally strident, but they are more often hushed and soft, sometimes barely at a whisper, which, in combination with the harmonies, makes the whole thing feel so delicate; the fact that the singers frequently flip into head-voice just adds to that feeling, and helps to raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Something I particularly enjoy about this sort of music – because it’s my weakness – is just how bluesy it is. So much of the melody is in a minor pentatonic anyway, but then the way that the singers slide down their thirds is pure delta. Stick a blues singer like Skip James or Junior Kimbrough up front among those Albanians and their tunes would slot in perfectly.

Although the a cappella iso-polyphony is Ensemble Tirana’s speciality, Ura qe Lidh Motet also contains several other styles, both choral and instrumental. There are a few nice examples of pieces on the çifteli (reminiscent in some ways of the Turkish bağlama), but of the instrumental contributions, it is the track ‘Ju Pampore qe Shkoni’ that really gets me, where the standard iso-polyphony is joined by a kaval flute playing in lovely soft and breathy tones. The flute adds to the intricate harmonies, while adding its own timbral dimension.

Polyphonic singing is one of the world’s musical wonders, and the Albanian style is surely the jewel in its crown. How else to describe such an intense choral tradition that sounds like it could come from anywhere from ancient Anatolia to the deepest Mississippi? Now all we need is to get some blues singers involved…