When do we ever have silence today? In the late 15th century, the renaissance philosopher Marsilio Ficino wrote that music was “nothing but a decoration of silence,” and music could bring out a “divine frenzy.” In our modern age, with piped music everywhere in lifts, airplanes and doctors’ offices, and music available on tap whenever and wherever we wish through digital media devices, our experience of music has been diluted, losing much of its original power. The Italian lutenist, Francesco da Milano, known as “il divino,” was said to have sent his audiences into a trance and rob them of their senses, save one, that of hearing. This album invites the 21st century listener into a world of sensual delight and a real decoration of silence. World-renowned lutenist Nigel North returned to the studio to continue his series of recordings of the works of Il Divino- better known as Francesco da Milano. “North leans more towards allowing a phrase’s flow gently to retard as it reaches the still pool of its final tone… ultimately it’s North’s intense introspection and empathy that make this a thoughtful programme…” (Gramophone)

This new recording from the Vida Guitar Quartet continues to highlight Vida’s passion for ground-breaking arrangements. Mark Ashford’s version of the English Folk Songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams is just one example of the quartet’s ability to re-work established masterpieces with breathtaking virtuosity. The Vida Guitar Quartet brings together four guitarists of exceptional artistry and “unerring musical instinct.” (Gramophone) Vida’s ability to “conjure up an orchestral palette of color and effects” (Classic FM) combined with their “exquisite tonal and dynamic control” has firmly established them as a passionate and masterful ensemble who sparkle with “vitality and spontaneity” (Acoustic) Vida’s seemingly effortless sense of ensemble and their broad range of timbres and dynamics evokes “listening to an entire orchestra and note merely to four guitars. There’s only one word for it: magic.” (Gramophone)