Ayanna Witter-Johnson: Ocean Floor

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There is a huge amount of integrity in all the pieces and this one [Chariot], along with Falling made this reviewer’s eyes water. This is an immersive dip into the histories of Africa, The Caribbean,... — BBC Music Magazine, January 2024, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 27th Oct 2023
Catalogue No: LSO5122
Label: LSO Live
Length: 51 minutes

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Witter-Johnson: Applause

Work length0:17

$1.05

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Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Gwilym Simcock, LSO Percussion Ensemble

Witter-Johnson: Unconditionally

Work length5:20

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Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Gwilym Simcock, LSO Percussion Ensemble

Simcock: All Roads

Work length2:04

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Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Gwilym Simcock, LSO Percussion Ensemble

Witter-Johnson: Chariot

Work length4:01

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Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Gwilym Simcock, LSO Percussion Ensemble

Witter-Johnson: Falling

Work length4:14

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Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Gwilym Simcock, LSO Percussion Ensemble

Simcock: Holding

Work length5:40

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Gwilym Simcock, LSO Percussion Ensemble

Witter-Johnson: Tidal Warning

Work length5:05

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Gwilym Simcock, LSO Percussion Ensemble

Witter-Johnson: Ocean Floor Suite

Work length15:56

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Ayanna Witter-Johnson, LSO Percussion Ensemble, Gwilym Simcock

Prologue

Track length1:55

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I. The Darkest Hour

Track length5:10

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II. Pioneers

Track length4:21

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III. Ocean View

Track length4:30

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Witter-Johnson: Forever

Work length9:20

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Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Gwilym Simcock, LSO Percussion Ensemble

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About

In 1781, the Zong – a British slave ship – left Ghana with twice the number it was designed to carry, bound for Jamaica. The ship’s owners claimed that drinking water was running low, and ordered the crew to throw more than 130 living enslaved people overboard.

Over 200 years later, Jamaica has become a place of significance for Ayanna Witter-Johnson. As a young child, she often spent her six-week summer holiday visiting extended family there, taking trips to a favourite beach on the south coast. It was here that she witnessed a terrible fatal accident at one end of the beach, yet at the other end, a baptism and celebration was taking place.

Witter-Johnson explores this spectrum of events, separated by two centuries yet tied together by their central themes of ancestry, family and the ocean, noting that even amidst the darkness of death, there is still room for joy.

Combining alternative R&B with classical, and with influences from soul, hip hop and reggae, Ayanna Witter-Johnson is the definition of an eclectic soul. Through her work with the LSO, she forged a friendship with LSO Principal Percussionist, Neil Percy, which became the starting point for the recording.

“His enthusiasm for my music moves me to tears and was the catalyst behind our first collaboration and subsequent commission, Forever. The organic development of this project is something I will treasure forever, because above all, I have felt the fullest support in expressing myself exactly as I am, and that goes beyond words.” – Ayanna Witter-Johnson

This album showcases Witter-Johnson’s special partnership with the LSO Percussion Ensemble, where her choice of rhythms and harmony and use of percussion all have symbolic meaning in relation to the songs’ deep inspiration.

Reviews

January 2024

There is a huge amount of integrity in all the pieces and this one [Chariot], along with Falling made this reviewer’s eyes water. This is an immersive dip into the histories of Africa, The Caribbean, the ocean and the musicianship of some top-class performers.

Offer,Ayanna Witter-Johnson: Ocean Floor

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