Skylark Vocal Ensemble shades of blue Choral music of Mark Van Overmeire

World premiere recordings of the choral suites “Hereafter am I" and "Between the shadows" by 4-time Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble Skylark.

2 suites for choir
Recorded by 4-time Grammy-nominee Skylark under the direction of Matthew Guard.

TRACKS

1. Hereafter am I 1. Torch of the past
2. Hereafter am I 2. Beyond the gaze
3. Hereafter am I 3. From this day on
4. Between the shadows 1. When all is said and done
5. Between the shadows 2. I come to you
6. Between the shadows 3. In your dreams
7. Between the shadows 4. Where we live together
8. Between the shadows 5. Hiding between the shadows

Skylark Vocal Ensemble
Matthew Guard, musical director

Clare Brussel: solo on "Hiding between the shadows"

Choral music of Mark Van Overmeire

“Hereafter am I” tells a story of discovery, reckoning, and belonging. We are ushered into this world by an intricate web of far-reaching branches. Molded by our elders, we act and behave, unknowingly to us, in surprisingly similar ways to those who came before us. The search to find out whose footsteps we are following can bring about a sense of belonging; or a reckoning that one has to live with.

“Between the shadows” takes us to a corner deep within ourselves where we find the strength to overcome our doubts and fears. To a place where we can dream about who we want to be. To an understanding that the sacrifices we make are for the greater good. To a purpose that will reveal itself when the time is right. To a destiny that takes our hand and leads the way. See, hear, and listen ...

SKYLARK ARTISTS

Soprano:
Clare Brussel
Erin Matthews
Sarah Moyer
Janet Stone

Alto:
Julia Soojin Cavallaro
Carrie Cheron
Tynan Davis
Megan Roth

Tenor:
Chris Albanese
Andrew Fuchs
Corey Hart
Nathan Hodgson

Bass:
Matthew Goinz
Stephan Griffin
Nathan Halbur
Enrico Lagasca

LINER NOTES

Skylark, one of the world's leading vocal ensembles, blends some of America’s most virtuosic voices into an emotionally impactful and cohesive whole. Through innovative, imaginative, and interdisciplinary programming, Skylark aims to redefine the choral experience for artists and audiences alike. From its “homebase” in Eastern Massachusetts to premiere venues like the Met Cloisters, Spivey Hall, and the Morgan Library, Skylark is setting a global standard in the choral arts.

The ensemble has received four GRAMMY® nominations for outstanding recordings and achieved multiple Billboard Traditional Classical Chart entries with recent albums. Skylark’s GRAMMY®-nominated 2024 album, Clear Voices in the Dark, is the first American recording of Francis Poulenc’s Figure Humaine, paired with songs from the American Civil War Era. The album has been hailed as “inspired” (Gramophone), “otherworldly” (WCRB Boston), “a huge success” (BBC), and “spectacular” (Textura). Skylark's groundbreaking “story score” concept, which integrates narrative with choral music, has transformed the choral experience.

Matthew Guard, Artistic Director

Four-time GRAMMY® Nominee Matthew Guard is quickly earning a reputation as one of the most innovative and thoughtful programmers in American choral music. Praised for his “catalyzing leadership” (Q2/WQXR) and “musically creative and intellectually rich” programming (Opera Obsession), Matthew is passionate about communicating something unique in each concert and recording. He scours the world of available repertoire for each program, exhaustively researches each piece, and crafts concerts and printed programs that captivate audiences with their hidden connections and seamless artistry.

ALBUM INTRODUCTION

When Mark approached Skylark about recording his original compositions, we were honored by his interest in our ensemble. This collaboration offered us a unique opportunity to immerse ourselves completely in one composer's vision — a refreshing departure from our typical programming process.

Mark gave us wonderful freedom to explore his music, trusting our interpretive instincts while guiding us through his distinctive sound world. The emotional landscape of pieces like "Hiding between the shadows" resonated particularly with our ensemble.

Our January 2025 recording session on Cape Cod became a memorable artistic exchange. Mark joined us from Nevada, and alongside producer John Cox, we explored the rich emotional landscapes of these works. The collaborative spirit of those winter days on the Cape infused the recording with a special warmth.

We're grateful to Mark for this artistic partnership and for the chance to help bring his thoughtful compositions to a wider audience..

Matthew Guard, Artistic Director

LYRICS

HEREAFTER AM I

1. Torch of the past

Torch in hand I walk a path that shies away from the light I cast.
My heart tells me I am not the sum of the sins of your past.

At the gate of sorrows I stand, my head held high.
I step out of the shadows, raising my arms to the sky.

From afar a snare drum whispers in my ear what is hard to hear.
My feet go faster and faster, I run to keep my mind clear.

I grasp a chance of hope and will stay on this merry-go-round.
I crawl out of this slope and raise my voice to shout.

It’s my life. It’s my life.
Do you know how I feel? Do you?
It’s my life.
Do you know how I feel?

I hear that your secrets and lies met at the end of a tight rope.
In darkness, the feeble warmth of candlelight helps me to cope.

I show and tell just who I am. This is me in all my glory.
I show and tell just who I am. This is what makes my story.

Here I am before you all, I hear you say that it will not last.
Here I stand and you will see, I will carry the torch of the past.

I grasp a chance of hope and will stay on this merry-go-round.
I crawl out of this slope and raise my voice to shout.

It’s my life. It’s my life.
Do you know how I feel? Do you?
It’s my life.
Do you know how I feel?

Come what may around the corner, I am here and will play my part.
Come what may around the corner, I will listen to my heart.


2. Beyond the gaze

A glimpse of the past. To know who you are. A glimpse back in time.

I want to know. I want to know. To know who you are.

Across time and space, the bond we feel is real.

We are the same, you and me.
Just like a flame that burns for all to see.

A glimpse back in time of you. You are like a dream come true.

I go back in time for you.

I want to know. I want to know. To know who it is you are. To feel alive in what I find.

Beyond the gaze in the old frame. Beyond the stare the past remains.
Beyond the look. Beyond the pose. Beyond the gaze in the old frame.

I go back in time for you.

I want to know. I want to know. To know who it is you are. To feel alive in what I find.

Across time and space, the bond we feel is real.

We are the same, you and me.
Just like a flame that burns for all to see.

I go back in time to know the truth. And you are like a distant dream come true.
I go back in time to know the truth. And you are like a distant dream come true.

Beyond the look. Beyond the pose. Beyond the stare the past remains.
Beyond the look. Beyond the pose. Beyond the gaze in the old frame.

To know who it is you are.

I want to know. I want to know. I go back in time for you. To feel alive in what I find.

Beyond the gaze in the old frame. I see we are the same.

Across time and space I see we are the same.

We are the same. We are the same. We are the same.
Just like a flame. Just like a flame. Just like a flame.

The same.


3. From this day on

It is quite strange how life turns out.
You are like me. That I can see.
One cannot change who oneself is.
We’re what we are. Just like a star.

Do you feel the roots that make you?
Feel the strength that comes through?
Bonded through time. What’s yours is mine.
Bonded through time. You make me shine.

Down memory lane. It’s time to take me back home.
Memory lane. And I will never be alone.
Bonded through time. What’s yours is mine.
Bonded through time. You make me shine.

Turning. Spinning. Endlessly.
Whirling. Reeling. Out of glee.

I walk like you. I talk like you.
From this day on. I am like you.
I think like you. I feel like you.
From this day on. I am like you.

Do you feel the roots that make you?
Feel the strength that comes through?
Bonded through time. What’s yours is mine.
Bonded through time. You make me shine.

Down memory lane. It’s time to take me back home.
Memory lane. And I will never be alone.
From this day on. What’s yours is mine.
From this day on. You make me shine.

Turning. Spinning. Endlessly.
Whirling. Reeling. Out of glee.

I am who I am. It’s what it is.
So true. What else is new?
I am who I am. It’s what it is.
So true. Nothing to do.

Feel the roots that make you?
Feel the strength that comes through?

Bonded through time. What’s yours is mine.
Bonded through time. You make me shine.
From this day on. What’s yours is mine.
From this day on. You make me shine.


BETWEEN THE SHADOWS

1. When all is said and done

Don’t stop. Go on.
Don’t stop. To find your own way.
Don’t stop. Believe.
Don’t stop. Go on.
Don’t stop. So, no need to stay.
Don’t stop. It’s not real.

Don’t stop. Go on.
Don’t stop. To find your own way.
Don’t stop. Believe.
Don’t stop. Just leave.

No need to stay. No need to betray.
So, don’t stop now. Just don’t stop now.
So, don’t stop now. Time moves on.

You don’t hear it. The shadow talks to me here.
It’s far and shallow. It comes closer. Hear?
Why don’t you see?

Between the shadows. I see the light.
Between the shadows. Night turns to day.

I will try to hear it.

Do you hear it? You have to try.
Do you not hear it? You will not cry.

I will find a way out.
There’s nothing to hold me back here. It is time to go.

So, don’t stop. Go on.
Don’t stop. To find your own way.
Don’t stop. Believe.
Don’t stop. Go on.
Don’t stop. So, no need to stay.
Don’t stop. It’s not real.

Don’t stop. Go on.
Don’t stop. To find your own way.
Don’t stop. Believe.
Don’t stop. Just leave.

No need to stay. No need to betray.
So, don’t stop now. Just don’t stop now.
So, don’t stop now. Don’t stop.


2. I come to you

No way out. Is this a dream? No way out. Hard to believe.

Broad daylight. High walls around me. I only follow my shadow.
Talking to myself and walking in circles. I’m staring at the meadow.

No way out and so I ask. Is this a dream?
There’s no way out and so it is just hard to believe.

Look up.

So, no need to get lost inside me.
Better to catch up and light up my soul to get out.
Better not to give up.

Like a frozen statue.
Lost in time and turned to blue.

There’s no way out and so I ask. Is this a dream?
Still no way out and so it is just hard to believe.

Broad daylight and high walls around me. I only follow my shadow.
Talking to myself, walking in endless circles. Close to the meadow.

Do what you have to do. Go on. I will be here and say what’s true.
Go on. Do what you have to do. I will not give up.

No way out and so I ask. Is this a dream?
There's no way out and so it is just hard to believe.

Broad daylight and high walls around me. I only follow my shadow.
Talking to myself, walking in endless circles. Staring at the meadow.

No way out and so I ask. Is this a dream?
Still no way out and so it is just hard to believe.


3. In your dreams

Dream on. Dream on.
I see your face. A warm embrace.

Dream on. Dream on. Dream on.

I see your face. A warm embrace.
I see your face and dream away.

Tell me. Why me?
Tell me. Why me?
Tell me. Why me?
Tell me. Why me?

Dream on. Dream on.

I see your face. A warm embrace.
I see your face and dream away.

I see your face. Gone with no trace.
I see your face. Gone without a trace.

Dream on. Dream on. Dream on.

I see your face. A warm embrace.
I see your face and dream away.

Tell me. Why me?
Tell me. Why me?
Tell me. Why me?
Tell me. Why me?


4. Where we live together

In this song a tale of love is waiting to be told.
But the shades of grey in this story might leave you in the cold.
When it all began the sun was high, the breeze light and fair.
But as day turns night you sensed and felt one had to beware.

It was on a day like any when our gaze made it clear.
We were meant to be together, and it was for all to hear.
Holding hands and feeling high, nothing stood in our way.
It sure was for all to see that our love was here to stay.

Life was grand with joy around, the sky was blue and clear.
Then one day dark clouds came by and a crack starts to appear.
Tension rose and words were told, it ended with a cry.
If not for our endless love, we would’ve said goodbye.

Love takes time, it does take time to love, let us not pretend.
Love should go, it should go on, this is not the end.
Love takes time, it does take time to love, let us not pretend.
Love should go, it should go on, this is not the end.

Time went by and my beauty wilted just like a flower.
It felt like my mind was locked up in an ivory tower.
Promise made, a bond forged, and we went all the way.
All could see our union and it was here to stay.

Life went on with chores around, the sky less blue and clear.
Year by year and day by day, the past yearns to appear.
Feelings hurt when words were told but we won’t and will not cry.
It is fate that led us here and we will never say goodbye.

Love takes time, it does take time to love, let us not pretend.
Love should go, it should go on, until the very end.
Love takes time, it does take time to love, let us not pretend.
Love should go, it should go on, until the end.


5. Hiding between the shadows

Follow me.
And you will see.
Shades of blue.
So clear and true.

Hold my hand.
Take a stand.
Follow the tide.
No need to hide.

Come to me.
Listen and see.
A world so bright.
It turns dark to light.

Follow the tide.
No need to hide.
Between the shadows.
Between the shadows.

REVIEWS

Textura - Ron Schepper

Skylark's latest recording venture, a full album of material by the Belgian-American composer Mark Van Overmeire, carries with it some degree of risk, especially when its last release, Clear Voices In The Dark, received two Grammy nominations (‘Best Choral Performance' and ‘Best Engineered Classical Album') and was recognized as an exceptional artistic achievement. The vocal ensemble's Artistic Director Matthew Guard had to have asked himself before committing to the Van Overmeire project whether the composer's material would be strong enough to satisfy as a follow-up. Clearly Guard answered in the affirmative as shades of blue comprises two choral suites by the composer; that the renderings of Hereafter am I and Between the shadows are world premiere recordings enhances the release's value all the more.

shades of blue isn't the first album to feature the music of Van Overmeire, who was born in Sint-Amandsberg on April 2, 1968 and studied at the Municipal Conservatory of Bruges and the Royal Conservatory of Ghent. Three earlier albums on his Kramúsica Records imprint include collaborations with the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra (Angkor, 2011) and renowned guitarist Irina Kulikova (La Forét ~ Drie Rivieren, 2021). The seed for the new release was planted when Van Overmeire approached Guard about the possibility of a collaboration.

His music clearly struck a major chord with Guard and his Boston-based ensemble, and one listen to the works shows why they decided to commit themselves to a full-album treatment of Van Overmeire material. Both multi-movement settings are abundant in resplendent melodies tailor-made for Skylark's artistry, and the ensemble's lustrous textures amplify the surface beauty of the composer's music whilst also revealing its depths. Hereafter am I and Between the shadows are pieces with which the listener connects immediately, but the two insinuate themselves even more with repeated exposure. Van Overmeire's music is, in a word, insidious.

One of the upsides of recording material by a living composer is that it offers the possibility of collaboration and the interpreter receiving invaluable guidance from the work's creator. At their best, such partnerships benefit each participant in different ways, the composer in having his work illuminated by performers deeply sympathetic to his vision and the interpreters benefiting from being gifted superior material to perform. For this project, Van Overmeire came from Nevada to join Skylark's sixteen sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses and producer John Cox at Corpus Christi Parish in Sandwich, Massachusetts to record the forty-one-minute album during January 2025.

The opening three-part work, Hereafter am I, explores issues of generational influence and the ways by which we reckon with the legacies we inherit and continue the cycle into the future. There are melodic hooks (earworms, if you prefer) aplenty, and it's very possible haunting lines such as “It's my life, it's my life / Do you know how I feel?” (from the first work's “Torch of the past”) and “So, don't stop / Go on” (from the second's “When all is said and done”) will resonate long after the album's over. In the work's opening movement, voices collect into immaculate unison and polyphonic groupings, their utterances in one passage percussive and lyrical in another. Declamatory gestures in the first part contrast with gentler ones in the subsequent “Beyond the gaze,” though numerous changes occur within a given movement to resist single-dimensional labeling. The entrancing poetic effect of the music in the second movement carries into the equally potent third, “From this day on,” when vocal lines entwine in particularly riveting manner.

Advancing through five parts, Between the shadows considers the ways we contend with and overcome crippling doubt and move beyond vulnerability and fear towards purpose and self-fulfillment. Soaring sopranos induce enchantment during the opening part, “When all is said and done,” but it's the full tapestry woven by the ensemble's voices that makes the music so intoxicating. The ear's immediately arrested by the rising “No way out” figure that initiates the second movement, “I come to you,” and is transfixed all over again by a sublime choral episode that eventually emerges. “In your dreams” casts a prolonged spell when the music unfurls in a meditative, almost chant-like form before swelling briefly into a wordless dynamo. At album's end, the sound of soprano Clare Brussel's voice gliding across the others' shimmering foundation during “Hiding between the shadows” makes for a beautiful way to end the set.

Skylark's decision to concentrate on work by a single composer pays off handsomely when the sensibilities of both creator and performer align and the result flatters both. As the project got under way, Van Overmeire believed Guard and company would “unlock new dimensions in these pieces and bring them fully to life,” and these performances prove his confidence wasn't misplaced.

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Each Measure - Rachel Dindi

Of all the classical traditions, choral singing remains among the most enduring, and as one of the oldest forms of music, it has proven its capacity for weaving poignant narratives around big-picture themes through its built-in sense of community and humanity. The Skylark Vocal Ensemble perfectly encapsulates the philosophical potential of choral music on their album, “Shades of Blue: Choral Music of Mark Van Overmeire,” which explores profound themes through highly expressive music. The album was recorded and released in 2025 and is now available for streaming and downloads on Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and Tidal.

The music was written by Belgian-American composer Mark Van Overmeire, and he hand-picked the Grammy®-nominated Skylark Vocal Ensemble to bring his work to life. The end result is the stirring musical journey of soul’s search for itself. Van Overmeire’s compositions combine the lush harmonies and soaring melisma of traditional choral music with the inventive rhythms and ethereal qualities of its modern incarnations.

The title “Shades of Blue” is an accurate description of the album’s overall atmosphere. Each individual piece feels like a different shade of the same color. Both Van Overmeire and the Skylark Vocal Ensemble show an impressive versatility in their skills, but a throughline of introspection and meditation ties the album together.

Lyrically, Van Overmeire doesn’t shy away from depth and genuine emotion. “Shades of Blue” consists of two separate but interrelated choral works. The first is titled “Hereafter am I,” and the artist describes it as “a meditation on generational influence and identity.” The second work, titled “Between the Shadows,” is described as “an exploration of inner strength.”

We’re ushered into the album’s sonic landscape with “Torch of the Past,” the first part of the “Hereafter am I” suite, and in my opinion, one of the strongest pieces on “Shades of Blue.” What makes “Torch of the Past” most compelling for me is its sense of conflict, the quality that elevates a work to the status of fine art. In it, the narrator reflects upon a struggle to break generational curses and establish a sense of individuality apart from inherited burdens. Van Overmeire’s musical composition accentuates the atmosphere of desperation, building from a staccato to the climactic lines, “It’s my life / Do you know how I feel?”

From the resolute aspiration of “Torch of the Past,” we are drawn into the almost childlike curiosity of “Beyond the Gaze,” in which the narrator expresses a desire to transcend the boundaries of time to look into the past and understand the lives of the souls that begot them. There’s a sense of wonder and awe in the piece as the narrator finally arrives at the realization, “Across time and space I see we are the same.” In our era of uncertainty, it’s a comforting revelation.

“From this day On,” concludes the narrative arc of “Hereafter am I.” It begins with a melodic, pattering baritone section, gradually layered and enriched with other voices. “From this Day On” provides the sense of resolution to balance out the conflict of “Torch of the Past” and follow the yearning of “Beyond the Gaze.” The narrator finally finds empowerment through communion with their roots and decides to carry the weight of the past with grace, shown through poetic lines like, “One cannot change what oneself is. / What we are. Just like a star.” “From this day On,” elegantly closes out a tale of transformation – from rebellion against the past, to peace with it.

The next track, “When all is said and Done,” begins the album’s “Between the Shadows” suite, which represents a journey of self-discovery. In contrast with the “Hereafter am I,” suite, the lyrics here are more cryptic and surreal. That’s because the work exists in a wonderland-esquespace of the mind, where everything is subject to interpretation. Lyrics such as, “The shadow talks to me here. / It’s far and shallow. It comes closer. Here? / Why don’t you see?” set an eerie but intriguing tone and reflect the desire to reconcile the self with the external world.

“I come to You” guides us deeper into the mind, where the narrator struggles with feelings of isolation and self-doubt. The central image of a person walking in alone in circles in a confined space serves as an evocative metaphor, and both the music and lyrics are appropriately circular. Still, what strikes me most about this piece is that in spite of somber tone, it is not exactly a sad song. Instead, I detect an inquisitive lilt in the narrator’s voice, which seems to suggest they view their confinement as a problem to be solved rather than a fate to resign to.

At 8:47, “In your Dreams” is the album’s longest track. With its sonorous harmonies and slow, lingering melody, it envelopes us in emotional color while allowing us a moment to digest everything we’ve heard so far. Like a dream, the meaning of this piece is largely up to interpretation. We witness the narrator dreaming of someone beloved and asking “Why me?” We don’t know whether they are looking into the future or the past, but the ephemeral, yearning quality of the track tells us they are on the precipice of a grand revelation.

Unlike its enigmatic predecessor, “Where we live together” is a more straightforward love song, albeit a very honest and mature one. In it, the narrator relates their own love story, describing moments of joy and contentment as well as those of conflict and pain. It reminds us that although “love takes time,” it also endures, bringing us to the realization that the key to love (both of others and of the self) is patience.

“Hiding between the Shadows” is the emotional conclusion of both the “Between the Shadows” suite and the album as a whole. It features a stirring soprano soloist cushioned by elegant harmonies and represents the narrator’s triumph over the self-doubt seen earlier as they embrace the world within themselves. They invite the listener to “Follow me,” showing a newfound willingness to share their private universe with others, and lines like “Take a stand,” and “no need to hide” suggest an emerging courage and resilience.

The reference to “shades of blue” in the final piece provides the album’s title, and in the context of the song, it serves as a powerful metaphor. Blue is color that represents both sorrow and joy. The album (and all of us) contains everything shade in between.

“Shades of Blue” exists at the intersection of musical virtuosity and poetic reflection, and Mark Van Overmeire could not have found a better group of singers to bring his work to life. The album spans an entire emotional journey – from conflict, to climax, to resolution – and its universal themes touch each one of us. It’s an album that demands not just to be heard, but to be really listened to.

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CREDITS

Recorded by Luke Damrosch between January 15-17, 2025 at Corpus Christi Parish, Sandwich, Massachusetts, USA

Mixed and edited by Luke Damrosch and Matthew Guard
Mastered by Luke Damrosch

Produced by John K. Cox
Executive Producer: Mark Van Overmeire

Photo Skylark Vocal Ensemble by Michael Justin
CD Cover and Booklet Cover by Matthew Guard
CD Package and Booklet Design by Mark Van Overmeire

A note on Skylark’s approach to music-making
Many members of the ensemble lend their expertise in Skylark’s collaborative artistic environment (creating editions/transcriptions, coaching pronunciation, suggesting repertoire, discussing project concepts, and lending historical/cultural/musical expertise). The creative energy of the entire group shapes our work, and our performances benefit greatly from this spirit of collaboration. Not only are our Skylark artists great voices, they are also great minds and hearts.

Release date: June 6, 2025

Total playing time: 41'15"

Kramúsica 004

© 2025 Mark Van Overmeire (BMI)
℗ Kramúsica Records