A Terrible Beauty CD Release with Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble on the Diatribe label 2021
’sheer pleasure’
beneath the dark blue waves, commissioned and performed by Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble
Inspired by Gwen O’Dowd’s magnificent abstract sea paintings, the quintet (for flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano) contemplates the turbulence and effervescence of the sea.
Jane O’Leary’s two movement work beneath the dark blue waves, which opens the first disc, is an extraordinary demonstration of the sheer range of colour it is possible to extract from this type of ensemble. One could argue that placing this as the first track on CD 1 was unfortunate for some of the other composers, as it highlighted their more limited aural palette.
Mark Fitzgerald, Journal of Music
Jane O'Leary 