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Christopher Tin

The Lost Birds

Decca Classics
Release Date: July 22, 2022

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Interview w/ WOSU
Interview w/ Winnipeg's Classic107
Christopher Tin at the Nominee Reception
1 Flocks a Mile Wide  
2 The Saddest Noise  
3 Bird Raptures  
4 A Hundred Thousand Birds  
5 Wild Swans  
6 Passenger Pigeon  
7 Thus In the Winter  
8 There Will Come Soft Rains  
9 All That Could Never Be Said  
10 I Shall Not See the Shadows  
11 In the End  
12 Hope Is the Thing with Feathers  
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The sky was once full of birds. Magnificent flocks so enormous that they would darken the skies for days as they flew overhead. The most awe-inspiring of these flocks belonged to a bird called the passenger pigeon. At their height, they were the most numerous bird species in North America, with a population estimated at 5 billion. But over the course of a few decades, we eradicated them for food, using nothing but the crudest 19th-century hunting technology. With callous indifference, we simply shot them out of the sky, one by one, until their songs were never heard again. 

The Lost Birds is a memorial for their loss, and the loss of other species due to human activity. It's a celebration of their beauty--as symbols of hope, peace, and renewal. But it also mourns their absence--through the lonely branches of a tree, or the fading echoes of distant bird cries. And like the metaphor of the canary in the coal mine, it's also a warning: that unless we reverse our course, the fate that befell these once soaring flocks will be a foreshadowing of our own extinction.

To pay proper tribute to these birds, I adopted a distinctly 19th-century musical vocabulary: one based on the tunefulness of folk songs, with a string orchestra accompaniment that's both soaring and melancholy. And to put their story into words, I turned to four 19th-century poets--Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Sara Teasdale. These women saw their world transform from a pastoral society to an industrial one--one in which humans, for the first time, began disastrously reshaping the environment. And the poems which I selected depict an increasingly fraught world: first without birds, and ultimately without humans.

We are now in the 21st century, and our tools for affecting the world around us--emissions, pesticides, deforestation--are more indiscriminate and cruelly efficient. As bird, fish, animal, and insect populations crash around us, we increasingly find ourselves in a silent world--one in which the songs of birds are heard less and less. We hope that the silence can be filled by more voices speaking up on behalf of these lost birds--for their sake, and for ours.

  • Hamilton Arts Festival to host NZ premiere of Christopher Tin's 'To Shiver the Sky' / bnn
    Posted At: February 28, 2024 12:00 AM
    Delve into the enchanting world of the Hamilton Arts Festival as it unveils the New Zealand premiere of 'To Shiver the Sky,' an oratorio tracing humanity's journey through the skies. Featuring a star-studded lineup and meticulous preparations, this event promises a mesmerizing blend of history, music, and bnn's Mazhar Abbas writes…..The Hamilton Arts Festival, a beacon of culture and creativity, is set...
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  • Christopher Tin - The Lost Birds makes 'five gift recommendations from Classical 101's music manager'
    Posted At: November 28, 2022 12:00 AM
    The sky was once full of birds. Magnificent flocks so enormous that they would darken the skies for days as they flew overhead. The most awe-inspiring of these flocks belonged to a bird called the passenger pigeon. At their height, they were the most numerous bird species in North America, with a population estimated at 5 billion. But over the course of a few decades, we eradicated them for food, using noth...
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  • With lines borrowed from Emily Dickinson, Christopher Tin's 'The Lost Birds' uplifts / PRX: The World
    Posted At: November 8, 2022 12:00 AM
    Christopher Tin is a two-time Grammy-winning composer of concert and media music. Time Magazine calls his music 'rousing' and 'anthemic', while The Guardian calls it 'joyful' and 'an intelligent meeting of melody and theme'. His music has been performed and premiered in many of the world's most prestigious venues: Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, the United Nations, and Carnegie Hall, where h...
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  • Christopher Tin and VOCES8 team up to remember extinct birds / yourclassicalMPR
    Posted At: November 3, 2022 12:00 AM
    The sky was once full of birds. Magnificent flocks so enormous that they would darken the skies for days as they flew overhead. The most awe-inspiring of these flocks belonged to a bird called the passenger pigeon. At their height, they were the most numerous bird species in North America, with a population estimated at 5 billion. But over the course of a few decades, we eradicated them for food, using noth...
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  • Christopher Tin's 'The Lost Birds' memorializes extinct species / 89.7WOSU
    Posted At: November 1, 2022 12:00 AM
    The sky was once full of birds. Magnificent flocks so enormous that they would darken the skies for days as they flew overhead. The most awe-inspiring of these flocks belonged to a bird called the passenger pigeon. At their height, they were the most numerous bird species in North America, with a population estimated at 5 billion. But over the course of a few decades, we eradicated them for food, using noth...
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  • WQXR - Have You Heard? | The Lost Birds by Christopher Tin, featuring VOCES8 & THE Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
    Posted At: October 17, 2022 12:00 AM
    The sky was once full of birds. Magnificent flocks so enormous that they would darken the skies for days as they flew overhead. The most awe-inspiring of these flocks belonged to a bird called the passenger pigeon. At their height, they were the most numerous bird species in North America, with a population estimated at 5 billion. But over the course of a few decades, we eradicated them for food, using noth...
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  • Christopher Tin chats about 'The Lost Birds' with Tallahassee's WFSU
    Posted At: October 17, 2022 12:00 AM
    The sky was once full of birds. Magnificent flocks so enormous that they would darken the skies for days as they flew overhead. The most awe-inspiring of these flocks belonged to a bird called the passenger pigeon. At their height, they were the most numerous bird species in North America, with a population estimated at 5 billion. But over the course of a few decades, we eradicated them for food, using noth...
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  • 'The Lost Birds' by Christopher Tin is the 91.5WXXIClassical: CD Spotlight
    Posted At: October 3, 2022 12:00 AM
    The sky was once full of birds. Magnificent flocks so enormous that they would darken the skies for days as they flew overhead. The most awe-inspiring of these flocks belonged to a bird called the passenger pigeon. At their height, they were the most numerous bird species in North America, with a population estimated at 5 billion. But over the course of a few decades, we eradicated them for food, using noth...
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  • Christopher Tin's 'To Shiver the Sky' wins 'Excellence in Audio Journalism, Arts/Entertainment!' award / 89.3WQED
    Posted At: September 29, 2021 12:00 AM

    Christopher Tin's 'To Shiver the Sky' has won an award for Excellence in Audio Journalism, Arts/Entertainment! The award was given by the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania, and you can find more information about the award h Excellence in Audio Journalism, Arts/Entertainment - Divisions 1-6 Winner: "Composer Christopher Tin," Katie Brill and Bryan Sejvar, WQED-FM The Pr...
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  • Christopher Tin chats with 89.7WCPE
    Posted At: January 13, 2021 12:00 AM

    Recognized as the first artist to win a Grammy Award for music written for a video game, composer Christopher Tin has released a new album titled 'To Shiver the Sky' which marks Tin's major label debut after signing to Decca Gold.  To Shiver the Sky, is "an oratorio about the history of flight, and mankind's quest to conquer the heavens," explains Tin. The ambitious 11-track albu...
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  • The history of aviation is full of outlandish tales and colorful figures. PRX: The World discusses 'To Shiver the Sky' with composer Christopher Tin
    Posted At: December 2, 2020 12:00 AM

    Recognized as the first artist to win a Grammy Award for music written for a video game, composer Christopher Tin released his new album 'To Shiver the Sky' last summer. It marks Tin's major label debut after signing to Decca Gold.  To Shiver the Sky, is "an oratorio about the history of flight, and mankind's quest to conquer the heavens," explains Tin. The ambitious 11...
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  • PublicRadio90: Classiclectic Connection discusses 'To Shiver the Sky' with Christopher Tin
    Posted At: November 29, 2020 12:00 AM

    The history of flight is full of trial errors; from the stories of Daedalus and Icarus planning escape with wax and feathers, to The Wright Brothers' first successful airplane, human flight has been a dream for humanity for many years. That's what composer Christopher Tin's latest album, To Shiver the Sky, is all about. An "oratorio about the history of flight and mankind's quest to c...
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  • Christopher Tin talks about his new oratorio 'To Shiver the Sky' with Winnipeg's Classic107
    Posted At: November 3, 2020 12:00 AM

    The American composer Christopher Tin is one of today's most innovative and influential composers. His compositions for film, video games and the concert stage have won him 2 Grammy Awards, and a whole plethora of song writing and video game awards. The music that he composed for the video game Civilization IV has the honor of being the first music written for a video game to win a Grammy Award, which wa...
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  • Christopher Tin discusses his new work about the history of flight, with 89.1WMHT
    Posted At: November 2, 2020 12:00 AM

    Recognized as the first artist to win a Grammy Award for music written for a video game, composer Christopher Tin has released a new album titled; 'To Shiver the Sky.' This album marks Tin's major label debut after signing to Decca Gold.  To Shiver the Sky, is "an oratorio about the history of flight, and mankind's quest to conquer the heavens," explains Tin. The ambiti...
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  • Christopher Tin's 'To Shiver the Sky' encourages listeners to take flight / New Classical Tracks
    Posted At: October 29, 2020 12:00 AM

    If you're familiar with composer Christopher Tin, it may be because he made history as the first composer to win a Grammy Award for music written for a video game. "The song that I wrote a Grammy for is called Baba Yetu, and it's actually a choral setting of the Lord's Prayer in Swahili. And it was originally written for the video game Civilization IV which is a very legendary franchise i...
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  • Christopher Tin discusses 'To Shiver the Sky' with 89.3WQED
    Posted At: October 10, 2020 12:00 AM

    Recognized as the first artist to win a Grammy Award for music written for a video game, composer Christopher Tin has released a new album titled 'To Shiver the Sky' which marks Tin's major label debut after signing to Decca Gold.  To Shiver the Sky, is "an oratorio about the history of flight, and mankind's quest to conquer the heavens," explains Tin. The ambitious 11-...
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  • Explore space through sound with Christopher Tin's Amelia Earhart-inspired piece; 'Courage,' played by the US Air Force Band / Washingtonian
    Posted At: August 29, 2020 12:00 AM

    Explore space through sound with the US Air Force Band and Washington Performing Arts. Hear the Amelia Earhart-inspired piece "Courage" from conductor Christopher Tin's To Shiver the Sky and watch interviews with NASA experts. The virtual event will also include a live interview with Tin and WPA head Jenny Bilfield. Saturday 8/29 at 7 PM; Free Recognized as the first artist to win a Grammy Award for ...
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  • Back by popular demand, two time GRAMMY winner; Christopher Tin will conduct 'Calling All Dawns' at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center / BroadwayWorld
    Posted At: March 4, 2020 12:00 AM

    Due to popular demand, Christopher Tin, the two-time Grammy Award winner, will conduct his classical crossover album Calling All Dawns. Presented by DCINY last year at Carnegie Hall, DCINY is bringing Tin's concert to David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center this season on March 27. Tin, who is a DCINY composer-in-residence, will lead the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and the Distinguished Concerts Singe...
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  • Christopher Tin conducts debut concert at Carnegie Hall / New China
    Posted At: June 13, 2019 12:00 AM

    Music should be "the hammer that breaks down cultural barriers" in an age of rising populism and protectionism, Chinese American producer Christopher Tin, a two-time Grammy Award winner, has said. California-born Tin conducted his debut concert at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan on Sunday. The event was presented by the Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY). The DCINY composer-in-residence...
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  • Christopher Tin set for his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall / BroadwayWorld
    Posted At: May 14, 2019 12:00 AM

    Christopher Tin, the two-time Grammy Award winner is making his Carnegie Hall conducting debut  on June 9 with the presentation of his classical crossover album Calling All Dawns. Presented by DCINY, Tin, the DCINY composer-in-residence, will be leading a mass choir of singers performing Calling All Dawns with a full orchestra. Featured soloists are Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek, Mezzo-Soprano, Mic...
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  • Christopher Tin tells Inkstone about remaking the classic 'Crazy Rich Asians'
    Posted At: September 1, 2018 12:00 AM

    Legendary Taiwanese diva Teresa Teng is going through a revival, after blockbuster flick Crazy Rich Asians used a big band cover of her classic melody "When Will You Return" (also known as "Waiting For Your Return") to open the movie.  Composer Christopher Tin, who adapted the song for the film, tells Inkstone about remaking a classic, and explains why Crazy Rich Asians has finally given the Asian c...
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  • DJ tyDi collaborates with Christopher Tin for 'Collide' / VENTS Q&A
    Posted At: April 1, 2018 12:00 AM

    In his 15 years as one of the leading artists in electronic music, Australian songwriter, composer, record producer and DJ tyDi, has recorded five full-length albums, countless singles, remixes, and EPs that have topped global charts. On his new album - Collide, tyDi enlisted 2x GRAMMY award winning composer and seasoned vet Christopher Tin to help bring Collide to the masses. Best known for his composin...
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  • The relationship between games and music / The Boar
    Posted At: February 18, 2018 12:00 AM

    On the surface, the relationship between video games and music seems to be a straightforward one. One of the integral features that makes a well-written, mechanically strong video game into a masterpiece is music. On the flip side, video games benefits in the music industry in many ways too. Then there are the unique examples such as Youtuber Dan Bull, who makes fantastic songs about video games, which h...
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  • Christopher Tin's european premiere of 'Drop That Contained The Sea' / The York Press
    Posted At: July 12, 2016 12:00 AM

    DOUBLE Grammy Award winner Christopher Tin will conduct the European premiere of his majestic work The Drop That Contained The Sea at York Barbican on Saturday night. The 200 voices of Prima Vocal Ensemble, from York, and Angel City Chorale, from Los Angeles, will be accompanied by the Mowbray Orchestra, joined on stage by yet-to-be-confirmed international soloists and York singer Alistair McQueen, who h...
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  • Christopher Tin - 'The Drop that Contained the Sea' makes August Dirty Dog List
    Posted At: August 10, 2015 12:00 AM

    The second album from two-time GrammyTM Award-winning composer Christopher Tin, entitled The Drop that Contained the Sea, has entered the Billboard Classical Traditional Charts at #1 after its first week of release.  The ten-part song-cycle explores the theme of water in its different forms, with vocal performances by fellow GrammyTM Award-winners the Soweto Gospel Choir and Le Mystè...
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  • Christopher Tin wins Grammy
    Posted At: February 14, 2011 12:00 AM

    http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/14/civilization-4-grammy-baba-yetu/ Christopher Tin's "Baba Yetu," otherwise known as "that Civilization IV song that won't get out of your head," won a Grammy for "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists" at the 53rd annual music awards. The track, which is the first piece of video game music nominated for a little gramophone, was recognized so many ...
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