Gavin Bryars' "The Sinking of the Titanic" is, and I say this without hesitation, one of the finest pieces of classical music you could ever wish to own. Contextually, think of the finest work by his contemporaries: Philip Glass, Steve Reich and John Adams for reference. Written in 1969 it traversed the realms of modern classical, experimental and electronic music capturing legions of dedicated followers over the years. Bryars wrote the piece to mirror the last moments of the doomed voyage, when the Titanic sunk and famously the in-ship big band played on. According to survivors the music being played was a rendition of "Autumn", an Episcopal hymn which forms the basis of Bryars' composition. The notes and phrases from the hymn are worked in and out of the piece, sinking through the waters, effected by time, nostalgia and the cavernous reverberations of the sinking ship itself worked into Bryars' incredible vision.

For this special performance of the piece released on the incomparable Touch label, we see Bryars  alongside Italian Alter Ego Ensemble on strings and phonographer Philip Jeck - the result is easily the most effective, haunting and mesmerizing rendition to date. Jeck's contribution is the most notably different on this version of the piece, his artifacts, surface noise, crackles and collage motifs of survivor's accounts of the event melt into the architecture of the composition as if they have always been there. This additional layer of historic and physical artifacts brought forth by these found sounds adds a significant sense of history, evoking in the listener recollections of hazy film footage, radio documentary narration and time-worn old photos. Through this mix the sounds are merged together effortlessly to form a miasma of tone, harmony, melodocism and memory, perfectly melting the themes which Bryars intended his piece to convey. A stunning spot-on rendition of one of the 20th Century's greatest modern classical pieces. Made that much more effective by its revamping at the hands of some of experimental musics most innovative players in the new century, including the composer himself. If ever there was a definitive edition, in the forty year history of this composition - this is it.