Lyyra
Lyyra Releases Debut Album on Warner Classics
Out March 27 on Warner Classics, Lyyra’s Rising is a genre-defying album that showcases the multifaceted beauty of all-women a cappella. Through a program of songs dating from the 21st century to as far back as the medieval times, the six upper-voice singers explore ageless themes of joy, hope, resilience, and togetherness. Featuring never-before-heard arrangements of classics alongside music written specially for Lyyra, this brilliantly woven tapestry of song finds commonality in music of every age. “Not bound by genre or style, the songs instead revolve around timeless questions of love and identity that speak to us as young American women today — the pressures we face, the joys we find, and the strength we hold in a common purpose,” the ensemble writes.
The album forms a constellation of connections between music from our day and as far back as the medieval times. Its opening song, “The Hymn of Acxiom” by singer-songwriter Vienna Teng, muses on a modern concern, humanity in the digital age, through an ethereal harmonization that is magically ambiguous of era. This flows into the album’s oldest selection, 12th-century composer Hildegard von Bingen’s “Caritas abundat” (“love abounds”), a step back in time that feels soulfully seamless. Other highlights include the colorful “Dusk in June” by late-Romantic American composer Amy Beach; the romantic standard “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”; the traditional Appalachian folk song “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” in rich gospel style; Donny Hathaway’s 1973 single “Someday We’ll All Be Free”, a moving expression of the singer’s struggle with a mental disorder that has since grown into a deeper ode to resilience; and Simon & Garfunkel’s “America”, two lovers’ quest for meaning across the United States. Lyyra also offers a nod to one of recent years’ most iconic celebrations of womanhood with Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” from the 2023 Barbie movie.
Formed by The VOCES8 Foundation, Lyyra takes its name from the constellation of stars in homage to Orpheus’s lyre in Greek mythology. The group is made up of six singers: Anna Crumley, MaryRuth Miller, Elizabeth Tait, Aryssa Leigh Burrs, Ingrid Johnson, and Cecille Elliott. Though they gave their first concerts together in just early 2024, they are already making their mark through their radiant upper-voice harmonies, commitment to showcasing works by women composers, and bold programs that blur the lines of genre, frequently highlighting their talent for classical, jazz, pop, and folk, among other styles. Passionate about music education, Lyyra also collaborates with schools, universities, and community organizations as part of The VOCES8 Foundation’s mission of “Music Education For All.”