The 1960s were a period of revolution in classical vocal composition, a time of re-inventing and re-creating the classical voice's sound world that inspired the generation of composers featured on this album. Spear-headed by such imaginative singers as Cathy Berberian and Michiko Hirayama, and inspired by the simultaneous developments in Early Music, technology and an awareness of world music singing styles, the long-established Bel canto singing tradition was extended in new, imaginative and extraordinarily virtuosic ways. This collection is widely diverse in style from the simple (yet so complex) simple vocals by the two American composers, to a variety of extended-technique songs by the notoriously modernist Europeans, Kagel, Scelsi, Bussotti, Nono, Berio, and Castliglioni. fSara Stowe is one of Britain's most versatile and inventive performers with a repertoire ranging from medieval song to the present day. She began studying as a prize-winning harpsichordist and piano scholar at the Royal College of Music. On leaving she decided to pursue singing and studied in Italy where she sang for Luciano Berio and studied Scelsi's vocal music with Michiko Hirayama. In Britain Sara's performances include work with The Academy of Ancient Music, New London Consort, Sirinu, James Wood and the Taverner Consort.