Details: Astrophil & Stella is the fruit of a life's devotion to the spirit and craft of 17th-century music. Harpsichordist, conductor, and composer Patrick Ayrton has delved into the intricate fabric of this era's compositions, unearthing it's hidden mechanisms and timeworn secrets. The result is a song cycle of his own, for soprano and instrumental ensemble. Historically, the art of composing was not merely a skill but the very lifeblood of every musician, and to compose was to speak the language of the present. Thus, Patrick does not aim to simply revive the past, but to rekindle a tradition, one that hovers between memory and reinvention. In his hands, ancient forms breathe anew, woven with reverence, yet subtly imbued with his own artistic voice