This is a lovely and surprising treat indeed. Composer andmulti-instrumentalist Tim Hodgkinson (Henry Cow and much more) partners with vocalist Atsuko Kamura (Mizutama Shobodan aka PolkaDot Fire Brigade and Frank Chickens) to present 37 compositions,expanding the usual sub-10-second acoustic life of classic haiku into avaried suite of compositions which place the gem-like poems, spokenand sung in both English and Japanese by Hodgkinson and Kamura,into gorgeous musical frames composed by Hodgkinson. "Haiku In TheWide World" lovingly embraces texts spanning the 17th to 20thcenturies, revered examples of a long-established Japanese literaryform, bringing these brief poems into the realms of musical art, settingthem in an extended network of sonic inter-relationships.

The instrumental textures, paradoxically sparse yet rich, crystalline yetwarm, are provided by Hodgkinson's own clarinet and other soundsources, as well as beautifully played and crisply recorded french horn,viola, violin, cello and acoustic guitar. The voices and instrumentalsounds fuse with the poetic images, each throwing light and castingshadows on each, revealing hidden significances and buildingresonances across the arc of the release. The Japanese and English voicings of the haiku also provide further layers of significance,resonance and communication.

The English translations, by poet Harry Gilonis, sparked Hodgkinson to initiate this project, a dancing, shiftingterrain of life moving through the seasons and the comings and goingsof the moon and sun. This project is a unique world, distinctly differentfrom what either Hodgkinson and Kamura have previouslyaccomplished. "Haiku In The Wide World" is a co-release, with ReRlaunching a UK CD version; EM Records provides both CD and 2LP versions. The tracks and sequence are the same for both labels, but thecover art is different — perhaps you should buy each version; "Haiku InThe Wide World" is certainly worthy.