Whispers is a cycle of five idiosyncratic works spanning 2010–2014, composed and directed by Frank Denyer and performed by The Barton Workshop (with Denyer, Kiku Day, Juliet Fraser, Benjamin Marquise Gilmore, Elisabeth Smalt, Jos Zwaanenburg, Pepe Garcia Rodriguez, Dario Calderone, Bob Gilmore, Jamie Man, and others). The title track, “Whispers,” is a procession of seventeen short vocal meditations: Denyer’s own whispered, murmured, and muttered sounds traced by rare instrumental gestures- muted strings, flute, percussion, and custom accessory instruments. The effect is uncanny and vulnerable: every sound is exposed, each blend of voice and ensemble inviting focused and fragile listening.

Other works extend Denyer’s chamber method. “Woman with Jinashi Shakuhachi” spotlights Kiku Day’s breathy shakuhachi technique - drawing on Denyer’s longstanding fascination with Japanese flutes - subtly shadowed by muted strings and percussion. “Riverine Delusions” and “Two Voices with Axe” accentuate delicate textures and surprising timbral juxtapositions: voice and violin shimmer beside axe scrapes, spectral harmonics, and distant, melodic echo. “A Woman Singing” closes the album in a landscape of clear resonance and hesitant song, voice set against a fluctuating veil of muted ensemble color.

Denyer’s scores foster radical intimacy; the music achieves drama not by loudness or flamboyant gesture but by an almost precarious sense of presence. Ensemble colors are sparse but meticulously chosen, referencing Denyer’s fieldwork, improvisational practice, and ongoing interest in silenced artistic tradition. Whispers rewards repeated listening, foregrounding the fragility of sound and the possibility of meaning that emerges from restraint, play, and subtle collective encounter.