Title: Offering
Artist: Adkins, Alexandra
Label: CD Baby
Product Type: COMPACT DISCS
UPC: 700261344539
Genre: Classical Artists

Houston Symphony musician Alexandra Adkins is a multitalented violinist, performer and songwriter. Her performances embody a lifelong passion for music that connects spiritually with audiences. Her playing has been described by the Dallas Morning News in phrases such as 'impressive virtuosity', 'spirited, suave playing', and her personal favorite, 'earthily irresistible'. Alex has an ongoing love affair with her chosen instrument, seeing the violin as an extension of the human voice and soul capable of invoking both the deepest sorrow to the most ecstatic joy. As a performer, she has developed a distinct approach to her craft, avoiding genre labels and embracing the idea that great music, whether classical, traditional, contemporary Christian or secular, is great music. She believes that all music can be music for daily life: accessible, pleasant and relevant to listeners. Her debut solo album, Offering, ties together threads of her musical and spiritual journey. The album represents a collection of Alex's favorite music from diverse forms and styles, including classical selections and contemporary arrangements of traditional songs as well as her first original compositions. In the course of her own musical journey, she has observed that certain pieces and certain forms of music naturally seem to touch listeners' emotions and resonate with the heart and spirit behind the music. These 18 tracks spring from a multitude of historical and artistic sources and are unified in their exploration of spirit and faith in worship. Collaborating with veteran musicians from the classical world, and songwriters from contemporary Christian music and other styles, she channels her passion into an album united by great music that pleases the ear, connects with the heart and uplifts the spirit. Anchored in her lifelong love of church and worship music as well as her affinity for music of great passion and emotion, the classical instrumentals on Offering all emphasize the interplay between spiritual and worldly themes in their sound and color. Seeing this as a metaphor for how people live their daily lives, Alex hopes the classical pieces will inspire and uplift even as they serve for a call to meditation and reflection. Each of the four classical composers she selected for the album: Bach, Corelli, Handel and Leclair, have their own distinctive musical take on this interplay between the sacred and everyday experience. The four songs on Offering are bound together by a shared theme of journey. The arrangements of the songs emphasize the spirituality of the lyrics while selecting music that celebrates the enormous range of the world's musical heritage, from classical to Appalachian Bluegrass and from Celtic folk music to traditional Iberian Spanish sounds. While the instrumental focus of the album is firmly on the violin, as part of her desire to render classical and traditional music approachable and accessible to everyone, Alexandra has made extensive use of the guitar in arranging and scoring Offering's music. An instrument most people hear every time they turn on their radio, guitar serves to bridge the classical and contemporary by bringing in a sound that is familiar and comfortable to modern listeners.

Tracks:
1.1 Sonata in E Major, Op. 1, No. 15: I. Adagio
1.2 Sonata in E Major, Op. 1, No. 15: II: Allegro
1.3 Sonata in E Major, Op. 1, No. 15: III: Largo
1.4 Sonata in E Major, Op. 1, No. 15: IV. Allegro
1.5 Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004: III. Sarabanda
1.6 Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004: IV. Giga
1.7 Sonata for 2 Violins in D Major, Op. 3, No. 6: I. Andante
1.8 Sonata for 2 Violins in D Major, Op. 3, No. 6: II. Allegro
1.9 Sonata for 2 Violins in D Major, Op. 3, No. 6: III. Largo
1.10 Sonata for 2 Violins in D Major, Op. 3, No. 6: IV. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
1.11 Trio Sonata in G Major, Op. 3, No. 6: I. Vivace
1.12 Trio Sonata in G Major, Op. 3, No. 6: II. Grave
1.13 Trio Sonata in G Major, Op. 3, No. 6: III. Allegro
1.14 Trio Sonata in G Major, Op. 3, No. 6: IV. Allegro
2.1 What Wondrous Love Is This? (Feat. Glenn McClure)
2.2 Sing to Me
2.3 O Sons and Daughters (Feat. Glenn McClure)
2.4 Like a Child at Home (Feat. Glenn McClure)