Shaping Sound: Ecce’s June ‘26 Sessions at Dream Flower and Oktaven

Four Days with Melinda Wagner: Rehearsing, Recording, and Renewing a Musical Friendship

Early June brought Ecce back into the orbit of one of our dearest artistic companions: composer Melinda Wagner. Across five joyfully intense days the ensemble gathered in New York to rehearse and record two of Melinda’s major chamber works, Elegy Flywheel and Unsung Chordata. What unfolded reaffirmed a deep musical collaboration.

Rehearsals at Dreamflower Acoustic.

We began at Dreamflower Acoustic in Yonkers, NY, a warm, clear, and expansive space that supported two full days of rehearsal. We worked out the details for both Elegy Flywheel and Unsung Chordata and then began to think about the broader emotional contours of the works. In both works we hear a blending of the post-modern and the post-romantic. Balancing these aesthetics and choosing the right times to lift one above the other became a central concern throughout the rehearsal. Ultimately, the formal tensions between the moments of free writing (significant passages marked ‘colle parte’) and the those in which the ensemble coalesces around articulative harmonies demanded that we work on our collective breath and balance. The works demand a kind of ‘live mastering’ where the smallest sounds and the boldest gestures can all be felt in a shared context.

By the end of this intensive stretch of rehearsals, the pieces had taken on a new level of polish and cohesion, ready for the studio.

Recording at Oktaven Audio, Mount Vernon

With the groundwork laid, we moved to Oktaven for two days of recording. Oktaven has become synonymous with excellent recording outcomes and we trust Ryan Streeber entirely with our artistic vision. The sessions were focused, collaborative, and energized by knowing that we were documenting something meaningful for our ensemble and for Melinda’s body of work.

Melinda joined us for our last stretch of time at Dream Flower and for our session at Oktaven. What a joy it was to have her in the booth alongside Ryan and our ensemble’s Director John Aylward. With their ears on the session, we felt entirely taken care of, so that we could focus entirely on the performances.

Looking Ahead

We will return to Oktaven in December to record the final works for this portrait album, to be released on New Focus Recordings in late 2027. The camaraderie and shared commitment to the music has been carrying us through. We can’t wait to share these recordings with the world. And we can’t express enough how much meaning and joy we’ve received from working with Melinda.