A bold, immersive reimagining of Shaker musical tradition, Academy Award-winning composer Daniel Blumberg’s score for Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee presents radical reinterpretations of traditional hymns with original compositions shaped directly on set. Developed in deep collaboration with Fastvold, the music grew alongside the film’s choreography and performances, drawing on the physicality and ecstatic vocal practices of Shaker worship.
Blumberg assembled nearly 100 singers, including extreme vocal improvisers Maggie Nicols, Phil Minton, Shelley Hirsch, Freya Edmondes alongside a cast of untrained voices – to create a wordless cacophony of vocal textures that mirrors the Shakers’ ecstatic spiritual practices. This vocal landscape intertwines with tuned percussion, spectral bell tones, celeste, and an ensemble of experimental string players, forming a sonic world that is both elemental and deeply spiritual. The soundtrack includes ten reimagined Shaker hymns performed by the cast, plus three original songs, including end‑credits song ‘Clothed by the Sun’ performed as a duet by Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried.
The double vinyl edition comes housed in a gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves, designed by The Testament of Ann Lee title designer Sebastian Pardo in close collaboration with Daniel Blumberg.