Angel at Ahipara, features four orchestral works that Blake calls his Northland Panels. Individually, the pieces have been inspired by the elegiac Northland photographs of Robin Morrison. Blake constructs a vigorous narrative within each, easy to follow on this listener-friendly disc by lining up CD tracks and programme notes.

Christopher Blake is a New Zealand composer who has composed a substantial catalogue of orchestral works, including a symphony and concertos for piano and violin. Blake's musical language is relatively conservative, with a distinct Lilburn lineage; behind the notes, references range from poet Charles Brasch and painter Philip Clairmont to Maori created legends and the inevitable, inescapable New Zealand landscape.