‘Silent Conversations’, conceived by Christopher Hawkins, is an album which presents a fresh approach to the sound world of ancient chanting, a genre renowned for its timeless and contemplative beauty. Christopher poses the question – ‘What remains, when the words of the chants are hidden?’ Drawing on professional forces from his native Sheffield, Christopher recorded a selection of well-known and lesser-known chants over a period of two years. The result is a unique set of 25 arrangements for instrumental forces – some are simple, unembellished solo arrangements for piano, violin, cello and classical guitar and others are more complex re-workings for chamber ensemble. ‘Silent Conversations’ presents the listener with an opportunity to experience a centuries-old tradition from a completely different perspective.