Review: The North Carolina-based a cappella quartet Fleur-de-Lisa, Sarah, Deborah, Andie and Sylvie, has been writing music based on poetry and poetic themes since 2008. The 20 ethereal songs in this collection, all written by Sarah Shunk and Sylvia Freeman, represent one complete life cycle, from its spring-like beginnings of the first flowers and budding romance all the way through to the winter of life. In the Spring/Summer group are "Crocuses," "Fireflies," "Me and Frog," "White Feather" and "Old Pond;" in Relationship Songs are "Slowly," "She Reads Her Letter," "Early Spring," "A Thousand Half Loves," "Wild Rose," "Unworn Necklace," "Wild Lupine," "Rainy Season," "Slicing" and "Sound of the Name;" and in Autumn/Winter are "Dog's Day Off," "One Leaf," "One Moon," "Rumors" and "Time to Go." These are sometimes playful, sometimes poignant vocal poems that touch and move us, leaving us always wanting to hear more. Just beautiful!

Songlist: Crocuses, Fireflies, Me and Frog, White Feather, Old Pond, Slowly, She Reads Her Letter, Early Spring, A Thousand Half Loves, Wild Rose, Unworn Necklace, Wild Lupine, Rainy Season, Slicing, Sound of the Name, Dog's Day Off, One Leaf, One Moon, Rumors, Time to Go

Review: Sarah, Deborah, Andie and Sylvie of North Carolina-based Fleur-de-Lisa, have been writing music based on poetry since 2008. In "Willow Songs" the poems are from the non-rhyming verse genre Haiku, a Japanese word meaning "Light Verse," which consists of one 5-syllable sentence, a 7-syllable one, and then a final 5-syllable sentence. There are 27 poems here, with names like "atop the feeder," "credit card bills," "drifting," "family reunion," "summer rain," "sunny side up," "cicadas," "harborside mall," "so cold," "spinning tops," "summer gossip," "green green room," "willow tree," "butterfly face" and "windows down;" all put to a cappella music by the group members. Each song is a little gem, a musical gift that makes us see and consider things through other eyes, and enjoy.

Songlist: kayak, atop the feeder, credit card bills, slow day, slow steady, beavers, drifting, family reunion, indigo bunting, summer rain, pick up, sunny side up, rooster, cicadas, harborside mall, commencement, Shiki, so cold, spinning tops, summer gossip, leaf to leaf, vintage airshow, resolution, great green room, willow tree, butterfly face, windows down