Aphelion is a solo harp album by April Stace, a harpist, composer, writer, Episcopal priest, and professor of Practical Theology whose work explores the places where music, spirituality, loss, and transformation meet. Throughout her work as an artist and writer, April has been drawn to questions of attention, wonder, grief, beauty, and what it means to become more fully alive. She seeks to create spaces where people can engage life's deepest questions with curiosity, honesty, and humor.

Dr. Stace’s seventh album to date, Aphelion was composed during a period of profound personal change that included a divorce, an empty nest, and a solo trip through New Mexico that reshaped how she thought about being alone and starting anew. The album’s title refers to the point in an orbit farthest from the sun, a metaphor April uses for the space that opens up when familiar structures fall away. The music is intended for close, focused listening but also provides a very peaceful backdrop for various quiet activities. Other than “solo harp,” it’s impossible to put this album into a specific music genre. Sometimes melodic, sometimes more classical, sometimes ambient and sometimes experimental, I’ve never heard the harp played in quite this way before - and I like it a lot!

Aphelion begins with “Intuition,” a gently rhythmic piece that never stops moving. More ambient than melodic, it sets an ethereal tone for what follows. “Holding on to Winter” actually seems to give off a chill. Sometimes sparkling like light dancing on snow, and sometimes darker and more somber, it’s one of my favorites! The beautiful and very peaceful melody in “Writing Again” flows with heartfelt expression. “Little Steps” begins very tentatively and with a fairly small range of notes, gradually gaining confidence and broadening the melodic reach, pulling back just a bit near the end. I really like the mysterious quality of “Rice’s Hill” and the way the music seems to be telling a story. “Ojito” is Spanish for “little eye” and is also used informally to tell someone to be careful or pay attention. It also refers to a rugged high-desert area in New Mexico, so take your pick! The piece is built on a gently-repetitive rhythm that runs throughout behind a spare but hypnotic melody. I really like the mysterious quality of this one! “Darkness a Gift” beautifully describes the peaceful hush of late nights when the world is quiet and at rest - also a favorite. “Souvenir” has a simple but heartfelt melody and minimal accompaniment. It expresses so much and obviously refers to something very precious. “Wild Patience” has a really interesting title and is lively and dancelike - I really like this one, too! “Rainbow” is very peaceful and soothing - kind of like the soft colors of its namesake. The album comes to a close with “AphelionTrisagion,” an almost eight-minute piece that references an ancient Christian hymn of praise that means "thrice holy" in Greek. Very open and meditative, it is sure to calm the soul.

Aphelion will be released on October 10, 2026 and is available to pre-order now on Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes. More links will be added as they become available. Highly recommended for quiet moments, stressful times and pure musical enjoyment!