Dr. Lynne Morrow

Review: The Berkeley, CA-based PME has just been getting better and more innovative since its founding 20 years ago. This rich, powerful, live collection of 23 authentic Spirituals is their 3rd winning recording in the Primarily A Cappella catalog. Some songs are recorded at the Green Room in San Francisco, and the rest at the Oakland Museum. All of our favorites are here, with fresh new arrangements: "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel," "Ezekiel Saw de Wheel," "His Name So Sweet," "Freedom Train," the heartbreaking "Steal Away," "Do Lord, Remember Me," "Elijah Rock," "The Battle of Jericho," "Amazing Grace," "Mary Had a Baby" and many others. Every song a gem, soaring solos, great music, live performance excitement-what could be better? We loved "A Story of Freedom!"

Songlist: Lord I Want To Be A Christian, Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel, Ezekiel Saw De Wheel, Ain't That Good News, His Name So Sweet, Freedom Train, Steal Away, Soon And Very Soon, Deep River, Do Lord Remember Me, Great Day, Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Chile, Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen, Abide With Me, Elijah Rock, I'm Gonna Sing 'til The Spirit Moves In My Heart, The Battle Of Jericho, Down By The Riverside, Who Is Dat A Yonder, Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit, Amazing Grace, Behold A Star, Mary Had A Baby

Review: PME recorded Bernstein's Mass with Kent Nagano and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester in Berlin. The recording received a Grammy nomination in 2005 for Best Choral Performance. The work calls for a "Street Chorus" that is able to perform such American musical styles as jazz, blues and rock. Since PME has long been known for being able to do the crossover between "classical" and other forms, Nagano decided that for his recording PME had to be hired and brought to Berlin. Over forty singers went for a week of recording sessions and concerts. In addition to singing the choral parts, PME supplied twenty soloists. Also heard on the recording is the Rundfunkchor Berlin and the Staats- und Domchor Berlin, with whom we share the nomination. The Mass was commissioned in 1971 by Jacqueline Kennedy for the opening of the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Ours is the first recording of the piece since the original was conducted by Bernstein.

Songlist: Antiphon: "Kyrie eleison", Hymn and Psalm: A simple song, Responsory: "Alleluia", Prefatory Prayers, Thrice - Triple Canon: Dominus vobiscum, In nomine Patris, Prayer for the Congregation, Epiphany, Confiteor, Trope: "I don't know", Trope: "Easy", Meditation No. 1, Gloria tibi, Gloria in excelsis, Trope: "Half of the People", Trope: "Thank you", Meditation No. 2, Epistle "The Word of Lord", Gospel-Sermon "God said", Credo in unum Deum, Trope: "Non Credo", Trope: "Hurry", World Without End, Trope: "I Believe in God", Meditation No. 3 (De profundis, part 1), Offertory (De profundis, part 2), "Our father...", Trope: "I Go On", Sanctus "Holy! Holy! Holy!...", Agnus Dei, Fraction "Things Get Broken", Pax: Communion "Secret Songs"