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Displaying 1-50 of 76 items.
Review: The most famous American Christmas carol family is undisputably the Burt family. The carols of Bates and Alfred Burt and the Christmas carol cards they sent are now part of our hymnody and folklore. Abbie Burt Betinis is the great granddaughter of Bates and grand niece of Alfred, and is continuing the tradition with freshness and craftsmanship. A noted and often commissioned composer in her own right, she brings skill and talent to this unique genre in a way no one else could. The verse and chorus form reminds us of an English carol, but the text, taken most often from other Burt family members, are very American. Enjoy this energetic carol with sacred text by John Harris Burt Songlist: Run, Toboggan, Run, Hail, Christmas Day!, Prayer for Peace 
Arvo Part : Collected Choral WorksReview: This new anthology of Part's choral works replaces the earlier one published in 1999. It is even more representative of Part's work, not only because of the recent additions, but because of the very welcome decision to include two selections from his major a cappella work, Kanon Pokajanen. The revised selection is also carefully geared towards the music represented on three CDs, all of which were recorded in consultation with the composer. introduced by Paul Hillier. Songlist: Arvo Part, Observation on the Performance of Arvo Part's choral music, Bemerkungen zur Auffuhrungspraxis der Chorwerke Arvo Parts, Remarques sur l'interpretation des oeuvres chorales d'Arvo Part, Werkvezeichnis- List of Works- Catalogue des oeuvres, An den Wassen zu Babel saben wir und weinten, Beatus Petronius, Cantate Domino canticum novum, Da Pacem, Domine, De profundis, Dopo la vittoria, Gebet nach dem Kanon, I Am the True Vine, Littlemore Tractus, Magnificat, Memento (Ode VII), Missa syllabica (a cappella), Most Holy Mother of God, Nunc dimittis, Salve Regina, Sieben Magnificat- Anthiphonen, Solfeggio, Statuit ei Dominus, Triodion, Veni creator, Which Was the Son of ..., Zwei slawische Psalmen
Augusta Read Thomas : Love SongsReview: Set of seven love songs with texts by Alexander Pope, Lord Byron, Shakespeare, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and more. Premiered by Chanticleer.
Barry Rose : Sing, Precious MusicReview: Selected and edited by Barry Rose, Sing, Precious Music is a superb collection of nine anthems written between the 1960s and today, one newly published in this volume: all by noteworthy composers if choral works, all memorable, suitable for concert as well as liturgical use, and all within the capabilities of the modern mixed choir, large or small. A Choral Advisor to Novello since 1999, Barry Rose has been associated with many forms of choral music for over sixty years. The Novello Choral Programme is the creation of a panel of advisers preeminent in the British music scene. The aim is to publish essential editions from the best of the wealth of existing choral music, ancient and modern, while widening the repertoire with exciting new composers and new trends in music making. Songlist: Feast song for Saint Cecilia, Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost, Harvest Anthem, I love all beauteous things, I saw three ships, Let all the world, The praises of the Trinity, Rejoice and be merry, There is no rose Style: Church
Chen Yi : Choral WorksReview: As a Distinguished Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, a prolific composer and recipient of the prestigious Charles Ives Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Chen Yi blends Chinese and Western traditions, transcending cultural and musical boundaries. These are a collection of her works for unaccompanied mixed voices. Songlist: Distance Can't Keep Us Two Apart, Spring Rain, The Bronze Taotie, Shady Grove, The West Lake
Review: The second volume for men's voices brings together titles released for mixed voices in the Contemporary A Cappella Series songbook volume 4, plus Elvis' "Heartbreak Hotel." Songlist: Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Heartbreak Hotel, Shout, Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream), Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
Review: The Lorca suite is probably Rautavaara's most popular choral work. The combination of Lorca's poetry and the soaring melodic lines of the music make it a true pearl of contemporary choral literature. Rautavaara has injected each of the four movements of the suite with its own unmistakable character. Text: Federico Garcia Lorca (Spanish/Finnish), duration: 7 minutes. Songlist: Suite de Lorca
Eric Whitacre : A Cappella Arrangements 1Review: The powerful fusion of Octavio Paz's Spanish text and Eric Whitacre's musical imagery has made 'Cloudburst a favorite with good high school choirs and beyond in the U.S. and abroad. Of timeless beauty, 'Waternight' speaks to singers and audiences of all generations, offering a high point in any concert program. A Boy and a Girl is a tender, delicate poem put to music by Eric Whitacre. It was commissioned by the 2002 California All-State Chorus. 'When David Heard' uses the text of David, lamenting the slaying of his son Absalom (II Samuel 18:33). It is a major work, with great dramatic moments describing the feeling of a father's loss. Songlist: Cloudburst, Waternight, When David Heard
Eric Whitacre : A Cappella Arrangements 2 - e.e. cummingsReview: 'i will wade out' the first piece in the set, cries out with lush, neo-romantic harmonies. In 'hope, faith, love, life' each word is repeated as a musical meditation, quoting different works from Whitacre's choral library.' I 'i thank you God, for this most amazing day,' the shimmering quality of the chords help to convey the Whitacre's feeling of the text used in the poem. All three pieces are based on the poems by e.e. cummings, and are part of Eric Whitacre's series, titled 'Three Songs of Faith.' Songlist: I Thank You God For Most This Amazing Day, I Will Wade Out, hope, faith, love, life
Eric Whitacre : A Cappella Arrangements 3  Review: 'Sleep' is the collaboration between Eric Whitacre and poet Charles Anthony Silvestri, drawing on the mystical moment between awareness and sleep. For the setting of Lux Aurumque, Whitacre chose the Latin translation of an Edward Esch poem, enhancing the elegant simplicity of this new work. The text explores Leonardo da Vinci's dreams of flying. The blend of Italian madrigal and contemporary style supports the text, once again, by Charles Anthony Silvestri. Songlist: Sleep, Lux Aurumque, Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machines
Review: Here are six whimsical settings of Ogden Nash poems that are perfect for a lighter portion of your program or as an encore. They are easily-learned and fun to perform! Songlist: The Panther, The Cow, The Firefly, The Canary, The Eel, The Kangaroo
Review: in 'Five Hebrew Love Songs - inspired by Whitacre's trip to Switzerland - each song is a "postcard," capturing lush, romantic moments in full. The songs are dedicated to Jerusalem born Hila Plitmann - poet of the beautiful text, and the Whitacre's wife. A simple and delicate setting of the timeless love poem by the Sufi poet Jalal al-Din Rumi, 'This Marriage' marks the first time that Whitacre has written for four-part a cappella chorus without divisi. Composed in the spirit of the Renaissance works written to Elizabeth I - "fair Oriana" - 'Her sacred Spirit Soars,' written for double choir, is in the signature Whitacre style with brilliant choral textures unfolding into a majestic final salute, "Long live, Oriana!" 'Little Birds' is the third setting of words by Octavio Paz (Water Night; Cloudburst) from Eric Whitacre. 'Little Birds' pays homage to Gabriel Faure with its running piano part and fluid sensual melodies. According to the Whitacre "it holds mysterious and magical effects", imitating delicate birds. Suitable for festival or competition use. Songlist: This Marraige, Little Birds, Five Hebrew Love Songs
Review: Translated as "Night and Gold," this work is a companion work to Lux Aurumque (Light and Gold) with themes, both textual and musical, taken from Lux Aurumque and the composer's music theater work Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings. In Latin.
Review: Set to a text by William Butler Yeats, "The Stolen Child" was commissioned by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and The King's Singers to celebrate their 25th and 40th anniversaries, respectively. The chorus represents the voice of "the human child, innocent and naive" while the six solo voices represent the "water and the wild," seducing the children away from the world with the promise of endless revelry and eternal youth. Excerpted from Whitacre's music theater work Paradise Lost "Sleep My Child" for SATB and soloists is marked by delicate, ethereal sounds and purity of tone. Songlist: Sleep My Child, The Stolen Child
Review: The City and the Sea is a new collection of five compositions from one of the world's most popular choral composer based on the poems of e.e. cummings. "i walked the boulevard" - White key clusters in the piano create the rhythmic framework for the playful vocals sung in unison declamation or that ricochet one part to another in this vividly portraying an urban street scene. "the moon is hiding in her hair" - This languorous setting features a chaconne-like left hand pattern in the piano along with right hand cluster chords and legato vocal phrases in octaves to create a meditative musical atmosphere. "maggie and milly" - With the characteristic clusters broken into arpeggios for this movement, this playful work features delightful wordplay and simple fun! "as is the sea marvelous" - This tender setting creates an image of the ebb and flow of the sea through pulsating parallel cluster chords in the piano and long legato vocal phrases. "little man in a hurry' - Full of colorful contrasts, this final movement from The City and the Sea dances with fun and humor! The rhythmic wordplay and deconstructed syllables poem hurtle ever faster to the final sudden "stop" for an extraordinary concert finale. Songlist: little man in a hurry, as is the sea marvelous, maggie and milly and molly and may, the moon is hiding in her hair, i walked the boulevard
Review: Go, Lovely Rose is structured around the cyclical life of a rose, and is connected throughout by the opening 'rose motif,' a seed that begins on the tonic and grows in all directions before it blossoms, dies and grows again. Each season is represented. With A Lily In Your Hand is from a prodigious series of poems arranged in thematic "suites," later collected and in 1983 published as Suites. The original poem is titled: Curva. I Hide Myself is a simple little song. All of the musical suggestions come from a careful study of the poem, a quiet, passionate soul occasionally speaking a little bolder than the age will allow. She loves almost to the point of distraction, and this mood must prevail in the performance: shy and sullen, her passion surging to the surface only to sink back into the silence that is herself. Songlist: Go, Lovely Rose, With a Lily in Your Hand, I Hide Myself
Review: Gabriel Jackson's music has been performed and broadcast throughout Europe and the USA and has been heard, in recent years, in Cape Town, Ho Chi Minh City, Kiev, Kuwait, Sydney, Tokyo and Vancouver. His works have been presented at many festivals in the UK and beyond and his liturgical pieces are in the repertoires of many of Britain's leading cathedral and collegiate choirs and in 2003 he won the liturgical category at the inaugural British Composer Awards. "Salus Aeterna" is a bright and mercurial piece that makes full use of the delicious fleeting harmonies and close-written sonoroties of its flowing melodic lines. It sets a Sequence for Advent Sunday that looks forward to Christ's coming and subsequent judgement of all things. The exquisite miniature "O Thou That Art The Light" sets an intimate prayer by St Augustine of Hippo asking for God's grace to know and serve Him. Simple and homophonic it is infused with Jackson's characteristic passion and luminosity. "O fear the Lord" sets two verses from Psalm 34. A controlled organum-style opening gives way to a more fervent, harmonic middle section. An approachable and beautiful piece. "Salve Regina" is an exquisite piece, simple and homophonic in style, and with a luminescent beauty characteristic of many of Jackson's choral works. The piece begins quietly and reverently. There is a graceful soprano solo in the central section, after which the harmony opens out and richly blossoms in ecstatic praise of the Virgin Mary, before ending serenely as it began. Songlist: I Look From Afar, Salve Regina, O Fear The Lord, O Thou That Art The Light, Salus Aeterna
Review: The short expressive piece "Ah, mine heart" sets a fifteenth-century penitential poem of great fervour. Jackson alternates a refrain in a simple plainsong style with more passionate, homophonic verses, to powerful effect. A setting of the Trinity Sunday text with achingly pure and fluid melodic lines feature throughout, imbuing the piece with characteristic clarity and luminosity. The change to A major for 'Trinitati in Unitate' is radiant, as is the final section, in which the choir divides into eight parts to proclaim the glory of the Trinity. Uplifting and powerful, this is rewarding music for committed choirs. Composed for the Feast of Corpus Christi, "O Sacrum Convivium" has a poise and beauty rare in choral music. Jackson uses the full sonic opportunities offered by the divided scoring, moving effortlessly from controlled meditation to ecstatic fervour, all delivered with absolute belief and clarity. The anthem "Now I Have Known, O Lord" is set to a text by the 10th-century Sufi mystic, Al-Junaid. For the most part, the mood is intimate and introspective; intertwining, whispered melodies, sometimes in free time, alternate with quiet homophony. There is a moment of soaring, unrestrained ecstasy towards the end of the piece before it draws to a hushed conclusion. Suitable for a variety of occasions, this is beautiful, challenging music for serious choirs. Songlist: Ah, mine heart, Hymn to the Trinity (Honor, Virtus, et Potestas), Lux Mortuorum, Now I Have Known, O Lord, O Sacrum Convivium, Tomorrow Go Ye Forth
Review: This major work by one of Britain's leading choral composers was commissioned by St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh. The setting is terse and direct, in the manner of the Poulenc Mass, and the textures often unusually pared-down. By turns fiery and exuberant, and inward and numinous, the music includes a huge variety of textures and techniques, including flowing melismas, luminous key changes, and pure homophony. This is a work of great power that will appeal to committed concert and church choirs. Songlist: Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus & Benedictus, Agnes Dei
Review: Glorious Hill was commissioned by the Hilliard Ensemble and first performed by them at its summer Festival of Voices in England. The title, Glorious Hill comes from the name of the small-town Mississippi setting of Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke.
Giles Swayne : Giles Swayne Choral SongbookReview: A first retrospective of Giles Swayne's challenging but rewarding liturgical settings. This album brings together five short religious choral settings, for mixed voices unaccompanied or with organ. Songlist: O Magnum Mysterium, Veni Creator I, Veni Creator II, Beatus Vir, Missa Brevissima
Review: The human heart was written in February 2009, after I heard a performance of John Tavener's haunting setting of The Lamb which made me want to see what I could do with Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience. I had made an elaborate choral setting of The Tiger in 1995 for the National Youth Choir of Great Britain; but this time I wanted to keep things simpler and stick to four-part SATB choir, with a few small solos.
The human heart is a genuine song-cycle, in that each song leads to the next, and there is an overall theme which is aptly summed up by the title: beneath Blake's mystical and socially subversive language (which are very much the product of his time) his abiding concern seems to me the co-existence of good and evil within the human heart, and the violent contradictions which this causes. Musically, these songs are quite simple: all of them except The Fly are mainly in two real parts, with sopranos and tenors singing one line in octaves, and altos and basses the other, in varying forms of canon.
Review: Howard Goodall's beautiful Enchanted Carols is an exciting collection of six original Christmas carols, as well as interpretations of traditional carols, arranged for upper voices. Enchanted Carols is the second dedicated album from the Classic FM composer in residence, and follows the chart-topping CD, Enchanted Voices. This product contains the full collection of 17 carols, arranged for upper voices with piano/organ accompaniment. Howard Goodall is an EMMY, BRIT and BAFTA award-winning composer of choral music stage, musicals, film and TV scores and a highly respected broadcaster. He is currently Composer-in-Residence for the British radio station, Classic FM, and is also England's National Ambassador for Singing. Songlist: The First Nowell, Angels From The Realms of Glory, Gaudette, O Little Town of Bethlehem, In Dulci Jubilo, Sussex Carol, The Angel Gabriel, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Silent Night, The Wise Men and The Star, The Angel and the Virgin, From Lands That See The Sun Arise, The World Was Made of Flesh, Lullaby of Winter, A Child There Is Y-Born, We Wish You A Merry Christmas, Puer Nobis
Review: Born in Latvia, Imant Raminsh came to Canada in 1948 and has become one of Canada's most highly regarded choral composer and arrangers. "Northwest Trilogy" is a wonderful set of songs from British Columbia. "Nootka Paddle Song" is a native welcoming song that features free incantation along with evocative choral writing. The piece contains some modern effects such as whispering and tone clusters, and is characterized by a feeling of building excitement and jubilation. "Bye, Bye Baby" - Based on a traditional Russian lullaby and would have been sung by members of the Doukhobar communities. A gentle, tonal work with rich harmonic background with varied textures and voicings bring this song of warmth and simplicity to life. "Sunset" - Folksy, poignant, and slighty tongue-in-cheek, this lament portrays the thoughts of a dying British Columbian cowboy. Replete with imitations of wailing coyotes, muffled death march drums, and other instances of word painting, this is a fun piece to perform. Songlist: Bye, Bye Baby, Sunset, Nootka Paddle Song
Javier Busto : SSAA Arrangements Vol. 1Review: The beautiful choral writing of Javier Busto speaks to the heart. His "Ave Maria" is one of the great works, which permits a choir to perform to the fullest, emotionally as well as technically. A fine choice for a festival program. Composed for the Tapiola Choir, the theme for "For The Peace", describes in its three sections how provocation and violence are turned into understanding and peace.The Lord Is My Shepherd is an equally brilliant setting of the 23rd Psalm. Magnificat is perfect for your Children's Choir Christmas program! Songlist: The Lord is My Shepherd, Bustapi (For The Peace), Ave Maria, Gratia Plena, Magnificat
Javier Busto : SSAA Arrangements Vol. 2Review: The popular latin text 'Laudate Dominum,' is brought to life in Javier Busto's brilliant setting. The graceful setting of 'Salve Regina' highlights the beauty of the female voice. For ambitious choirs, it would be an excellent concert or competition choice. The beautiful setting of 'Pupule Meus' will be enjoyed equally by the singers and audience alike! Songlist: Salve Regina, Laudate Dominum
John Joubert : Carols & Anthems for Mixed VoicesReview: John Joubert's compositional range is considerable, yet it is with his short choral works in the Anglican tradition that his mastery has been best appreciated. Here for the first time collected in one handsome volume are a dozen of the finest, with texts from both the biblical and non-liturgical. This anthology from a lifetime's output is convincing proof of a composer who still has much new to say in this most demanding medium. Songlist: Christ is Risen, There Is No Rose, Glory and Honor, The Souls of the Righteous, Lord, Thou Hast Been Our Refuge, O Lord, Maker of All Things, O Praise God In His Holiness, The Beatitudes, The Christ-Child Lay, Coversdale's Carol, All And Some Nowell Sing We, Hymn To The Virgin
John Joubert : Five Songs Of IncarnationReview: Five Songs of Incarnation is planned to be performed as a cycle in celebration of the Nativity. Each song is prefaced by quotations from the first chapter of St. John's Gospel set for tenor solo and SATB unaccompanied. Although the work is designed as a single entity to be performed without a break, individual songs may be performed separately, with or without their respective preface. Four of the songs are reworkings of carols from the composer's earlier Five Carols for Five Voices, Op. 78. The central song, I Sing of a Maiden, is new, as are the prefaces for tenor solo. Songlist: I Sing Of A Maiden, Let Us Gather Hand In Hand, Make We Joy Now In This Feast, Of A Rose, A Lovely Rose, When Christ Was Born Of Mary
Review: Birthday Madrigals was written at the invitation of Brian Kay, conductor of the Cheltenham Bach Choir, to celebrate the seventy-fifth birthday of the great jazz pianist George Shearing. The first performance was given, in his presence, in Cheltenham Town Hall on June 3, 1995 by the Cheltenham Bach Choir with Neil Swainson (double bass), John Rutter conducting. The seed of the composition was 'It was a lover and his lass,' witten in 1975. The other four movements, their texts also drawn from the madrigal era (hence the work's title), were added in 1995 to make the present choral suite. Songlist: It Was A Lover And His Lass, Draw On, Sweet Night, Come Live With Me, My True Love Hath My Heart, When Daisies Pied
Review: Featured on the Cambridge Singers' album of the same name, 'Fancies' is an exquisite cycle of choral settings for mixed voices and small orchestra. Songlist: Tell Me Where Is Fancy Bred, There Is A Garden In Her Face, The Urchins' Dance, Riddle Song, Midnight's Bell, The Bellboy's Song
John Rutter : Five Childhood LyricsReview: This choral collection includes settings of children's poems and nursery rhymes for SATB unaccompanied - with some divisi. Songlist: Monday's Child, The Owl And The Pussy Cat, Windy Nights, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Sing A Song Of Sixpence
Review: In this collection we have a cycle of choral settings with words by Campion, Shakespeare, and anon. for SATB (with tenor solo) and small orchestra. Songlist: Icicles, Winter Nights, Good Ale, Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind, Winter Wakeneth All My Care, Hay Ay
Review: A collection of Tavener's most popular choral pieces most all of which are a cappella. The text of Annunciation is taken from St Luke's gospel. The words of the Archangel are sung by the main choir, and should build up to a thunderous, awesome theophany. The response of the Mother of God 'How shall this be' comes form a quartet of solo voices set apart, preferably raised in a gallery. This songbook includes program notes from Tavener himself. Songlist: Annunciation, Come and Do Your Will In Me, Eonia, Funeral Canticle, Hymn to the Mother of God, I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, Ikon of St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, Love Bade Me Welcome, Prayer To The Holy Trinity, Song From Athene
John Tavener : Choral Music For Upper VoicesReview: Original pieces as well as new arrangements for upper voices of some of the most popular titles from John Tavener's outstandingly varied and extensive list of works for choir. Over the years, we can trace a line from the exquisite simplicity of his setting of Blake's The Lamb to the monumental Veil Of The Temple. The arrangements are all for soprano and alto singers, with a varying number of parts, up to four sopranos and four altos (in Ikon Of Saint Hilda). An Organ or Piano accompaniment part is provided as applicable, with an additional optional Cello solo in Song For Athene. Songlist: Agnus Dei (Missa Brevis), Awed By The Beauty (The Veil Of The Temple), Ikon Of Saint Hilda, Notre Pere, Song For Athene, The Lamb, The Lord's Prayer (1999), Theotoke
John Tavener : Christmas Choral CollectionReview: John Tavener first rose to fame in 1969 when his cantata "The Whale" was recorded on the Beatle's Apple record label. Now one of Britain's leading choral composers his works included the poignant "Song For Athene". Here are eight mostly a cappella Christmas songs. Songlist: O, Do Not Move, A Christmas Round, Ikon Of The Nativity, God Is With Us, Today The Virgin, A Nativity, The Lamb, Apolytikion Of The Incarnation
Review: A sacred work for unaccompanied SSATBB choir, using text from The Order for the Burial of Dead Priests, translated from Greek by Isabel Hapgood. Vocal score with piano accompaniment for rehearsal purposes.
Review: Forms of Emptiness is a work for mixed choir which sets words from the Buddhist Heart Sutra, in the original Sanskrit, and three poems by E.E. Cummings. The E.E. Cummings poems all have emphasis on the here and now, on 'catching the joy as it flies'. Seeker of truth Follow no path All paths lead where Truth is here Against these vivid flashes of joy and colour is set a chant - the sanskrit of the Heart Sutra - which acts as a ground from which the 'forms of emptiness' briefly emerge, and against which they are comprehended as transient, scarcely real. There are references to other 'sacred styles' as well as that of the chant - to those of Palestrina and Messiaen for instance. Jonathan Harvey
Judith Bingham : A Cold Spell - 5 Carols For WinterReview: Judith Bingham was born in Nottingham, England, in 1952, and grew up in Sheffield. She won the BBC Young Composer Award in 1977, and was a regular member of the BBC Singers from 1983-96. Since 2005 she has been their Associate Composer. Songlist: A Winter Scene, Poor Thing, Moonless Darkness, O Weary World, Weathervane
Review: Drawing together two composers long associated with contemporary vocal music, Sun, Moon, Sea, and Stars presents eight original and exciting pieces by Bob Chilcott and Jussi Chydenius (of Rajaton fame). Setting celebrated American and English poetry, as well as specially-written texts by Chilcott, this collection examines themes of nature, the elements, eternity, and love. The timeless character of the words is explored through a wide range of popular musical styles, including rock grooves, reflective ballads, and exuberant encores. With a cappella and accompanied pieces, optional bass and drum kit parts, and a variety of SATB textures, Sun, Moon, Sea, and Stars provides an array of compelling concert material for today's audiences. Songlist: Come back!, Tonight, My Heart's Friend, Deep in the night, Sun, Moon, Sea, and Stars, On a Windy Day, She walks in beauty, The Sound of the Sea
Kenneth Leighton : Carols & AnthemsReview: An anthology of carols and anthems by Kenneth Leighton, one of the most distinguished of the British post-war composers, chiefly regarded today for his choral output. This anthology includes many pieces that are less well known, and find themselves in no other collection. Arranged for mixed voice choir SATB and keyboard. Songlist: Give Me The Wings of Faith, Let All The World In Every Corner Sing, On Ode of the Birth of our Saviour, Drop, Drop Slow Tears from the Crucifix Pro Nobis, O Leave Your Sleep, The Star Song, A Hymn of the Nativity, Adventante Deo
Review: Kirke Mechem is a prolific American composer with a catalogue of over 250 works. He enjoys an international presence, as ASCAP recently registered concert performances of his music in 42 countries. This is a collection of his works for unaccompanied chorus. From Psalm 137, "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion," this a cappella motet is filled with longing and deep emotion. "Agnus De" is a stunningly beautiful new setting of the Latin text, this work is vocally expressive and immensely rewarding in performance. The old American folksong "Too Young To Marry" provides the text for this setting. The composer has adapted into an original madrigal, using fa-la-la refrains to replace the traditional nonsense syllables. "They That Mourn" forms a requiem in miniature, with varied vocal textures and harmonies and dynamic contrasts. This setting is new music to the words of an old spiritual "Kum Ba Ya". Believed to come from the Gullah language of the South Carolina sea islands, this setting explores the rhythmic possibilities of the words and the striking musical qualities of the consonants and vowels. Songlist: By The Rivers of Babylon, Agnus Dei, Papageno and the Prince, Too Young to Marry, They That Mourn, Kum Ba Ya
Libby Larsen : May Sky - A Collection of Haiku KaiReview: A collection of Haiku Kai. Commissioned for the 2002 World Choral Symposium, May Sky is based on haiku written by Japanese and Japanese-American detainees in camps in the American West. Songlist: May Sky
Libby Larsen : The Womanly Song of GodReview: When I first read Catherine de Vinck's jubilant celebration of birth, renewal, and life "The Womanly Song of God" (the complete poem appears on page 27), I heard it as a head-tossing, laughing, dancing first-person soliloquy. I was immediately drawn to its energy and set out to compose a work with exactly the same feeling. The Choir acts both as a singing group and as drumming group. The piece begins with a "call to the dance" consisting of an upward scale that builds to a diatomic nine-note chord. Following this, the choir becomes a drumming group, spinning sung rhythmic patterns into a buoyant accompaniment to the sung text. C major (Ionian mode) anchors the piece tonally. As the piece progresses, the choir, as drumming group, adds foot-stomping and hand-clapping, until the piece becomes a vibrant song-dance. - Libby Larsen Songlist: The Womanly Song of God
Review: There are three songs making up this cycle entitled 'Western Songs' - Buffalo Gals, Green Grow the Lilacs, and Ol'Chisholm Trail. The arrangements by turn spin contrapuntal and antiphonal textures then relax intomeltingly beautiful chords, while glissandi and yipping vocal slides evoke the sounds of the barn dance the cattle drive. Lots of fun! Songlist: Buffalo Gals, Green Grow the Lilacs, The Ol' Chilsholm Trail
Review: Meredith Monk is an acclaimed composer, singer, director/choreographer and creator of new opera, music theater works, films and installations. A pioneer in what is now called "extended vocal technique" and "interdisciplinary performance," Monk creates works that thrive at the intersection of music and movement, image and object, light and sound in an effort to discover and weave together new modes of perception. Here are a cappella arrangements for mixed voices of some of her works that will challenge and reward. Songlist: Astronaut Anthem, Panda Chant II, Earth As Seen From Above
Review: Based on a text by Tennessee Reed, the 11 year-old daughter of author Ishmael Reed. Three Heavens and Hells may be performed by a children's or adult chorus of treble voices. Songlist: Three Heavens And Hells
Morten Lauridsen : A Cappella Choral CompositionsReview: This collection of Lauridensen's aural artisanship contains hits such as "O Nata Lux," a serene a cappella motet celebrating the Redeemer, "Ubi Caritas Et Amor," a motet composed "in celebration and gratitude for the glorious and enduring service to God," as well as a setting of "Ave Maria" specially composed as a seventieth birthday gift to Maestro Salamunovich. Songlist: O Nata Lux, Ave Maria, Ubi Caritas et Amor, Soneto de la Noche
Review: "Les Chansons des Roses" is a collection of compositions based on the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke. Says Lauridsend of his selection: "(Rilke') poems on roses struck me as expecially charming, filled with gorgeous lyricism, deftly crafted and elegant in their imagery. There exquisite poems are primarily light, joyous and playful, and the musical settings are designed to enhance these characteristics and capture their delicate beauty and sensuousness." Songlist: Dirait-on, Contre Qui Rose, De Ton Reve Trop Plein, La Rose Complete, En Une Seule Fleur
Review: THhe Six Fire Songs have been featured at major choral festivals around the world. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "stunningly crafted", the Madrigalli are unified by romantic references to fire in each of the poems. Characteristic Italian Rennaissance "madrigalisms" such as word painting, modality, bold harmonic shifts, intricate counterpoint and augenmusik occur throughout the cycle. Songlist: Amor, Io Sento L'Alma, Ov'e Lass, Il Bel Viso?, Quando son piu Lontan, Io Pango, Se Per Favervi, oime, Luci serene e Chiare
Ola Gjeilo : A Cappella CompositionsReview: The music of Manhattan-based Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) has been performed and recorded in more than 30 countries worldwide in venues such as New York's Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles' Disney Hall, Philadelphia's Kimmel Centeri, Washington DC's Kennedy Center and National Gallery, as well as the Copenhagen and Oslo Opera Houses. His music has been featured on PBS and radio stations across the US. "The Spheres" - This movement is the beginning of a Mass called Sunrise, and, according to its composer, it is to "be performed with the sense of floating in space." A fine challenge for accomplished high school choirs and beyond! The setting uses the Latin Kyrie Eleison text. "Phoenix" - Written for larger, mature choirs, Gjeilo uses the Latin "Agnus Dei" text as support for this symphonic-sounding choral work. With its beautiful color, intonation and phrasing, it is a great choice for advanced high school, college and beyond. "Northern Lights" - Set to the Latin "Pulchra es amica mea" text from Song of Solomon, this easy-to-prepare composition is a great selection for high school, church and community choirs. With music inspired by the aurora borealis atmospheric lights, this song will render a most impressive performance Songlist: Tota Pulchura Es, Northern Lights, The Spheres, Phoenix |
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