Rebecca J. Rottsolk

Review: Seattle's 50-strong, auditioned, committed Marinese Women's Choir has earned a reputation for excellence spreading far beyond their Puget Sound region. "Debut" is a live-in-concert recording from 2007 in Seattle. Of the 21 lovely selections, some favorites are Niccola Porpora's 6-part, strings-accompanied "Magnificat," Eric Whitacre's "Five Hebrew Love Songs" (based on poems by Hila Plitmann), Daniel Gwthrop's a cappella "Sing Me to Heaven," Bern Herbolsheimer's surprising, dissonant a cappella "Magpie," Ysaye M. Barnwell's joyous a cappella "Breaths," the Czech folksong "Ach! Synku Synku," the Balkan folksong "Nickolo le, Nikolcho le," "Ruggero Leoncavallo's "Mattinata," and Thomas Moore's "Quick! We Have but a Second." An impressive, finely-crafted debut collection from the Mirinese Women's Choir!

Songlist: Magnificat anima mea, Et exultavit, Et misericordia, Fecit potentiam, Gloria Patri, Sicut erat, Temmuna, Kala kalla, Larov, Eyze sheleg!, Rakut, Sing Me To Heaven, Crossing the Bar, Magpie - poem, Magpie, Breaths, Vivos Voco, Ach! Synku Synku, Nikolo le, Nikolcho le, Mattinata, Quick! We Have but a Second

Review: Delighting audiences in Seattle and around northwest Washington since 2006 with the beautiful sound of classically-trained women's voices singing a diverse repertoire of historic and contemporary music, the Mirinese Women's Choir brings us another excellent live recording of 18 songs. Favorites are Gyorgy Orban's 4-part, piano-accompanied "Mass No. 6," H. Hollanders' a cappella "Exultate, justi, in Domino," Stephen Paulus' "Sing Creation's Music On," Claude Debussy's lovely "Beau Soir," Bob Chilcott's "Skye Boat Song" and "White Waves on the Water" (these last four are piano-accompanied, as are most songs on the album), Sarah Hopkins' "Honour the Earth as Your Mother," the spiritual "Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down" and Rene Clausen's "Set Me As A Seal." A powerful collection from this talented, wonderfully-directed ensemble!

Songlist: Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus/Benedictus, Agnus dei, Exultate, justi, in Domino, Sing Creation's Music On, Night, Les Berceaux, Beau Soir, Ay bord de l'eau, Skye Boat Song, White Waves on the Water, The Sea Witch, Honour the Earth as Your Mother, La Flor de la Miel, Noche de Lluvia, Ain't No GraveCan Hold My Body Down, Set Me As A Seal

Review: Over 100 members of the Girlchoir, directed by Rebecca Rottsolk, bring together this concert of songs and simple, elegant texts that celebrate the resiliency of the human spirit against great adversity. The essence of the CD comes from the first song, the words taken from a cellar wall where Jews were hiding from the Nazis in WWII: "I believe in the sun even when it is not shining and I believe in God even when God is silent." There are 3 songs from "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," a musical memorial to the 15,000 children who passed through the town of Teresienstadt on their way to Auschwitz. 14 songs, all lightly accompanied, that touch the heart from these talented young voices!

Songlist: Inscription of Hope, Nigra Sum, Adonai Ro'i, The Butterfly, On A Sunny Evening, Birdsong, Bashana Haba'Ah, Hava Nagila, Sure on this Shining Night, Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Hymn To Freedom, African Celebration, I'm Going Up Yonder, Light One Candle