In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

Choral Arts Northwest

Mixed Choral Ensemble from Seattle, WA, United States.

Choral Arts is a Seattle-based ensemble of approximately thirty singers dedicated to its mission: To inspire, educate, and enrich its community through the transformational power of great choral music performed at the highest artistic level.

Under the masterful direction of Robert Bode, Choral Arts presents a mix of styles, periods and languages at each concert, all tied together thematically. Performances include new American choral music, as well as a faithful representation of many different choral music genres.

Since its inception in January of 1993, Choral Arts has received both local and international acclaim for their mastery of style, language, and genre. The ensemble performs up to four concert series each season in greater Seattle region. Guest appearances have included: Mark Morris Dance Company, International Music Festival of Seattle, Northwest Sinfonietta's 5th Anniversary Gala Concert, Arts West Music Series, Puget Sound Music Society, and Seattle Symphony's Christmas Singalong Concert at Benaroya Hall. The choir participated in the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf Germany, where they placed fourth overall out of 300 international choirs and received a special recognition award.

Through its music and extended educational programs, Choral Arts shares the beauty of high quality choral music and brings live choral music to people in a way that is transforming. Choral Arts' unique contribution to the art comes from marriage of its core commitments: excellence in its performances, inspiring educational programs, and commissioning and performing new compositions. In building these connections and developing interrelated programs, Choral Arts helps to actively engage the ensemble, the audience, and the composer; so that they may all learn from one another, thus making the experience more personal and profound.

Choral Arts has four recordings available through the Loft/Gothic label and will commission and premiere a set of new choral pieces by composer William Hawley for its fifth CD to be recorded in January 2011.

"Our goal is that our concerts and school visits inspire, educate and entertain. Above all, we hope to bring the peoples of our region together through the unmatched power of singing, to express those things that define and particularize us, and to celebrate all that we share."

Discography

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Choral Arts Northwest : Mornings Like This

Review: The "Pure Sound" of Choral Arts under their new director, Robert Bode presents several world premiere recordings, including The Dream Keeper, a piece in four movements, each featuring a different text from Langston Hughes. Other pieces feature the poetry of Dylan Thomas, Walt Whitman and the conductor. In the recording they explore "Mornings," not just the actual beginning of the day, but also more metaphorical associations, such as renewal, childhood, and beginnngs. There are some very familiar things on this CD, including the spiritual "My Lord, What a Mornin'" and the American hymn "Shall We Gather at the River?" The CD also features 5 previously unrecorded pieces, including "The Dream Keeper" by William Averitt and the first recording of the version for chorus and piano of John Corigliano's "Fern Hill."

Songlist: My Lord, What a Mornin', Sunrise, The Waking, Fern Hill, Dawn, A Child's Prayer, In Dreams, The Dream Keeper, Dream Variations, As I Grew Older, Song, Will there really be a morning, Beautiful River

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Choral Arts Northwest : Cathedral Anthems

Review: This recording represents forty years of Peter Hallock's work. While organist and choirmaster of St. Mark's Cathedral in Seattle, he composed an impressive array of original choral works in the Anglican tradition, including both large and small-scale works for choir, with and without instruments. Often dissonant and difficult, many of these works are recorded here for the first time. The CD opens with the triumphant anthem "Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem" for choir, organ, brass and percussion. Led by Richard Sparks, Choral Arts Northwest gives glorious performances of Hallock's stunning music.

Songlist: Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem, Show Us Your Mercy, O Lord, Dominus Regnavit, There Is a Stream, The Song of Moses, Exsultate Deo, Phoenix, Gloria in Excelsis Deo, Qui Tollis, Quoniam, Commit Your Way to the Lord, Behold, the Eye of the Lord, Whom Should We Love Like Thee

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Choral Arts Northwest : The Light Of Stars - Randall Thompson

Review: 30-strong, mixed-voice, Seattle-based Choral Arts (formerly Choral Arts Northwest), founded by artistic director Richard Sparks, is one of the outstanding chamber choirs in the United States. Focusing primarily on romantic and contemporary music, the choir's repertoire has ranged from Renaissance music to contemporary Swedish works. Randall Thompson achieved iconic status for choral works like "Frostiana" and the hugely popular anthem "Alleluia" in the middle part of the 20th century. Included here are 14 pieces, some favorites: the world premiere recordings of "Antiphon" and "Five Love Songs," "The Last Invocation" (based on words by Walt Whitman), the previously mentioned "Alleluia," "Vitas hinnuleo," and the title tune (based on words by Longfellow). Some light accompaniment. Beautiful, romantic music performed by one of America's finest choirs!

Songlist: The Best of Rooms (Robert Herrick), Two Herbert Settings (George Herbert):, - Antiphon, - Bitter-sweet, The Last Invocation (Walk Whitman), Odes of Horace:, - Montium custos (book 3, 22), - Vitas hinnuleo (book 1, 23), - O fons Bandusiae (book 3, 13), - Felices ter (final verse of book 1, 13), Alleluia, Five Love Songs:, - The Light of the Stars (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), - The Passenger (Mark Anthony DeWolfse Howe), - Two Worlds (Edmund Waller), - Siciliano (Philip H. Rhinelander), - The Happy Shore (Edmund Spenser)

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