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! |