Reincarnations was recorded during the choir's first season under the direction of Steven Sametz. The repertoire explores a series of connections between the old and the new. It opens with Samuel Barber's Reincarnations, with texts by James Stephens which focus on different facets of love. Sametz has three pieces showcased on this recording: "On the Death of a Friend," "Magnificat" and "in time of ." Sametz's "Magnificat" is juxtaposed by that if Villiers Stanford, both featuring the resident choir of the American Boychoir School. Other pairings are two very different settings of the joyful text "Exultate Deo" by Palestrina and Poulenc. This is a very nice recording marking the beginning of a new era for this wonderful choir. |