"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

The young women of the Junior Amabile Singers, one of 7 choirs in the Amabile Choirs of London, Canada, are joined in this exploration of the hopes, desires and human experiences of today's young women by the Amabile Da Capo Choir, a training choir for the JAS. Artistic directors Jacquelyn Norman and Wendy Gee conduct them in this rich collection of 23 lightly accompanied songs. Favorites are the title tune, whose lyrics are from the nursery rhyme, "Ride a cock horse to Banbury cross," Darla Eshelman's "A Song from the Heart," Z. Randall Stroope's "The Poet Sings," Bob Chilcott's "The Lily and the Rose," Ed Robertson's "Sing a Song," Eugene Butler's "Music is My Life," Ruth Morris Gray's lilting, humorous "No Thank You, John," Ella Fitzgerald's "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," the Gershwins' "Someone to Watch Over Me," Billy Joel's "Lullabye" and Smokey Robinson's "My Guy." This is a poised, confident collection by one of the finest young women's ensembles in the world, beautiful, entertaining and moving.

Songlist: She Shall Have Music, To Be Young, A Song From The Heart, Think On Me, The Poet Sings, Dirait-On, The Lily And The Rose, Come To Me O My Love, Sing A Song, One Song, Just A Single Voice, Music Is My Life, He's Gone Away, Banks Of Doon, No Thank You John, Joan Of Arc, Give Us Hope, A-Tisket A-Tasket, Someone To Watch Over Me, Lullaby, Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, My Guy, Ma (He's Making Eyes At Me)

We have always loved Toronto's Bach Children's Chorus, founded in 1987 and comprised of 185 singers aged 6 and up in four choirs. Conductor Linda Beaupre directs these wonderfully trained choirs in 21 tunes in "Land of Tomorrow," all accompanied by light piano and sometimes percussion. Some favorites are "Psalm 100," "The Little Sandman," "Skylark and Nightingale," "Somewhere a Child is Singing," "Ballerine du Vent," "The Grey Donkey," "Give Ear Unto Me" and "Niska Banja" by Choir III, "Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild" by Choir II, "Hark the Tiny Cowslip Bell" by Choir I, "Blessing" by the Bach Chamber Youth Choir and "Song for Canada" by All Choirs. These sweet, innocent voices are a joy to listen to on every well-chosen, finely-crafted cut. Treat yourself to "Land of Tomorrow" by one of Canada's finest children's choruses! PS, the extensive liner notes have all the lyrics and some great photos.

Songlist: Psalm 100, The Little Sandman, Yo le Canto Todo el Dia, Skylark and Nightingale, Cantate Domino, Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild, Hark the Tiny Cowslip Bell, Sing a Song, Come, Let Us All This Day, Dirait-On, Somewhere A Child Is Singing, I Waited For The Lord, Ballerine du Vent, The Grey Donkey, O Rest In The Lord, Give Ear Unto Me, Niska Banja, A Croon, Laus Deo, Blessing, Song For Canada

Bella Voce is a not-for-profit 51-voice-strong Rochester, Minnesota-based young women's choir, directed by founder directed by founder Shelly Winemiller, who is celeerating her 4th season as Bella Voce's Artistic Director. The group is committed to providing access to all their concerts to all members of the community regardless of their ability to pay, and channels donated money to a number of community and humanitarian causes. "Best of Bella" is a rich, live-in-concert collection of 21 wonderful cuts, most of them accompanied by drums, piano or various instruments. Some favorites are "Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal," arranged by Alice Parker, Morten Lauridsens "Dirait-on," John Rutter's "Angels' Carol," Max Reger's "Mary's Cradle Song," Pablo Casals' "Nigra Sum," Carl Schalk's "Before the Marvel of This Night," Benjamin Britten's three "Selections from A Ceremony of Carols, James Mulholland's "Life has Loveliness to Sell," the Moses Hogan-arranged "Music Down In My Soul," Jeffery Ames' "Holy is the Land" and Katie Bart's "The Blessing." This spirited, altruistic ensemble has a beautiful, angelic sound with rich harmonies and strong leads. "Best of Bella" is a lovely winner from one of Minnesota's finest, most talented young women's choirs. Don't miss this one!

Songlist: Hark I Hear The Harps Eternal, Psalm 100, Dirait-on, Lift Thine Eyes, Angel's Carol, Mary's Cradle Song, Les Nymphes Des Bois, On The Beautiful Blue Danube, Nigra Sum, Psalm 23, A La Puerta del Cielo, Before the Marvel of this Night, Selections from A Ceremony of Carols, Can You Hear, Life Has Loveliness To Sell, Music Down In My Soul, If Music Be the Food of Love, Holy Is the Lord, The Blessing

The Men's Chorus, open to students from all majors at BGSU, has a motto and a well-deserved reputation as being "America's Finest Singing Machine." Founded in 1923, the BGSU Men's Glee Club began touring Ohio, sang as far away as Chicago and Niagara Falls, and was doing very well until World War II pulled most of its singers away. Reuniting again after the war, the group contained only 15 members when it disbanded in 1953. Beginning again under the baton of Prof. Richard D. Mathey in 1971, the group grew into the active, touring group it is today. After 29 great years, Mathey retired and passed off the leadership of the ensemble to Dr. William Skoog in 2000, under whose direction the group is thriving today, with a membership of over 100 talented men. There are 21 tracks on "Reconciliation," with some lovely, powerful spiritual songs like Randall Thompson's "The Last Words of David," Michael Cox' "I Sought the Lord" and "The Fear of the Lord," Charles Gounod's "Sanctus," Uzee Brown Jr.'s spiritual "I'm Building Me a Home," Glad's "God is My Rock;" popular and folk tunes like Timothy Takach's "The Highwayman," the Irish folk song "Dulaman," Richard Nance's "When I was 1-and-20" and "Loveliest of Trees" from "Songs of a Young Man;" and the title tune, a moving, trumpet-accompanied anti-war requiem. There is some light accompaniment on several of these cuts, but the voices and the effortless, soaring harmonies are the focus and beauty of this wonderful ensemble.

Songlist: The Last Words of David, Behold Man, Ave Maria, I Sought the Lord, Sanctus, I'm Build' Me a Home, God is My Rock, Prayer of the Children, Laudamus, O Vos Omnes, The Fear of the Lord, The Highwayman, In Taberna from Carmina Burana, Reconciliation, Kang-Ting Love Song, Dulaman, Dirait-on, When I was 1-and-20 from Songs of a Young Man, Loveliest of Trees from Songs of a Young Man, Touching Shoulders, Brothers Sing On

Choral Cross-Ties, a mixed 24-singer chorus directed by Bruce Browne who founded the group in 1985, bring us 3 choral cycles by composer Morten Lauridsen, "Mid-Winter Songs," on poems by Robert Graves; "Madrigali: Six Fire-Songs," on Italian Renaissance poems; and "Les Chansons Des Roses," on poems by Rainer Maria Rilke. Reading the beautiful poetry which inspired Lauridsen in the extensive liner notes, the Graves in English, the Madrigali in Italian and the Chansons in French (all with translations), adds to our appreciation and feeling for the music. Lightly accompanied on piano, "The Complete Choral Cycles" is an extensive, demanding work made to look easy by a wonderfully versatile chorus.

Songlist: Lament for Pasiphae, Like Snow, She Tells Her Love While Half Asleep, Mid-Winter Waking, Intercession in Late October, Ov'e, Lass', Il Bel Viso, Quando Son Piu Lontan, Amor, Io Sento L'alma, Io Piango, Luci Serene E Chiare, Se Per Havervi, Oime, En Une Seule Fleur, Contre Qui, Rose, De Ton Reve Trop Plein, La Rose Complete, Dirait-On

Nationally renowned musician and educator Emily Ellsworth directs the 51-strong Chicago-based GECC through 16 songs in their distinctive warm and spirited style. Several Australian and New Zealand folk songs grace this CD, "Tutira Mai Nga Iwi," "Cabbage Tree Hat," and "Waltzing Mathilda." Two of our favorites are the exuberant African-flavored tunes "Kungala" and "Akakomborerwa," with its powerful rhythmic drumming. Also among our favorites are Aaron Copland's "The Promise of Living" and "At the River," arranged by Copland, and "I'm Goin' Up a Yonder" by Walter Hawkins. Most songs are piano or drum accompanied, all are beautiful and touching.

Songlist: Kungala, Black Swana, In the Beginning, Akakomborerwa, Aglepta, Dirait-On, Tutira Mai Nga Iqi, Cabbage-Tree Hat, Waltzing Mathilda, Rattlesnake Skipping Song, How Do I Love Thee?, Libertango, I'm Goin' Up a Yonder, O Sifuni Mungu, At the River, The Promise of Living

Favorite HMC selections from our spring 2002 concert and pieces from past years, not previously released on CD. The recording includes a diverse variety of men's repertoire, some a cappella, some with piano accompaniment, and some with full orchestra.

Songlist: The Awakening, Past Life Melodies, Prayer of the Children, In This Heart Of Mine, Dirait-on, Daemon Irrepit Callidus, We Live On Borrowed Time, The Day After That, Sing Me to Heaven, Elegy For Matthew, Lord, Make Me an Instrument Of Thy Peace, One Voice

Pillars of Light is a collection of pieces by Rene Clausen, Morten Lauridsen and Eric Whitacre. Lauridsen's "Ave Maria" is absolutely gorgeous with its indulgent harmonies. "Veni" was written by Clausen for Kantorei and is premiered here. Whitacre's "i thank you god for most this amazing day" is a very tranquil setting of the e.e. cummings poem. All of these pieces are great examples of the beauty that can come from modern choral compositions. The warm rich often dissonant sounds envelop the listener.

Songlist: Les Chansons des Roses:, En Une Seule Dleur, Contri Qui, Rose, Do To Reve Trop Plein, La Rose Complete, Dirait-On, Three Whitman Settings (from "Leaves of Grass"):, A Noiseless Patient Spider, Quicksand Years, The Last Invocation, Lux Aeterna: III. O Nata Lux, Veni, Ave Maria, O Vos Omnes, In Pace, I Thank You God For Most This Amazing Day

Los Angeles Chamber Singers : Romancero Gitano   

The Castelnuovo-Tedesco work comes as one of my bigger surprises of recent times: written in 1951 upon powerful and emotional texts by Garcia Lorca (translations included in the CD booklet) Romancero Gitano, op. 152 proves to be genuinely attractive work, its wide guitaristic range well essayed by Gregory Newton, whose style suits well the composer's familiar refinement and musical craftsmanship. Is this song accompaniment? Or is it a concerto with voices instead of instruments? Whichever way you look at it, here is an interesting and substantial piece by one of the guitar's 20th century luminaries. Newton is to be congratulated on this revelation (for me, at least), his accomplished playing complementing a fine choir and thus providing a most listenable and substantial item with a real difference. A fascinating timelessness pervades Morten Lauridsen's purely vocal Chansons based on poems by Rilke: simply put, they are quite beautiful in both construction and execution, the eventual arrival of the piano in the fifth (and last) a miniature masterstroke. The Samuel Barber work is as rich as it is brief, while the set of madrigals by Halsey Stevens reveals a fine sonority, as does the group of odes by Randall Thompson: the notes mention that he felt that "a composer's first responsibility is... to write music that will reach and move the hearts of his listeners in his own day." A not unworthy aspiration, and with composition of this ilk it is easy to see how he could justifiably have had the confidence to utter such words. John Chorbajian's Bitter for Sweet, a setting of a Christina Rossetti poem, concludes and - like the music throughout this disc - was all the more touching for its stringency, quite delightful. So, there's only guitar on the Castelnuovo-Tedesco, but that in itself is worth the admission fee: elsewhere the felicitous blend of fine music and equally fine singing makes this CD a pleasing surprise, one to recommend wholeheartedly.

Songlist: Baladilla de los tres rios, La Guitarra, Punal, Procesion - Paso - Saeta, Memento, Baile, Crotalo, En Une Seule Fleur, Contre Qui, Rose, De Ton Reve Trop Plein, La Rose Complete, Dirait-On, Sure On this Shinging Night Op. 12, No. 3, Weepe, o mine eyes, Like as the culver on the bared bough, Go. Lovely rose, Vitas hinnuleo, Felices ter, O fons bandusia, Bitter for Sweet

Morten Lauridsen has become one of America's most widely performed composers. His "O Magnum Mysterium" has been performed thousands of times since the 1994 premiere by Maestro Paul Salamunovich and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. With "Dirait-on" these two works are the all time best selling choral octavos distributed by Theodore Presser, in business since 1783! Northwest Journey features world premiere recordings of art songs, choral works and chamber music featuring superb musicians and vocalists. This musical offering spans the range of Morten's work. "Where Have the Actors Gone" gives one the sense of an allegorical ending to a relationship which might be found in a stage setting of musical theatre. From his beloved choral set, "The Songs of the Roses," comes a new arrangement of "Dirait-on" written for vocal duet. There is the unaccompanied motet, "Ubi Caritas et Amour." "A Winter Come" deftly takes the imagery of Howard Moss's verse and presents it in a marvelous variety of moods using amazing piano composition to accompany the soprano voice. Garcia Lorca's poetry is presented in the musical setting of the "Cuatro Canciones," each song based on a wider interval than the previous. And then we arrive at the finale, a new arrangement of the beautiful "O Magnum Mysterium" which presents the power of the original choral version carefully preserved in this premiere recording for solo voice. Wonderful!

Songlist: Where Have the Actors Gone, Dirait-On, Ubi Caritas et Amor, A Winter Come, Variaions, Madrigali, Cuatro Canciones, O Magnum Mysterium

Founded in 1989 by artistic director Kris Mason, the Seattle Children's Chorus brings us the choral sounds of 200 boys and girls, in four levels of choirs, raised in song. "Seasons of Song" is a wonderful holiday collection of 22 songs from the SCC's most beautiful live performances, many of them lightly piano and flute accompanied. The voices of the beginning younger children (Brio) shine on tunes such as "All That Is Good," "Une Poule Blanche" and Colligan's "Now I Walk In Beauty." The intermediate chorus, Intermezzo, shows their stuff on Nalan's "Al Shlosha D'Varim," Chilcott's "Sing You Now" and "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella;" and the advanced groups, Arioso and Camerata, easily handle more difficult, eclectic pieces like Pfautsch's "Consecrate the Place and Day," "Kyrie-Sanctus Benedictus from Mass No. 6" by Orban, the joyous a cappella "Sithi Jabula" by Nyberg, Nordqvist's "Wonderful Peace," Fissinger's "Make We Joy," Whitacre's "Lux Arumque" and Bach's "Prepare to Receive Him." These pieces are intermixed with more standard carols like "Ding Dong! Merrily on High," "Deck The Halls" and "The Little Drummer Boy" like treats in a holiday basket. "Seasons of Song" is a beautiful gift of sweet voices!

Songlist: Consecrate The Place And Day, Kyrie-Sanctus-Benedictus From Mass no. 6, All That Is Good, Sithi Jabula, Les Berceaux, Dirait-on, Une Poule Blanche, The Colorado Trail, Al Shlosha D'varim, Now I Walk In Beauty, Sing You Now, Wonderful Peace, Make We Joy, Prepare to Recieve Him, Christmastide, Kling, Glockchen Kling!, Deck The Halls, Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella, Ding Dong! Merrily on High, The Little Drummer Boy, Lux Arumque, Sunny Bank

This recording features highlights from the 2007 Spring Concerts that were recorded live in Pillsbury Chapel at Missouri Baptist University. Under the most excellent direction of Barbara Berner the various choirs shine making this recording an excellent addition to your music library.

Songlist: For Spacious Skies, Sing Creations Music On, Daybreak Song, The Lily and the Rose, Duet from Cantata No. 15, A Distant Shore, Cuatro Baladas Amarillas No. 4, Go Gently Into the Morning, The Colorado Trail, I's the B'y, Hark, I Hear the Harp's Eternal, Tres Cantos Nativos Dos Indidos Crao, O Salutaris Hostias, Children of the Rainbow, Mrs. Jenny Wren, Thumbelina, Birdsong, Everlasting Melody, Old Dan Tucker, Jordan's Angels, Dirait-On, Stand Together, River in Judea, We Gather Here Together