"Casita de Campo" is one of the most popular love songs from the Dominican Republic. It describes a modest, and yet beautiful, little rural house in the Cibao region where the composer evokes the consummation of a passionate and virginal love. It is a "cancion-bolero," a typical Caribbean romantic song form in quadruple meter, slow-paced, which is also a centerpiece of serenades. "Chanflin" is a typical Dominican merengue in its melody and form. Chanflin is a young woman, very good looking. The merengue section refers to a "neighborhood gossip." The jaleo section refers to Chanflin dressing in a finicky manner. "La Lluvia" is a folk melody from Ecuador traditionally played on the siku - the double row of panpipes that have been used in the high Andes for over a thousand years. With percussion. "Son de Camaguey" is a Cuban folk song from which the composer takes the refrain and then frames it with kaleidoscopic patters of ostinati inspired by the song, and by Afro-Cuban music in general. "O Sapo" - In this irresistible Brazilian song setting, vocal lines imitate percussion patterns to create a truly infectious groove. Newly arranged for SSATB chorus. With optional percussion.

Songlist: O Sapo, Maquerule, Casita de Campo, Chanflin, La Lluvia, Son de Camaguey

"La Lluvia" is a folk melody from Ecuador traditionally played on the siku - the double row of panpipes that have been used in the high Andes for over a thousand years. Hot-blooded and haughty, a mixture of delight and disdain. The central paradox of performing "Las Amarillas" it that the rhythms must be very incisive and exact, yet the precision must be combined with the devil-may-care festive attitude that prevents the precision from sounding clinical. Mangulina is a dance derived from Zapateado Espanol (a Spanish heel-tapping dance). "Guayacanal," originally written in the 1950's by Dominican songwriters Luis Kalaff and Bienvenido Brens, embodies what is known as the Mangulina today, and is so famous that when asked, people often think it's a folk song. This piece is best accompanied with tamborra (a double-headed drum from the Dominican Republic) and guira (a metal scraper from the Dominican Republic, scraped with a metal fork.) These delightful miniatures are wonderful for concert, contest and small ensembles. Careful part-writing and attention to range make these a good choice for younger treble groups. Includes: "A la puerta del cielo (At the Gate of Heaven)," "El Senor nacio en Belen (The Lord Was Born in Bethlehem)," and "Gloria a Dios en las Alturas (Glory to God in the Highest.)"

Songlist: La Lluvia, Gloria A Dios, Guayacanal, Las Amarillas

The Amabile (Ah MAH bee lay) Singers, based in London, Ontario, Canada is an auditioned choir of 50 young women, ages 12 to 23 years. It exists to give its members musical experiences of the highest caliber and to develop musical talents. Its repertoire ranges from Medieval to Broadway. Amabile rose quickly to national and international prominence with competition wins at the CBC Biennial Choral Competition, International Choral Competition, and many others. They have toured Europe several times and performed at Carnegie Hall. The music of Canadian composer Stephen Hatfield is surprising and wonderful, and it has never sounded better. 17 songs, the energetic spiritual "Run Children Run," the dramatic "Vus Vet Zayn," the lovely "Camino Caminante," the powerful 3-part a cappella gem, "Three Ways to Vacuum Your House," the sweet, plaintive "Queen Jane," the haunting "When It Was Dark," the plaintive "Once I Had a Sweetheart," the finger-snapping "Sweet Tooth," "Crimson, Ivory and Aquamarine" and "La Lluvia" (with percussion by Hatfield and others), the short, harmonic "Old Fox Wassail," the complex, dramatic, accompanied "Ya Faraoule" and the rhythmic, primitive "TJAK!" are favorites. This is edgy, interesting, entertaining stuff that definitely pushes the Choral envelope.

Songlist: Run Children, Run, Vus Vet Zayn, Ower the Hills, Camino Caminante, Three Ways to Vacuum Your House, Queen Jane, When It Was Yet Dark, Once I Had a Sweetheart, Odi Odi, Sweet Tooth, Crimson, Ivory and Aquamarine, La Lluvia, Old Fox Wassail, Ya Faraoule, TJAK!

The Indiana University Children's Choir comprises six choirs for children from kindergarten through high school. All children can find a place in one of those choirs regardless of training. Three choirs are represented here, the Treble Choir has the bright sound of girls 9 and 10 years old, the Chamber Choir, for older girls and boys with unchanged voices, and the Youth Chorale, a mixed group of high school singers with voices moving into adulthood. There are 22 songs here, we particularly enjoyed four movements by Brahms, "Liebeslied No.'s 8, 10, 13 and 18," Cobb's "Cantate Domino," Sprenkle's "For a Dewdrop," the moody "Erev Shel Shoshanim," Hatfield's "La Lluvia" and "Fair Phyllis I Saw," the folk spinning song "Sarasponda," Morley's "Sing We and Chant It," Franck's "Da Pacem Domine," James Taylor's "That Lonesome Road," and the Wm. Dawson spiritual "Soon Ah Will Be Done." Some light piano accompaniment. "Seasons" is a varied, spirited and enjoyable collection by this fine Midwestern children's choir.

Songlist: Cantate Domino, Libertango, Erev Shel Shoshanim, White, For a Dewdrop, La Lluvia, Sarasponda, Sing We and Chant It, Fair Phyllis I saw, Bist du bel mir, Da Pacem, Domine, Long, Long Ago, Just One Planet, Liebeslied No. 8, Liebeslied No. 10, Liebeslied No. 13, Liebeslied No. 18, Verano porteno, That Lonesome Road, Soon Ah Will Be Done, Invierno porteno, Thuma Mina

21 works from the summer festival that span a wide range of choral styles - from the early Renaissance to the Russian masters to Be Music, Night, the beautiful new work by New Mexico composer Bradley Ellingboe. Also includes the seldom-heard arrangement of Randall Thompson's Alleluia for women only.

Songlist: Kyrie, Ave Maria, Elegit eum Dominus, Ich lasse dich nicht, Richte mich, Gott, A Hymn to God the Father - from Five Motets for Unaccompanied Choir, Op. 37, Lord, When the Sense of Thy Sweet Grace, Salvator Mundi, Requiem Aeternam from Requiem, Angel Vopiyashe, S nami Bog, Voskres iz Groba, Vzbrannoy voyevode from Vespers, Op. 37, The Eyes of All Wait Upon Thee, Alleluia, La Lluvia, Be Music, Night, Come Away to the Skies - Three American Hymns, The Hebrew Children - Three American Hymns, Wondrous Love - Three American Hymns, I Can Tell The World