Music for an Urban Church
Gregg Smith (composer, conductor)
The association of composer/conductor Gregg Smith, the Gregg Smith Singers and Saint Peter's Church in New York City dates back to 1970. Smith wrote works for the church, some of them commissioned for special occasions, and conducted the Gregg Smith Singers along with the Long Island Symphonic Choral Association and the Saint Peter's Choir in performances of this music. This disc commemorates this association with a collection of six of these works, written and performed between 1972 and 2005. Music for an Urban Church celebrates this American composer's continuation of the tradition of "singing unto the Lord a new song." As a composer Gregg Smith has more than 400 compositions to his name and he is also celebrated as the founder and conductor of the world-famous Gregg Smith Singers.
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Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Jazz Mass for Saint Peters | Gregg Smith | Long Island Symphonic Choral Association; Gregg Smith, conductor |
| Dedication Theme & Variations on "Our Father by whose servants our house was built of old" | Gregg Smith | Long Island Symphonic Choral Association; Saint Peter's Choir; Gregg Smith, conductor |
| Drake: "Lord you give the great commission" | Gregg Smith | Saint Peter's Choir & Congregation; Thomas Schmidt, organ and conductor |
| Seven Stanzas at Easter | Gregg Smith | Saint Peter's Choir; Thomas Schmidt, organ and conductor |
| Songs from a Liberal Heart | Gregg Smith | Saint Peter's Choir; Thomas Schmidt, organ; Gregg Smith, conductor |
| Missa Brevis (Mass for Saint Peters) | Gregg Smith | Gregg Smith Singers; Thomas Schmidt, organ; Eric Stewart, conductor |
Reviews
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“Though Smith has appeared on many recordings as a conductor, this appears to be the first complete CD devoted to his music. …If the quality of the compositions on this disc can be taken as any indication, this disc is long overdue. …Gregg Smith has done so very much for other composers, and his own time in the compositional spotlight is well de-served in every respect.”
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“Smith’s music is unabashedly modern but accessible. …The harmonic and textural dic-tion of such works as Seven Stanzas at Easter and Song from a Liberal Heart pose challenges to amateur singers that are impressively met here.”
*Album cover provided for Editorial use only. ©Albany Records. The Albany Imprint is a registered trademark of PARMA Recordings LLC. The views and opinions expressed in this media are those of the artist and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions held by PARMA Recordings LLC and its label imprints, subsidiaries, and affiliates.