Remember: Music of Loss and Consolation
Jonathan Kreamer, Sydney Szwarc (soloist), Elizabeth Jones (soloist), Aaron Hungerford, Zoe Bennett (soloist), Sandor Kadar, Chase Saunders (soloist), Richard Amoroso, West Chester University Concert Choir, David P. DeVenney
Remember is a collection of Romantic American choral music devoted to loss, commemoration, and consolation. Several of the musical works were written at the conclusion of World War I or to mark the tenth anniversary of the armistice. Much of the music has remained unperformed even unknown since it was written. Composers include George Whitefield Chadwick, George Whiting, Charles Martin Loeffler, Marian Bauer, Edith Lang, Dudley Buck, and J.C.D. Parker. Led by David P. DeVenney, the West Chester Concert Choir performs music of all styles and epochs. They have performed nationally and internationally and has recorded seven commercial CDs. DeVenney, who studied at Iowa State, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, is on the faculty at West Chester University. He has made substantive contributions to scholarship in American choral music through his 16 books and dozens of articles. He was the guiding editor for choral music for the new Grove Dictionary of American Music, second edition.
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Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Salute the Sacred Dead | George Whitefield Chadwick | West Chester University Concert Choir; David P. DeVenney (conductor); Jonathan Kreamer (piano) |
| Mass in F Minor - Benedictus | George Whiting | West Chester University Concert Choir; David P. DeVenney (conductor) |
| For One Who Fell in Battle | Charles Martin Loeffler | West Chester University Concert Choir; David P. DeVenney (conductor) |
| Death Spreads His Gentle Wings | Marian Bauer | West Chester University Concert Choir; David P. DeVenney (conductor) |
| I Hear Thy Voice | Edith Lang | West Chester University Concert Choir; David P. DeVenney (conductor); Sydney Szwarc (soprano); Elizabeth Jones (mezzo-soprano); Aaron Hungerford (piano) |
| Arise, O God, Thy Help We Pray | Edith Lang | West Chester University Concert Choir; David P. DeVenney (conductor); Zoe Bennett (soprano); Sandor Kadar (organ) |
| The Legend of Don Munio - Requiem aeternam | Dudley Buck | West Chester University Concert Choir; David P. DeVenney (conductor); Sandor Kadar (piano) |
| St. John - And They Shall Reign | J.C.D. Parker | West Chester University Concert Choir; David P. DeVenney (conductor); Sandor Kadar (piano) |
| By the Waters of Babylon | J.C.D. Parker | West Chester University Concert Choir; David P. DeVenney (conductor); Chase Saunders (soprano); Richard Amoroso (cello) |
Reviews
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A carefully culled collection of Romantic American choral music devoted to loss, commemoration, and consolation, many of the selections here were written at the end of World War I or to mark the tenth anniversary of the truce. George Chadwick's "Salute The Sacred Dead"opens the listen with Jonathan Kreamer's animated piano playing alongside the pretty, harmonic voices that emit much emotion, and "Mass In F Minor: Benedictus"follows with much expressive singing guiding the poetic and lovely mood of the George Whiting piece. "Death Spreads His Gentle Wings"arrives in the middle and uses calm versus bright moments for much effect that illuminates Marian Bauer's vision, while "I Hear Thy Voice", by Edith Lang, displays impressive range among Sydney Szware's soprano and Elizabeth Jones' mezzo-soprano, plus Aaron Hungerford's intimate keys. Dudley Buck's "The Legend Of Don Munio: Requiem Aeternam"arrives near the end and illustrates Sándor Kádár's stirring piano prowess and "By The Waters Of Babylon"exits the listen with Chase Saunders' soprano and Richard Amoroso's sublime cello complementing the precise singing of the J.C.D. Parker composition. A lot of the music present was never performed or even known about until now, and here it lives with incredible attention to detail thanks to DeVenney's inimitable direction.
*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.