Listen to the World
Essential Voices USA | Judith Clurman, conductor
Matthew Sklar, composer
Robert Sirota, composer
Judith Clurman, composer
Albany Records is pleased to present LISTEN TO THE WORLD, an evocative choral album by Essential Voices USA. Featuring compositions by Judith Clurman, Matthew Sklar, and Robert Sirota, with texts by William Schermerhorn and Victoria Sirota, the album addresses pressing global challenges: environmental preservation, immigration, and human connection. Clurman’s Listen to the World urges listeners to foster understanding; Sklar’s Hymn for the Earth celebrates ecological stewardship; and the Sirotas’ A Migrant’s Dream honors the courage and aspirations of migrants. With profound texts and stirring melodies, the album inspires listeners to engage with the world’s complexities through empathy and action.
Track Listing
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Listen to the World | Judith Clurman, arr. David Chase | Essential Voices USA | Judith Clurman, conductor; Jack Coen, piano; William Schermerhorn, lyricist | 3:30 |
| 02 | Hymn for the Earth | Matthew Sklar, arr. David Chase | Essential Voices USA | Judith Clurman, conductor; Jack Coen, piano; William Schermerhorn, lyricist | 3:20 |
| 03 | A Migrant's Dream | Robert Sirota | Essential Voices USA | Judith Clurman, conductor; Jack Coen, piano; Victoria R. Sirota, lyricist | 4:35 |
ESSENTIAL VOICES USA
Phillip Cheah, Hai-Ting Chinn, Paul D’Arcy, Olivia Sue Greene, Harrison Hintzche, Chloe Holgate, Heather Jones, Steven Moore, Julian Morris, Neil Netherly, Heather Petrie, John Ramseyer, Elisa Singer Strom, Motomi Tanaka, Jason Weisinger
Choral Contractor Margery Daley
Piano Jack Coen
Recorded May 31, 2024 at Samurai Recording Studio in Astoria NY
Producer & Engineer Silas Brown
Assistant Engineer Grady Bajorek
Mixing, Editing & Mastering Silas Brown
Cover Design Michael Gaudet
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Funding for Listen to the World was provided by The Billy Rose Foundation and individual contributions. Thank you to Michael Douris for administrative assistance.
Executive Producer Bob Lord
Artistic Directors, Albany Records Peter Kermani, Susan Bush
VP of A&R Brandon MacNeil
A&R Jeff Leroy
VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Publicity Aidan Curran
Digital Marketing Manager Brett Iannucci
Artist Information
Judith Clurman
Judith Clurman, conductor and music director of Essential Voices USA, is equally at home with repertoire from the classical canon to the American Songbook, musical theater, and contemporary compositions. She is the musical director and conductor for Essential Voices USA, conducts the Macy’s Choir in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, teaches singing at the Manhattan School of Music, and edits music for Hal Leonard and Schott. She previously directed The New York Concert Singers. She has worked with many of the world’s finest symphonies at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and has commissioned and conducted new works by over seventy composers.
Essential Voices USA
Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) is one of New York’s preeminent choral ensembles. EVUSA performs in many of the city’s iconic venues and events, and records and premieres works by America’s finest composers and lyricists. The ensemble is comprised of talented, seasoned professionals and auditioned volunteers, dynamically fitted to the unique needs of each project. EVUSA held a month-long residency at National Public Radio, performed for many years with The New York Pops in its Carnegie Hall subscription series, performed on NBC’s July 4th Macy’s Fireworks Spectacular, and at the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting and participated in President Obama’s Inaugural activities. On July 4, 2022, they performed Washington Women, the choral cycle they commissioned, on the National Public Radio Tiny Desk Concerts. They have recently performed in educational programs in the New York City schools. The group has produced The Composer Speaks at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, and has premiered works and collaborated with America’s finest composers.
William Schermerhorn
A two-time EMMY® award-winning songwriter, William Schermerhorn has established himself as a creative force behind some of the most acclaimed events in the United States. His extensive experience as a Creative Director includes past projects such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. Recently he combined storytelling and event experience with the historic traditions of the eighteenth century at Virginia’s Colonial Williamsburg and is currently Event Designer for VA250, the government commission responsible for planning the Commonwealth’s celebration of The United States Semiquincentennial in 2026. Schermerhorn collaborated with composer Pierre Jalbert and wrote the choral piece Illumination. It has been recorded by Judith Clurman’s Essential Voices USA on Albany Records.
Robert Sirota
Composer Robert Sirota pursued early studies at Juilliard, earning a B.M. in Composition and Piano from Oberlin. After studying in Paris with Nadia Boulanger he received a Ph.D. from Harvard. He has held leadership posts in several major music schools, including President of Manhattan School of Music. His catalog of some 100 works has been performed by soloists, ensembles, and orchestras worldwide. Honors include Guggenheim and Watson Fellowships and a commission from the Naumburg Foundation.
Victoria R. Sirota
Lyricist Victoria R. Sirota, Episcopal priest, organist and author, has degrees from Oberlin, Boston University, and Harvard Divinity School and has taught at Concord Academy, Boston University, and Yale Divinity School. Former National Chaplain for the American Guild of Organists and the Association of Anglican Musicians, Sirota is the author of articles, reviews and texts for hymns, cantatas, and song cycles, including numerous collaborations with her husband, composer Robert Sirota. She is recorded on Northeastern, Gasparo, and Albany Records and her book Preaching to the Choir: Claiming the Role of Sacred Musician is available from Church Publishing.
Matthew Sklar
Matthew Sklar is a two-time TONY®, EMMY®, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle award-nominated composer. He wrote the music for the Broadway musicals The Prom, nominated for seven TONY® awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score, winner of the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical; Elf the Musical, a favorite perennial show in theatres across the globe; and The Wedding Singer, nominated for five TONY® awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Sklar is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and ASCAP. He was educated at The Juilliard School.
Notes
This project is about music whose texts aim to inspire audiences to get involved in confronting the challenges of the world by: listening to the world around us, saving the planet, and solving the immigration crisis. Composers and lyricists include Judith Clurman, William Schermerhorn, Robert Sirota, Victoria R. Sirota, and Matthew Sklar.
*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.