Nocturne

This recording features a cappella works by American composers. (Liner Notes): Sara Teasdale (1884-1933) is regarded as one of the great American lyric poets. Her lyrical style has its roots in the works of Sappho, Christina Rossetti, and Housman. Haunted by depression in later years, Teasdale took her own life at the age of 48. Many of her poems address the pain that haunted her spirit, but to the end she seemed to draw strength and hope from the stars and their permanent radiance. “There Will Be Rest,” one of her last poems, is a perfect summary of her lifelong concern for the stars and their ancient promise of peace. Frank Ticheli’s (b. 1958) choral setting is designed to capture the poem’s purity of spirit and delicate lyricism. “There Will Be Rest” was commissioned by Pacific Chorale, who gave the premiere performance at Segerstrom Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center on May 23, 1999. The commission was made possible through the generosity of the Pacific Chorale Guild - Premiere Chapter.

Adolphus Hailstork (b. 1941) is Professor of Music and Composer-in-Residence at Norfolk State University in Virginia. In “Nocturne,” he calls upon a lover to contemplate and appreciate the simple beauties of the night. The text is at first carried by the soprano, while the other parts provide an atmospheric background. Following a middle section in which all parts work over the poem, the conclusion returns to the atmosphere of the beginning. “The Cloths of Heaven” sets with rich, romantic music a contemplative poem by William Butler Yeats.

Samuel Barber (1910–1981), a recipient of two Pulitzer Prizes and numerous other awards, finished “To Be Sung on the Water” on December 12, 1968. An unusual love song, it was apparently written for no other reason than his own desire to do so. The water imagery of the poem is reflected in the repeated three-note motives in the men’s voices that gently underlie the composition like placid waves under a boat, ever repeating the words “beautiful, my delight.” Barber considered adding “To Be Sung on the Water” to his opera Antony and Cleopatra but never did so. It was one of the works performed at his memorial service at St. Bartholomew’s Church, New York. Eric Whitacre (b. 1970) found inspiration for his two compositions in the Spanish poetry of Octavio Paz. Of “Water Night” the composer writes:

The poetry of Octavio Paz is a composer’s dream. The music seems to set itself (without the usual struggle that invariably accompanies this task) and the process feels more like cleaning the oils from an ancient canvas to reveal the hidden music than composing. “Water Night” was no exception, and the tight harmonies and patient unfolding seemed to pour from the poetry from the first reading, singing its magic even after the English translation. “Water Night” is simply the natural expression of this beautiful poem. . . .

“Cloudburst,” set to a verse entitled “The Broken Water Jar,” is another spiritual contemplation couched in water imagery. In the first half of the composition, the entire poem is sung in largely chordal fashion, but with passages of free chanting on the words, “we must sleep [with open eyes].” The second half is a “cloudburst” in which handbells and a battery of percussion paint the storm in sound as the choir sings “eyes of dream-water . . . we must sing aloud . . . the rain, the rain.” Whitacre writes:

The Cloudburst is a ceremony, a celebration of the unleashed kinetic energy in all things. The mood throughout is reverent, meditative and centered. This does not imply solemn or calm; it simply means the performer must take the spiritual journey with total respect for the power of the water and the profundity of the rebirth.

“Cloudburst” won first prize for its twenty-three-year-old composer in the 1993 American Choral Directors Association “Composers of the Future” competition. Eric Whitacre is Composer-in-Residence (2000-2003) for Pacific Chorale. Album Description

Lovely.

I thought that overall, this was a good cd. The only pieces I was disappointed with were the Whitacre pieces (Water Night and Cloudburst). I especially thought that Cloudburst lacked energy compared to other recordings I've heard (such as the BYU and Polyphony recordings). But all in all, the pieces in here are just gorgeous! My favorites on this cd are "There Will Be Rest" "To be Sung on the Water" and "This Time of Kites". Those pieces, I think, are worth their weight in gold. January 16, 2008

In a word...

So many beautiful things about this collection of vocal works. But the Pacific Chorale's rendition of Samuel Barber's "To Be Sung on the Water" alone is worth the price of this CD. October 14, 2007

Great music

I'm not really a connoisseur of vocal music but I really enjoy this. My favorites are When David Heard and A Boy and a Girl. The only complaint I have is the songs all sound pretty much the same. Totally gorgeous but it gets old fast. August 23, 2007

marvelous music, beautifully performed..

Both the compositions and the performers are extraordinary, the technical quality of the recording is excellent. A lovely, serious work. April 1, 2007

BEAUTIFUL, CD of the year for us

I bought this for the Ticheli piece but am absolutely overcome with the beauty of most of the other works on here, especially one by Samuel Barber. The vocal work is amazing. I bought a second copy for my daughter after listening to it for a while. We have shared it with several pro choir members who have been equally blown away. (I see the next question :>) I am 57 years old). July 19, 2005

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