From Both Sides of the Pond

This week on GBW and ACDA Radio/ChoralNet, Host Stan Schmidt brings to your attention the ACDA Raymond W. Brock Memorial  Commission project that has been on going since 1991.  Then he takes you to Rotterdam, the Netherlands for a listen to a stunning 30 minute A Cappella Requiem by Dutch Composer Daniel de Lange.     Thus you will hear music from Both Sides of the Pond.   The first part of the program offers four, of close to 30 commissions created by this Endowment.  You will hear O For a Thousand Tongues arr. by Theron Kirk; That I shall Never Look upon Thee more by James Mulholland;  Sing a Mighty Song by Daniel Gawthrop; and Nunc Dimittis by Dan Pinkston;  Each Year a choir was chosen to sing the winning composition at one of the conferences.  On this broadcast you will hear St. Charles Borromeo Choir; Texas Tech University Choir; Baylor A Cappella Choir and Ouschita Baptist University Choir;   The Mission of this Annual ACDA contest was to write a choral composition in an effort to perpetuate quality choir repertoire.  Funds for this commission were paid from the Raymond W. Brock memorial Endowment fund.

The other featured piece, The Requiem by Daniel de Lange could without exaggeration, be considered a monument of the 19^th Century A Cappella Choral Music.  Written in 1868 and it was not discovered until 1972 and with more study was solidified by Willem Norse and René Rakier helped clarify the contents of the Manuscript so it could be printed and performed.  The First recording was done in 1993 by the Netherlands Chamber Choir with Uwe Gronostay on the podium. The Requiem is scored for two four part choirs and two four part solo ensembles consisting of SATB.   If you can’t do the entire work, focus on the Offertorium, which is well worth the study.

For a look at the CD used and a complete list of the music heard, go to the blog of WWW.GONGBEYONDWORDS.COM website and click on show 2441