I Wonder as I Wander

This week on Going Beyond Words and ACDA Radio/ChoralNet, host Stan Schmidt continues his Advent journey moving closer to the Christmas celebration. This visit is titled I Wonder As I Wander.  You will hear from Baroque composers J.S. Bach and Dietrich Buxtehude; two new carols by composers from England; “A Coventry Carol” with a new melody by Malcolm Archer, and “The Waiting Sky” by Oliver Taney, two new publications from Oxford University Press. Then there is that Choral Classic by Edvard Grieg,  Ave Maris Stella, sung by the Rias Kammerchor.   You can also recall the Villlancico  “Ríu, Ríu, Chíu” of Renaissance times performed by one of the top ensembles of that genre, The Waverly Consort with Michael Jaffee on the Podium.   You will also be introduced to verses from the Second Chapter of St. Luke…. “And There Were Shepherds Abiding In the Field” by American Composer Frank La Forge as arranged by Mack Wilberg.   Chor Leoni from Vancouver B.C. is out with their new CD titled Star of Wonder.  They do beautiful job of  clear unison singing with an arrangement of “I Wonder as I Wander” for Choir and hammered Dulcimer.   JS Bach’s opening Chorus from BWV 62 sheds great light on the musical request “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland” and Then The Theatre of Voices guided by Paul Hillier explain  “Fürchet euch Nicht” (You have nothing to worry about, all you need is trust).  You will smile about a special arrangement of “Angel We Have Heard On High” offered by the Utah Chamber Artists and their leader Barlow Bradford.   To close your host brings back a Christmas Chestnut from the pen of Ralph Vaughn Williams….a result of his collection of Christmas melodies.   Baritone Stephen Varcoe is the lead voice in this experience as he shares his talents with John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers and the City of London Sinfonia as they perform the famous “Fantasia on Christmas Carols”.     Hope you can listen.

For a look at the CD’s used and a complete list of the music heard, go to the blog of WWW.GOINGBEYONDWORDS.COM website and click on show 2509.