54th Annual GRAMMY nominations featuring choral ensembles

The nominations for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards® were announed in Los Angeles last night, with the following five choral CDs nominated for “Best Choral Performance” –

BEYOND ALL MORTAL DREAMS – AMERICAN A CAPPELLA
Stephen Layton, conductor (Choir Of Trinity College Cambridge)

BRAHMS: EIN DEUTSCHES REQUIEM, OP. 45
Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor; James K. Bass, chorus master (Justin Blackwell, Scott Allen Jarrett, Paul Max Tipton & Teresa Wakim; Professional Choral Institute & Seraphic Fire)

KIND
Kjetil Almenning, conductor (Nidaros String Quartet; Ensemble 96)

LIGHT & GOLD
Eric Whitacre, conductor (Christopher Glynn & Hila Plitmann; The King’s Singers, Laudibus, Pavão Quartet & The Eric Whitacre Singers)

THE NATURAL WORLD OF PELLE GUDMUNDSEN-HOLMGREEN
Paul Hillier, conductor (Ars Nova Copenhagen)

In addition, Patrick Dupré Quigley and Seraphic Fire were also nominated in the “Best Small Ensemble Performance” category for their album “A SERAPHIC FIRE CHRISTMAS” and various opera choruses were included in each of the five nominations for “Best Opera Recording.” Other vocal ensembles with nominations included Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the cast of the TV show, Glee.

There are fewer classical music GRAMMY categories this year (and going forward), as well as fewer caterories overall (reduced from 109 to 78), due to a restructuring of the award categories.

Congratulations to our choral colleagues and best of luck to them in coming voting process that culminates with the awards ceremonies on 12 February, 2012.