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My cousin Don has a new collection on display at Goshen College in
Indiana called Pop-Mennonite. It's an attempt to explore the tug
and pull between the separate Mennonite culture (that both he and I
grew up in) and the pop culture that surrounds all of us. In it
he explores themes of modernity's affect upon the Mennonites, whether
they are better off for it, etc. I'm going down to see the
exhibit with Kristin this weekend, so I'll have more to say about it in
other posts.
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online gallery
On
Harvest Home, the Dale Warland Singers delve into the rich
legacy of mostly American sacred and folk music. With the lush vocal
orchestrations and thoughtful arrangements, many of these familiar
songs take on new life and emotional depth.
As a boy, I grew up in the Mennonite church tradition and one of the
distinctive things about our church services was the a cappella 4-part
harmony. As I got older, I thought this was a bit odd and wished we
used instruments in church like most people. In looking back now, I am
thankful for that tradition and what it taught me about music and
harmony. Throughout high school I was involved with choral groups,
doing several programs each year. The first year after high school I
spent a few months at a religious school that had a long-standing
tradition of chorale music. I well remember the hours of rehearsal to
get the song just right, practicing enunciation and dynamics and
expression.
So when I hear a group like the Dale Warland Singers, I have a small
insight into the dedication it takes to do choral music at the level of
this recording. These are singers and a director at the top of their
game, with attention to detail everywhere, creativity in the
arrangements and technical brilliance. And what a vocal range, with
"how low can they go" bass and sopranos that my normal laptop
headphones have trouble reproducing without distortion.
I've long been a fan of spirituals; they are at times moving to hear,
at times playful and fun (and can be even more fun to sing). This album
features a couple of my favorites: "Shall We Gather At The River" and
"Deep River". Upon first hearing this rendition of the latter, I was
nearly moved to tears by the stark beauty and emotional depth of this
arrangement. It's a prime example of the power of music to take us
places emotionally and connect us with the deeper feelings and longings
of the soul.
In addition to several spirituals, there is a unique variety of other
religious pieces pulled from the traditions of Quakers and Baptists
among others. The album also mines some rich treasures from the Shaker
tradition, including the comforting "Not One Sparrow Is Forgotten" and
the poignant tenderness of "Lay Me Low', with the simple text of
Lay me low where the Lord can find me, where the Lord can own me, where the Lord can bless me
Not
everything leans towards the serious or sacred though. A fun,
light-hearted arrangement of "She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain"
(arr. by Emma Lou Diemer) features bouncing bass lines and lots of
syncopation and sibilance to keep things interesting. And the
traditional Dixie folk song "Cindy" tells the story of a heartsick man
with tongue-in-cheek lyrics that playfully bounce from part to part.
The liner notes are exceptional, with lots of helpful historic and
musical notes on the various selections. This is one of the final
albums from The Dale Warland Singers after 31 years. The group
disbanded in May 2004 so that the founder Dale Warland could focus more
on teaching, consulting and guest conducting. He certainly has left his
mark on the choral landscape and this recording is no exception. Highly
recommended if you appreciate choral music, especially traditional folk
and sacred selections.
Originally posted at
BlogCritics