When
Where
Meira’s choral work We Are Dreamers, will be available on June 8 as part of a new Ansonica CD titled Coro del Mundo. The piece was recorded in Havana, Cuba last November. She says abut the recording, “”I was thrilled to return to Havana and collaborate again with the wonderful chorus, Schola Cantorum Coralina, and their marvelous conductor Alina Orraca. The previous January (2017), Alina and her singers had recorded Akhat Sha’alti–One Thing I Request and Oseh Shalom–Maker of Peace, both a cappella, for the Chevere album, released in June, 2017. This time, we recorded We Are Dreamers, for the chorus along with an instrumental ensemble of piano, vibraphone, dumbek, sleigh bells, and clarinet. I am so impressed with the musicianship of everyone involved with making this CD.
We Are Dreamers, commissioned by a consortium of choral directors including Joshua Jacobson and Elayne Robinson Grossman, is an adaptation of Psalm 126, Shir Hamalot (A Song of Ascents). In ancient times, Psalm 126 was sung as Jews walked into Jerusalem for festival holidays. Schola Cantorum Coralina takes this ancient psalm and, with Meira’s expansive, dreamlike arrangement, creates a wonderous, at times trance-like atmosphere. The collection also includes works by L Peter Deutsch, Conrado Monier, Adalberto Álvarez, Guido López Gavilán, José Antonio Méndez, Electo Rosell, Rafael Hernández, Cynthia Folio, J. A. Kawarsky and Michael Murray.
Ordering information can be found by clicking on the Coro del Mundo image above. See a preview video about the CD below.
Cinemusical’s review of the CD said this, “A couple years ago when the door to Cuba was reopened, Parma partnered with a number of composers and ensembles to celebrate this hopeful shift in the island’s future. Coro Del Mundo is a collection of choral works that explores a combination of religious and cultural themes in pieces that explore both sacred and secular texts…Blending clarinet with vibraphone and other percussion, Meira Warshauer’s stunning We Are Dreamers provides a lyrical meditative work that offers dense Lauridsen-like choral writing and a theme that brings us full circle to the more declamatory opening.The first half of the CD settles in nicely to Cuban-inspired musical forms and rhythms in an exciting opening program. The seriousness of the final works is still mostly accessible tonally with the final piece being the most dramatic and extensive work on the program. Overall this is an interesting collection of choral pieces worth exploring and considering for college choirs especially.’ Read the complete review at http://maestrosteve.xanga.com.