Jake Runestad is one of America’s leading composers of the younger generation; witness his many commissions from prestigious ensembles and artist institutions worldwide. This, the...

Jake Runestad is one of America’s leading composers of the younger generation; witness his many commissions from prestigious ensembles and artist institutions worldwide. This, the first Delos album devoted to his music, presents many of his finest choral compositions. Listeners will marvel at the rich, luminous textures, lyricism and harmonic wizardry of his compositions as he explores (among others) themes of love, spirituality and the natural world in mesmerizing settings of verses by poets ranging from medieval mystics to more contemporary masters. And what better ensemble to perform these rarefied pieces than Craig Hella Johnson’s Grammy winning Conspirare chamber choir, a select professional ensemble that has captivated choral fans worldwide for nearly three decades now. Among American choirs, it has achieved near-legendary status for its consistently supreme technical mastery, collective musicality, interpretive depth and other-worldly sonic lushness.

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REVIEW:

The centerpiece here is Runestad’s choral cycle The Hope of Living (2015), which engages the choir and a string quartet in poetry explaining the mysteries of love. From the hushed and haunting ‘Yield to Love’ (Rabia), to the galloping energy of the ‘Wild Forces’ St Francis says lurk in us, to what sounds like Rutter and Webber in ‘My Soul is a Candle’ (St John of the Cross), this is a choral cycle to be reckoned with. A favorite selection outside that set is ‘Caged Bird’ (Paul Laurence Dunbar), which alternates the sadness of freedom deprived with the restless rhythms of people seeking to gain it. I also admire the tone painting that animates poet Todd Bass’s Waves as they toss, cross, crash and thrash their way through the opening selection of the program. Conspirare—no surprise here—supports the composer every step of the way; collectively and in the solos performed handsomely by soloists culled from its ranks.

– American Record Guide