Craig Phillips, a leading composer of new American Anglican choral music, is presented here in his first album as a conductor. The program of music for All Saints' includes the iconic hymns "For All the Saints" and "Amazing Grace," contemporary motets by Tavener, Pärt and four premiere recordings of Phillips' new compositions. Craig Phillips is a distinguished and popular American composer and organist and Director of Music at All Saints’ Church, Beverly Hills. His choral and organ music is heard Sunday by Sunday in churches and cathedrals across the United States, and many of his works have been performed in concert throughout North America, Europe and Asia. He was named the American Guild of Organists Distinguished Composer for 2012 — the seventeenth recipient of this special award. Dr. Phillips joins an illustrious list that includes past honorees Virgil Thomson, Ned Rorem, Daniel Pinkham, Stephen Paulus, David Hurd and others. In 2015 Dr. Phillips was named an honorary canon of the Cathedral Center of St. Paul, Diocese of Los Angeles, at a gala event at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and in 2016 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate from Virginia Theological Seminary.

Includes work(s) for organ by various composers. Soloist: Frederick Lewis Swann.

Includes work(s) by various composers. Ensemble: National Cathedral Choral Society Washington, D.C.. Conductor: J. Reilly Lewis.

If you remember a time when truth, in all areas of life, was a virtue, when personal responsibility was the rule, when everyone, young and old, knew the old hymns and songs of faith and communal fellowship, then you will appreciate the sentiments expressed by many of the pieces on this fine disc, one of the last CDs from the Dale Warland Singers before the group's "retirement" in May, 2004. Although the program certainly is appropriate as a tribute to the revered place of home and family in the traditional North American celebration of Thanksgiving, it also stands as a well-chosen compilation of some of the more beloved old American hymns--especially Shaker tunes--and spirituals, spiced with a few folk songs such as Emma Lou Diemer's spiffy arrangement of She'll be comin' round the mountain and Carol Barnett's equally lively version of Cindy.

The arrangements, by some of the finest in the business, are excellent, and that is one reason choral fans will enjoy this disc. The other reason is the typically outstanding ensemble singing--highlighted by lovely legatos and unisons (listen to the opening bars of Kevin Siegfried's Peace)--and by consistently sensitive sectional and group balances. From the opening Beautiful River, by Rev. Robert Lowry, to William Hawley's touching setting of the Shaker hymn Not one sparrow is forgotten, to Siegfried's Lay me low (another Shaker tune), this is as satisfying and uplifting a choral program as you're likely to hear in this repertoire. Stephen Paulus is well represented (his The Old Church is especially affecting), as are Carol Barnett and Warland himself, whose setting of Simple Gifts is the embodiment of simplicity and beauty. The sound perfectly complements this superb choir. Warmly recommended. [11/8/2005]

– David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Also available - Christmas With The Dale Warland Singers
"Dale Warland's group stands on more than 30 years of first-rate performances and acclaimed recordings, and this is a fine representative of its sound and singing style, and of its well-loved Christmas repertoire. This is a solidly performed, well-recorded program of the old and new that will fit nicely into any Christmas music collector's library.” – David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Classical Music

"This charming recording combines traditional plainchant elements with a setting of the Mass to French carol tunes, arranged in Baroque polyphony by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, a prolific and intriguing composer of church music...All is well and tastefully done by the Virgin Consort, directed by Kyler Brown."

-- Sarah Bryan Miller, New York Times [101996]

July 17, 2019, marks the date Christ Cathedral (formerly the Crystal Cathedral) is dedicated to be the liturgical and artistic center for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. The music for that service is presented here, which includes many original works commissioned for the occasion. Dr. John A. Romeri is the Director of Music and Organist for Christ Cathedral, Los Angeles. He is the conductor of the newly-formed Cathedral Choir, Vietnamese Cathedral Choir, Diocesan Children’s Choir, and the Diocesan Adult Choir. Dr. Romeri earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance, Magna cum Laude, from the Conservatory of Music, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, and a Master of Sacred Music degree from Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey. Juilliard-trained organist David L. Ball serves as organist and assistant director of music at Christ Cathedral. David completed both the Bachelor and Master of Music at The Juilliard School in New York City, studying under Mr. Paul Jacobs. He was recently named one of The Diapason’s 20 under 30.

A New England Requiem joins traditional Latin mass text and poems by Dickinson, Hawthorne, Longfellow, and Sigourney. Additional works by Perkins set familiar sacred texts in a cappella and orchestral arrangements. Composer and Connecticut native Scott Perkins enjoys a multifaceted career as composer, scholar and professor. He received his PhD in composition from the Eastman School of Music, he is currently Assistant Professor of Music at California State University, Sacramento. “Perfectly Orchestrated… Haunting… A remarkable and welcome musical surprise.” (Washington Times)

The iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall organ's rich textures, dramatic tempi, and colorful registrations are fully engaged by organist Daryl Robinson performing new music by George Baker, David Briggs, Aaron David Miller and Jason Roberts plus composers of historic stature including Dupré, Sowerby, and Demiessieux. Daryl Robinson has earned critical acclaim as a solo and collaborative artist, described by London-based Choir and Organ Magazine as a performer with “…a driving muscular poetry underpinned by nimble technique and nuanced sense of style…” Winner of both First Prize and Audience Prize in the 2012 American Guild of Organists National Competition in Organ Performance, Mr. Robinson maintains an active career as a teacher, collaborative artist, church musician, and recitalist under the auspices of Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc.