Grundstrom / Ochsner / Winstin - Brian Wilbur Grundstrom: An Orchestral Journey - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Arrangements of five Shaker songs by Kevin Siegfried provide the structure for this album of 20th and 21st century choral works. The texts for this program explore themes of peace, a parent's love, and awe in God's creation, concluding with two motets for Advent and Christmas. This extraordinary choir is directed by Deanna Joseph and recorded in the warm acoustics of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Atlanta. The internationally award-winning Georgia State University Singers is the School of Music's premier vocal ensemble. In May of 2017, the University Singers won first place in the renowned Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition. Inch... The choir sings with great musicality, excellent intonation, clear diction, and a healthy and beautiful pallet of tone colors... Inch (The Choral Scholar)

Despite the frequent crescendos to the sonic peaks of each composition, Renmen Laments is an exploration into the valleys of the soul. For most, creating art in the realm of somber moods poses challenges. For the Renaissance Men, the melancholic nature of their musical exploration is not only achieved individually but shared amongst the talents of the vocalists. The Renaissance Men approach these compositions with conviction. Darius Milhaud's Psaume 121 is no less expressive without the brass fanfare that listeners are used to. Between the powerful bass and towering high tenor, the Renaissance Men breathe life into the song, evoking emotions that only the human voice can bring to a listener. The Renaissance Men pay homage to compositions including Pablo Casal's O Vos Omnes; Patricia Van Ness' Psalm 3; and The Lamentations of Jeremiah by Thomas Tallis; among others. The ensemble approaches these compositions with the finesse employed by their composers. Compositions written by instrumental performers are translated by the choir, reimagining the intricacies of the string instruments with the rich power of the human vocals. But power also comes in the words expressed through composition. The religious text communicated by the choir tells tales of sorrow and faith, and of lessons found in the Old Testament. There is a holy aura reminiscent in the Renaissance Men's music, and the result is an album that is magnetic in the enlightened lament.

Tobias Broström was born in 1978 in Helsingborg, Sweden. Following four years of percussion studies at the Malmö Academy of Music, he embarked on the pursuit of a Master's degree in composition, studying with the Swedish composer Rolf Martinsson and the Italian composer Luca Francesconi. Broström has composed chamber opera and various chamber music, but during the last years he has mainly focused on orchestral writing. Between 2006 - 2009 Tobias was Composer-in-Residence with the Gävle Symphony Orchestra under principal conductor Robin Ticciati, resulting in two new orchestral works each year. During season 2011 - 2012 Tobias was featured composer with Helsingborg SO as well as with Västerås Sinfonietta. The present features a selection of Broström's orchestral pieces, performed by the Malmo Symphony Orchestra.