Composer: Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Charles Ives, Randall Thompson, Eric Whitacre, Robin White
Performer: Barbara Naylor, Peter Jaekel, Alban Voices
Conductor: Robin White
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Divine Art
Catalogue: DDX21106
Release: 2023
Size: 768 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Thompson: Alleluia
02. Barber: Agnus Dei
03. Whitacre: Lux aurumque
04. Copland: Simple Gifts
05. Copland: In the Beginning
06. Barber: Sure on this shining night, Op. 13 No. 3
07. Ives: Psalm 67
08. Gershwin: Summertime (from Porgy and Bess)
09. White: Shenandoah
10. Copland: I Bought me a Cat
A fantastic collection of American choral classics ranging from Thompson’s sublime Alleluia to the terrific choral arrangement of Gershwin’s Summertime from Porgy & Bess. U.K. based conductor Robin White has put together this British interpretation of American Classics stemming from his own, excellent arrangement of the traditional Shenandoah. White’s arrangement balances the programme nicely along with Copeland’s I bought me a cat. This is a surprising and entertaining collection. Alban Voices is a chamber-choir formed over 20 years ago by Robin White and his late wife, Freda, originally as a choir for St. Albans Abbey. Current members sing regularly in London’s top symphonic choirs. Among other appearances, it featured most notably in a pivotal episode of the BBC TV soap opera EastEnders in December 2003. More recently, the group’s recording of Robin’s original Christmas song, Light of the World, accompanied by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, has been well received, and was played on Scala Radio and Classic FM in the run-up to Christmas 2022. Robin White trained at Imperial College, London and the Royal College of Music, studying conducting with Vernon Handley and orchestration with Bryan Kelly. He has conducted open-air, pop-classics concerts at National Trust and other venues across the south-west of England and the midlands. He has also worked with leading soloists such as John Lill, Christopher Warren- Green, Alexander Baillie and Emma Johnson. His 1992 recording of Edwardian light music for Chandos Records was played extensively on Classic FM. As an arranger, his work has been recorded and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 and Classic FM, and played live in Melbourne by the Australian Pops Orchestra.