We Have Seen His Star...--The Mennonite Hour A Cappella Choral Groups

Right after I had ripped and labeled this, I realized that, though I'd checked Ernie's blog, I hadn't checked Buster's.  Luckily, this is not a dupe of either's work.  (Sigh of relief.)

Even if I didn't know from Ernie and Buster's posts that the Mennonite Hour was a radio program, I'd have guessed--it sounds like one.  Also, on the enclosed sheet music of Charles H. Gabriel's marvelous The Star and the Wise Men, it say "Mennonite Broadcasts, Inc."  Big clue, there.

Mennonite Hour Records operated out of Harrisonburg, VA.  And I'll go with my initial impression of this album--namely, that it's mostly magnificent.  I was highly, highly impressed.  First impressions don't always endure, but I heard some tremendous singing going on, and I was delighted to hear choral arrangements of black spirituals that were not only bearable but mostly terrific.  (I love black spirituals, but choral renditions of them typically stink.)  The singers deliver the spirituals with feeling, and--best of all--without the usual fake enthusiasm and stilted syncopation.  I'm tired of Go Tell It on the Mountain renditions that sound like they're coming over a telegraph.  No such problem here.

Charles Gabriel is my favorite gospel songwriter--a genius who did everything with nearly nothing.  His famous Send the Light, for instance, uses two entire chords--I and V.  For me, he defines musical minimalism at its best.  Even Erik Satie comes in second.  The Gabriel selection on this disc makes my point, I think.  Or breaks it.  Depends on the listener.

Not counting the Gabriel, Side 1 is all standard Christmas hymns and carols, done with a refreshing freshness, if I'm allowed to type that.  Good Christian Men, Rejoice is perfect--the Men's Quartet just gallops through, giving the classic carol the fast tempo it demands, and with perfect timing and diction, and did I mention I love this LP?

I love this LP, by the way.

A gift from Indiana from Diane, and a thousands thanks to her.  I think this is my favorite post of this season--of the "new" material, anyway.  The sheet music for the Gabriel is enclosed, and I'd rush off a recording of it on my Casio, but I haven't loaded my multi-tracking software onto this PC yet, and there's an alto obligato that requires an extra finger.  So much for that.

Please see jacket and label scans for track info.  These old hands are getting typed out....



DOWNLOAD: We Have Seen His Star--The Mennonite Hour A Cappella Choral Groups (Mennonite Hour 12)






Lee