The Gothic Series

 

Gothic goes into the back catalogues.

I am an unequivocal lover of the Dale Warland Singers. They were a powerhouse chorus set in the upper-Midwest of the United States, one which hasn't been replaced since their retirement.

They were a larger ensemble which allowed them greater versatility in choosing literature. Despite their size, Warland was able to elicit the most lovely of choral sounds from the singers, and I find each of their ventures treasurable.

Speaking of literature, Warland was a fast proponent of US composers. Not only did he acknowledge contemporary, living composers, Warland championed those little known from the past as well.

That is what makes Gothic Records so valuable. They went back into the vaults and found recordings from the group, unearthing a wealth of little-known US choral works, both large-scale and small.

Despite the welcoming winter landscape on this cover, Warland is never afraid to program music which might be tougher for the average listener, and we get that from some of Daniel Pinkham's works.

The Christmas Cantata is a masterpiece, and some of Pinkham's smaller pieces here are quite charming. Surprisingly, the children-friendly Company at the Creche is crunchier sounding than the rest. Of course, Britten's A Ceremony of Carols is belovèd the world wide.

A review from 2020

Hodie!, featuring Christmas-themed choral works by Benjamin Britten and the neglected American composer Daniel Pinkham, is here led by Dale Warland and his excellent upper midwestern-based Dale Warland Singers (DWS). Taken from two unused live performances before their retirement, this recording includes a 2000’s, turn-of-the-century Ceremony of Carols performance and an early 80’s public radio airing of Daniel Pinkham’s athletic Christmas Cantata, the rare Company at the Creche, alongside some of his shorter choral Christmas works.

Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols is no stranger to recordings. DWS sings the mixed choir version, an edition quite different from its 3-part treble choir original. Its expansion into 6-9 parts in some of the sections are gorgeous, yet in places it still retains the simplicity of Britten’s unison and two-part textures. Dale Warland pays due attention to Britten’s wide-ranging, extreme dynamics and rhythms glossed over by other choirs, although their American adult-choir outlook sets this performance apart from the multitude of European performances, including its rather hefty number of 40 singers. This does allow DWS a more symphonic approach, but also a flexibility of varied textures, and never do they sound needlessly weighty. A delightful, if unexpected new version to the catalog.

The 9-minute Christmas Cantata is the headliner from Pinkham, and it is a rare moment in this album for full-throated joyous outbursts. The addition of brass and organ secure it as a modern blockbuster alongside his popular Advent and Wedding cantatas. I am less enthusiastic over the 9-minute Company at the Creche and similarly-timed Magnificat setting. The musical language of the latter has off-putting Stravinsky-ian crunchiness reminiscent of his Mass, and is not recommended for casual listening. Company at the Creche for treble choir, despite its unique zoological outlook on the Christian birth and jovial harp and handbell accompaniment, leaves me a bit bewildered musically as well.

The three single choral works Evergreen, Christmas Eve, and The Kings and the Shepherds continue to show Pinkham’s mid-century modern musical tendencies, but there is a medieval, chant-like beauty to these works whose modern tinges highlight rather than take away from the atmosphere. Evergreen in particular, with its delicious ostinato, pipe organ accompaniment, and chant-like men’s chorus, is something special. I can’t imagine any of Pinkham’s music playing in the background at Christmas dinner, but I am glad to have heard it since this music is so rarely recorded, and I don’t mind being challenged occasionally, yet I don’t know how much I will revisit some of this music.

Robert Shaw has the hold on the historical aspect of choral traditions in America, whilst Margaret Hillis covers the symphonic literature in Chicago with unparalleled success. Dale Warland is a diamond in the rough comparatively, hidden deep within the heartland of America, and the Dale Warland Singers traverse such a wide variety of choral literature, with a notable emphasis on 20th Century America aside historical nods. Their Frank Martin Mass from the Cathedral Classics album is near reference, and they have a wonderfully ruddy, beautiful tone without the thin transparency that modern European choirs prefer.

Still, I am going to only lightly recommended this album. The sound is good, if not a touch too reverberant in their various Minnesota religious locations, but the live atmosphere is only given away at the opening of the Britten and quickly forgotten. DWS is top-notch with precision, energy, and beauty a-plenty and the guest instrumental features are expertly played. Yet, I need another Ceremony of Carols like I need another hole in my head, although I do like this rarer mixed choir version, and Pinkham’s brand of music-making is a bit off-putting, even if I really enjoyed the shorter works. For me, though, it is worth it since the Christmas Cantata finally receives a long-awaited, solidly professional performance on record.

Overall, this Christmas choral recording gets mixed feelings from me despite the many positives. For the adventurous, please explore Daniel Pinkham’s wonderfully inventive choral music here, but a caution to those looking for a soothing, background, Christmas choral album. Otherwise, this is another enjoyable outing from Dale Warland and his Singers who are heartfeltly missed in the current American choral world.

Listen on YouTube

 

Works
Britten: A Ceremony of Carols (22.39)
Pinkham: Company at the Creche (9.03)
Christmas Cantata (8.57)
Magnificat (8.37)
Kings & Shepherds (2.24)
Christmas Eve (1.52)
Evergreen (3.40

Performers
Dale Warland Singers
Dale Warland, conductor

Label: Gothic
Year: 1981-2000 / 2019
Total Timing: 57.19

 

 

Some classic masterpieces are mixed in with the unknown, all centered around the Yuletide.

Not everything here is easy, but that doesn't necessarily mean they aren't worthwhile.

A great album to explore, and a wonderful tribute to a great chorus.

 

 

 

 

Listen to more Pinkham recordings HERE!