A Survey of Modern Americana

 

From a great Midwest-based ensemble, The Dale Warland Singers.

Those who know my tastes in choral sounds will know my love of this vocal group.

With a survey of music such as this, however, it comes down to the music. Having the Warland on hand makes it a little easier, knowing the choral attention will be of the highest quality.

At the time, I was looking for a recording of Irving Fine's choral cycle The Hour-Glass, of which there are a few. This recording was notable for its inclusion of Barber's wonderful choral triptych Reincarnations, as well as Ives' curious Psalm 90. Ross Lee Finney is apparently a known quantity in mid-century Americana, and the title Spherical Madrigals sounded interesting, so ehearing his music seemed an excellent avenue ripe for exploration.

The big treat, though, turned out to be Jacob Avshalomov's Tom O'Bedlam, the most contemporary piece performed here, although it remains another oddity on the program. All in all, Oozy Keep explorers should have much to mine from the program, even if some of the music itself is uneven in my reactions.

A review from 2021

Reincarnations most famously features, what I consider to be, two choral masterpieces from Samuel Barber and Charles Ives: the titular Reincarnations from Barber and Psalm 90 from Ives. More interestingly, though, we get some rare mid-century American works: Irving Fine’s most famous choral work The Hour-Glass, Jacob Avshalomov’s Tom O’Bedlam, and Ross Lee Finney’s Spherical Madrigals.

Each work is anywhere between 10-15 minutes, often in multiple parts, and all quite easy on the ears. They may not always be terribly melodic, but none of these mid-20th century works are off putting, and in some cases, I was truly captivated. Of course you have to hear Barber’s beautifully inspired triptych Reincarnations. Anthony O’Daly erupts almost angrily over its insistent pedal tone, and The Coolin is its opposite, a beautifully rocking love ode for the ages.

The biggest find here is Irving Fine’s The Hour-Glass. The opening movement is quite an experience, with the big stack of quartals at its opening quite impressive. I am less moved by Spherical Madrigals, despite the fun title from Finney and a cinematic conclusion, but it is slightly faceless among such strong works. Tom O’Bedlam, a portrait of a beggar released from the infamous Bedlam asylum, is perhaps the most characterful, aided by oboe and jangly percussion to punctuate his story.

Ives’ Psalm 90 is the harshest music on the program, featuring his less-than-easy bitonality, and an odd organ accompaniment with randomly tolling bells, conjuring up the underground society praising the bomb in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. The finale ends most appealingly though, very lush and peaceful, yet it is Ives’ experimentation with clusters and the like that is so memorable.

At the helm of this American music is Dale Warland and the Dale Warland Singers (DWS). Long champions of American composers, the DWS were a larger chamber choir from the US Midwest, with a smooth, cohesive sound that could be as delicate as it could be powerful. Suffice to say, whatever product they are putting out, DWS are always beyond reproach in their technique and abilities.

Dale Warland is a fine programmer, and this music is not all endlessly floaty, slow-tempo-ed selections, as choral programs can be. This is one of the aspects I treasure from the DWS, their ability to sound beautiful, but not as a sacrifice to taut rhythms and purposeful music-making. Let us hope that Gothic Records will keep releasing their unissued recordings.

Really an excellent album. Not each of the rarer American works are my favorites, but there is a nice variety and it is all excellently performed.

Listen on YouTube

Performers
Dale Warland Singers
Dale Warland, conductor

Label: Gothic
Year: 2004
Total Timing: 58.07

Oozy Keep choral explorers will want to keep this recording on their radar.

The Dale Warland singers are excellent here, as always, even if the literature is not always to my tastes.

Find more Barber recordings HERE!