Saint Louis Firsts

The fifth release on the British label Regent Records, Saint Louis Firsts features a collection of works written specially for the Chamber Chorus; they receive their first commercial recording here.

Several of the selections are scored for double choir, a particular hallmark of this sizable chamber choir. These commissions reflect the love of friends and family, and feature composers from four continents, from North America and Europe to Africa and Australasia. Characteristically for the Chamber Chorus, works by women composers are well represented in this anthology, while the texts range from an ancient Roman poet to a contemporary Haitian librettist.

Release date: 2016

Buy Now

Tracks

1. Psalm 23 — Trevor Jones

2. Slow Gold — Clare Maclean

3. Before the Ice — Bob Chilcott

4. Good Day, Sir Christëmas — Francis Pott

5. An Evening Song — Howard Helvey

6. Ode to Love — Sasha Johnson Manning

7. Solomon and Love — Judith Bingham

8. A Contemplation upon Flowers — Richard Rodney Bennett

9. Iam Ver Egelidos — Ugis Praulins

10. Aquileia — Judith Bingham

11. Le Dernier Voyage — Sydney Guillaume

All tracks are World premiere recordings

CD Reviews

Classical Music Sentinel (May 2020)

This is the seventh recording by Regent Records featuring the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus, a choir that is one of the largest commissioners of new choral music in the world. This latest recording brings together eleven new commissions, covering a wide range of composers and styles. In my opinion, the two selections by the Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds alone are worth the price of admission. A choral composer whose style is fresh and up to date, and yet seems to span centuries of tradition. For example, his version of In the bleak midwinter is just as beautiful and harmonically rich as the original version by Gustav Holst. And his On friendship is a highly touching tribute to a former member of the choir. In fact all of the songs on this CD make for fine additions to the choral music catalogue, and all showcase this choir's rich blend, dynamic range and ability to innovate, all captured in a realistically ambient audio recording. –Jean-Yves Duperron

Choir & Organ (June 2016)

The Saint Louis Chamber Chorus is a group of beautifully blended, very talented singers who perform under the inspired direction of Philip Barnes. Of the eleven works here, ten are SLCC commissions. Inventive and diverse, these pieces require technical ability and sensitive musicianship, and this group never falters.

Organists' Review (September 2016)

‘This disc is a musical exploration, beautifully sung, inviting the listener to share the enthusiasm of the singers and the inspiration of the composers. Here are beauty and variety, both well worth pursuing.

Organists’ Review, September 2016

Crossrhythms (March 2016)

…the singing throughout the 75 minutes of this disc is outstanding.

Choral Journal (November 2018)

… Barnes has led this choir in the performance of more than 1250 works performed in the original language and to the highest musical standards.

… Trevor Jones’s “Psalm 23” was written for a television miniseries … the gripping music served as the accompaniment for a scene depicting martyrs marching to their death on a funeral pyre.

… in Bob Chilcott’s passionate “Before The Ice” … the Chorus performs with uninhibited passion and clarity.

… Sasha Johnson Manning’s “Ode to Love” is a stunning work performed exquisitely by the chorus. … The crowing compositions on this recording are Judith Bingham’s “Solomon and Love” and “Aquileia.” The Solomon cantata, beginning with a strident men’s chorus, is compelling and violent, while the second movement contrasts with a haunting and seductive sense of temptation, enticing the main character. The third movement addresses the death of King Solomon, and it is during this movement that Bingham’s writing for voices is extraordinarily and masterfully displayed. The tension expressed in this work is nearly palpable. “Aquileia” is equally as compelling. Bingham relishes the text with a mesmerizing quality and builds tension in her writing that is unparalleled. This is present-day composing at its best. The stunning “Le Dernier Voyage” by Sydney Guillaume was commissioned in 2012: this is a work definitely worth consideration for performance.

All selections are performed with utmost delicacy and verve.