BARBER

Samuel Barber's collected choral works


$18 + $3 shipping and handling


The Esoterics presents its newest compact disc release, BARBER. This recording was made in conjunction with The Esoterics’ centennial concert of the same name, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the American composer Samuel Barber. This is the first recording by an American choral ensemble to feature all of Barber’s works for a cappella chorus. Barber is one of the most important figures in American composition, having twice won the Pulitzer Prize. Purchase your copy of this historic recording by one of the country’s premiere vocal ensembles for contemporary choral music!

This recording, made in the lush acoustics of Seattle’s Holy Rosary Catholic Church, is the first recording to bring together God’s grandeur and Motetto on words from the book of Job, which Barber had intended to be performed as a single cycle. Also included in this recording are three choral works that are normally performed with instruments (Easter chorale, A stopwatch and an ordnance map, and Sure on this shining night). For these three pieces, the ensemble sings the instrumental parts (for brass, timpani and piano) as well as the choral parts. This recording, directed by The Esoterics’ Founding Director Eric Banks, is an excellent interpretation of Barber’s neo-romantic style and was engineered using binaural recording technology.

Track listing

Mottetto (1930/1938)Samuel Barber
1There the wicked cease
2Call now!
3God's grandeur
4Praise Him!
5Twelfth night (1968)Samuel Barber
6Easter Chorale (1964)Samuel Barber
7Heaven-haven (1937/1961)Samuel Barber
8Let down the bars, O death (1936)Samuel Barber
9The virgin martyrs (1935)Samuel Barber
10A stopwatch and an ordnance map (1940)Samuel Barber
11To be sung on the water (1968)Samuel Barber
Reincarnations (1937/1940)Samuel Barber
12Mary Hines
13Anthony O Daly
14The coolin
15Agnus Dei [choral setting of Adagio for strings] (1938/1967)Samuel Barber
16Sure on this shining night (1938/1941)Samuel Barber
17Happy Birthday, Sam Barber (1969)Samuel Barber