Mixed Groups - Referendum A Cappella (CD)

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Listen to samples or view excerpts for this product.

Autumn Leaves

Buenos Aires Hora Cero

My Romance

Runaround Stu

Spirituals Medley

Referendum A Cappella (CD)

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Recorded live at Windham Hill Church of Christ (Music on the Hill Summer Concert Series) on July 17, 2004 and at Corthell Concert Hall, University of Southern Maine on August 1, 2004.

This mixed quintet from Southern Maine has put together a fine debut CD, featuring repertoire that is intelligent, empowering and very enjoyable to listen to. Opening with a strong spiritual medley that features many of the members as soloists, they swing right into a complicated Puerling arrangement of "My Romance" that is just delightful. "Runaround Stu" isn't a typo - the members of the group are openly gay, so it works just fine here. "Buenos Aires Hora Cero" feautures some sweet parallel harmonies, in a Swingle-like treatment of a contemporary jazz piece. There are quite a few really nicely done jazz numbers here, which makes the group hard to categorize - are they a jazz ensemble? A pop group (see the 50s song above and their take on "Seasons of Love" from Rent)? A world music group (see their "African Medley"), or a contemporary classical group (Elliot Levine's "i Thank You God" rounds out the CD)? Like the members, there are no labels applicable here - just fine ensemble singing work and great songs with a message to enjoy. (39:03 2005)

Song List:
Spirituals Medley (arr. Tillery/Hairston/Referendum)
- Way Over in Beulahland
- Wade in the Water
- Run Mary Run
- Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Ready
My Romance (Rogers/Hart, arr. Gene Puerling)
Runaround Stu (arr. SUNY Binghamton Tonics)
Buenos Aires Hora Cero (Piazzolla, arr. Nestor Zodoff)
Autumn Leaves (Mercer/Parsons/Kosma, arr. Andrew Carter)
God Only Knows (Wilson/Love, arr. Tom Berquist)
They Are Falling All Around Me (Reagon, arr. Michael Callen)
African Medley (Learned from the teaching of Kate Howard, Northern Harmony)
- Garai Pano - Zimbabwe Spiritual
- Unodisbom - trad. Xhosa, South Africa
- Thina Sayifun' Inkululeko - trad. Zulu from Soweto, SA
All My Trials (Bahamian Spiritual, arr. Norman Luboff)
Seasons of Love (Larson, arr. Yumiko Matsuoka)
Take Me to the River (Green/Hodges, arr. Linda Tillery)
i Thank You God (Levine/cummings)

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