Kaleidoscope: America's Faith in Song CD

Track 1 - Amazing Grace

Track 2 - I Will Arise

Track 3 - Foundation

Track 4 - The Eyes of All Wait Upon Thee

Track 5 - The Morning Star

Track 6 - The Twenty-Third Psalm

Track 7 - Holy Manna

Track 8 - Let Us Break Bread Together

Track 9 - Ching-a-Ring Chaw

Track 10 - The Boatmen's Dance

Track 11 - Zion's Wall

Track 12 - What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Track 13 - Psalm 136

Track 14 - Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal

Track 15 - Come, Holy Ghost

Track 16 - At the River

Track 17 - The Best of Rooms

Track 18 - Simple Gifts

Track 19 - E'en So, Lord Jesus

"Annotations and texts are integrated into a single, listener-friendly sequence, an approach that I wish was much more widely adopted in the industry. And the graphic design of the booklet is appealingly lavish without becoming tacky. Still more attractive, to my taste, is the program's alternation of explicitly composed works with others of folk origin, which works rather more persuasively than you might imagine. If you think you've long since overdosed on Amazing Grace, you need to re-open the subject until you've heard the enchanting new choir-and-solo-strings arrangement that opens this program. And the rest of it, too, is warmly recommended."

"If you think you've been overdosed on Amazing grace, you need to re-open the subject until you've heard the enchanting new choir-and-solo strings arrangement that opens this program."

— Fanfare

"Fans of American sacred choral music, particularly early-American hymns and 20th-century church anthems, will find much to enjoy on this diverse and very well sung program...Several of the early American pieces are Alice Parker arrangements (I Will Arise, Foundation, Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal), and others are newer versions of favorite hymns Amazing Grace, What a Friend We Have in Jesus the former a richly scored rendition of this classic that includes cello and violin accompaniment, the latter a very modern realization of the old standard for solo organ. Also include are such beloved repertoire staples as Jean Berger's The Eyes of All Wait Upon Thee, Randall Thompson's The Best of Rooms, and Paul Manz's E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come.

In other words, for many listeners, this will be like a visit to an old, familiar place of spiritual nurturing, of communal worship, or of just plain memorable choral singing. And Gloriae Dei Cantores is one of America's best advocates for this repertoire; for these singers, music like this is not performing material but rather is part of life's essence, and their commitment comes across in the exuberance and consistent, sensitive expressive character of the singing. ...There's a nice feel to this disc, a sensibility that conveys the intended spiritual qualities embodied in most of the musical works, and as such, it's a success -- and as mentioned, worthy of serious consideration by lovers of American hymns and sacred anthems."