Downtown Voices Stephen Sands, conductor An October Garden Julian Wachner, composer and pianist

Voices of Aloha choir perform an ebulient rendition of "It's a Grand Night for Singing" at their 2017 Spring Concert under the direction of Mark Yasuhara.

Artistic Director and Conductor of The Australian Voices Gordon Hamilton explaining his ideas about "Social Music"

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the choir]   A few years ago I was asked by BBC Radio Suffolk to create a choir from scratch to perform in a concert in aid of children in Need: The Big Night Out...

    The Major Minors children’s choir in New Zealand, is celebrating 5 years of singing this month. The choir that started out as a 3 month project with no name  in 2012 is in final preparations for a special anniversary concert i...

Arvo Pärt: Nunc dimittis Luke 2:29-32 Downtown Voices - http://DowntownVoices.net Stephen Sands, Conductor - http://StephenSands.net TRANSLATION Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen:...  moreArvo Pärt: Nunc dimittis Luke 2:29-32 Downtown Voices - http://DowntownVoices.net Stephen Sands, Conductor - http://StephenSands.net TRANSLATION Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen: thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared: before the face of all people; To be a light to lighten the Gentiles: and to be the glory of thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer, 1662 ORIGINAL TEXT Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace: Quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum Quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum: Lumen ad revelationem gentium, et gloriam plebis tuae Israel. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto: Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.  less

Downtown Voices (http://DowntownVoices.net) NOVUS New York Trinity Wall Street, New York City Full Concert Video: https://trinitywallstreet.org/videos/... Concert Program: http://shorturl.at/ouwFR Stephen Sands, conductor (http://StephenSands.net...  moreDowntown Voices (http://DowntownVoices.net) NOVUS New York Trinity Wall Street, New York City Full Concert Video: https://trinitywallstreet.org/videos/... Concert Program: http://shorturl.at/ouwFR Stephen Sands, conductor (http://StephenSands.net) Amy Schroeder, violin Jennifer Liu, violin Jessica Meyer, violin Mike Nicolas, cello Mitchell Vines, pianist Elizabeth Bates, soprano Ola Gjeilo’s Dark and Luminous Night portrays the passage of the soul from mortality to its union with God. Based on the 16th century poem by a major figure of the Counter-Reformation, St. John of the Cross, the piece depicts a soul leaving its “still house” and venturing into the night. Seemingly fearless, the soul is guided out of the darkness by the light of love; Luminous Night reveals the soul’s fulfillment. Lyrics: St. John of the Cross One dark night, fired with love’s urgent longings – ah, the sheer grace! – I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled. In darkness, and secure, by the secret l...    less

Downtown Voices (http://DowntownVoices.net) NOVUS New York Trinity Wall Street, New York City Full Concert Video: https://trinitywallstreet.org/videos/... Concert Program: http://shorturl.at/ouwFR Stephen Sands, conductor (http://StephenSands.net...  moreDowntown Voices (http://DowntownVoices.net) NOVUS New York Trinity Wall Street, New York City Full Concert Video: https://trinitywallstreet.org/videos/... Concert Program: http://shorturl.at/ouwFR Stephen Sands, conductor (http://StephenSands.net) Amy Schroeder, violin Jennifer Liu, violin Jessica Meyer, violin Mike Nicolas, cello Mitchell Vines, pianist Elizabeth Bates, soprano Ola Gjeilo’s Dark and Luminous Night portrays the passage of the soul from mortality to its union with God. Based on the 16th century poem by a major figure of the Counter-Reformation, St. John of the Cross, the piece depicts a soul leaving its “still house” and venturing into the night. Seemingly fearless, the soul is guided out of the darkness by the light of love; Luminous Night reveals the soul’s fulfillment. Lyrics: Charles Anthony Silvestri/St. John of the Cross Long before music was sung by a choir, Long before silver was shaped in the fire, Long before poets inspired the heart, You were the Spirit of...    less