"The Singing Place" by Joan Szymko. Text by Lily A. Long. Recorded live on May 15, 2015, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Concert Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Dir...  more"The Singing Place" by Joan Szymko. Text by Lily A. Long. Recorded live on May 15, 2015, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Concert Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peterson, Accompanist: Gayle Giese. Cold may lie the day, And bare of grace; At night I slip away To the Singing Place. A border of mist and doubt Before the gate, And the Dancing Stars grow still As hushed I wait. Then faint and far away I catch the beat In broken rhythm and rhyme Of joyous feet,— Lifting waves of sound That will rise and swell (If the prying eyes of thought Break not the spell), Rise and swell and retreat And fall and flee, As over the edge of sleep They beckon me. And I wait as the seaweed waits For the lifting tide; To ask would be to awake,— To be denied. I cloud my eyes in the mist ...    less

"Nada te turbe" by Joan Szymko. Text by Saint Teresa of Avila. Recorded live on May 7, 2016, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Concert Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wall...  more"Nada te turbe" by Joan Szymko. Text by Saint Teresa of Avila. Recorded live on May 7, 2016, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Concert Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peterson, Cello: Stephanie Jaimes. Nada te turbe nada te espante todo se pasa. Dios no se muda. La paciencia todo alcanza Quien a Dios tiene nada le falta Solo Dios basta. Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you, All things are passing. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God is enough.  less

"Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen, arr. Roger Emerson. Recorded live on May 3, 2015, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Chamber Singers and Men's Auxiliary ensembles of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Dir...  more"Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen, arr. Roger Emerson. Recorded live on May 3, 2015, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Chamber Singers and Men's Auxiliary ensembles of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peterson, Accompanist: Gayle Giese. Now I've heard there was a secret chord That David played, and it pleased the Lord But you don't really care for music, do you? It goes like this: the fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift The baffled king composing Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah You say I took the Name in vain I don't even know the Name But if I did, well really, what's it to you? There's a blaze of light in every word It doesn't matter which you heard The holy or the broken Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah I did my best, it wasn't much I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you And even though it all went wron...    less

"She Walks in Beauty" by David Childs. Text by Lord Byron. Recorded live on Friday, May 17, 2013, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Chamber Singers ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Art...  more"She Walks in Beauty" by David Childs. Text by Lord Byron. Recorded live on Friday, May 17, 2013, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Chamber Singers ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peterson, Accompanist: Gayle Giese, Oboist: Lisa Gelfand. She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes: Thus mellow'd to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o'er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!  less

"Winter Dream" by James Dejardins. Recorded live on December 15, 2013, at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Primes Choir and Apprentice Choir ensembles of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Assistant...  more"Winter Dream" by James Dejardins. Recorded live on December 15, 2013, at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Primes Choir and Apprentice Choir ensembles of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Assistant Director: Jorge Valls, Accompanist: Gayle Giese, Violin: Allen Giese.  

"Still I Rise" by Rosephanye Powell. Recorded live on Thursday, July 3, 2014, at Christ Lutheran Church in Oakland Park, Florida. Performed by the Concert Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peterson, Accompanis...  more"Still I Rise" by Rosephanye Powell. Recorded live on Thursday, July 3, 2014, at Christ Lutheran Church in Oakland Park, Florida. Performed by the Concert Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peterson, Accompanist: Gayle Giese. Note from the composer: "Still I Rise" was inspired by the poem of the same name by poet laureate Maya Angelou. It is a women's anthem, saluting the strength to persevere through life's difficulties–low self-esteem, physical and emotional abuse, prejudice, abandonment, and the like. In summary, though a woman's life or past may be filled with tears and heartaches, with each day that she finds herself still living, she finds that she has grown stronger and risen a little higher because her circumstances have not overcome her. Thus, every new day can be one of hope and joy because regardless of the past, today, "still I rise"! Though I have been wounded, aching heart full of pain. Still I rise, yes, still I rise. Jus' like a budding rose, my...    less

"Pete, Pete" West African folk song, arr. Rosephanye Powell. Recorded live on May 15, 2015, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Primes Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic D...  more"Pete, Pete" West African folk song, arr. Rosephanye Powell. Recorded live on May 15, 2015, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Primes Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Jorge Valls, Accompanist: Gayle Giese. This popular children's folk song from Ghana is sung traditionally as a call and response. It is an Akan playground song. "Pete" (which means "vulture") is a nickname for children. It is a reference to a child's great appetite. Vulture, vulture, your mother is calling you. What does she want me to do? She said the meal is ready.   less

"Lux Aeterna" ("Eternal Light") by Michelle Roueché. Recorded live on May 3, 2015, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Chamber Singers ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peter...  more"Lux Aeterna" ("Eternal Light") by Michelle Roueché. Recorded live on May 3, 2015, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Chamber Singers ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peterson. Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Let perpetual light shine upon them, O Lord, with your saints for ever, for you are merciful. Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.  less

"Famine Song" by VIDA, arr. Matthew Culloton. Recorded live on Friday, May 16, 2014, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Chamber Singers ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Direc...  more"Famine Song" by VIDA, arr. Matthew Culloton. Recorded live on Friday, May 16, 2014, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Chamber Singers ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peterson. Written by the women's quartet VIDA and inspired by the stories of Sudanese basket weavers who expressed the pain and hope experienced by those in the famine of the 1980s. Ease my spirit Ease my soul Please free my hands from this barren soil Ease my mother Ease my child Earth and sky be reconciled Rain Weave my mother Weave my child Weave your baskets of rushes wild Weave my mother Weave my child Weave your baskets of rushes wild Under the sun comes the hunger to everyone Famine's teeth Famine's claws On the sands of Africa Rain Weave my mother Weave my child Weave your baskets of rushes wild Weave my mother Weave my child Weave your baskets of rushes wild Rain  less

The Apprentice Choir of the Girl Choir of South Florida performs "Yule Be Swingin'" arranged by Mac Huff live during the 2010 Winter Concert "Timbrel and Harp" on December 11, 2010, at Second Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Artistic Direc...  moreThe Apprentice Choir of the Girl Choir of South Florida performs "Yule Be Swingin'" arranged by Mac Huff live during the 2010 Winter Concert "Timbrel and Harp" on December 11, 2010, at Second Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peterson.