A major survey of American a cappela choral works, sung by the outstanding Saint Louis Chamber Chorus, including many works receiving their first recording, and covering different traditions of American chamber choirs, from the art song to the spiritual, and from a modern madrigal to a choral symphony.

With music from the late 19th to 21st centuries, this disc contains a wide range of American choral compositions, including Roy Harris’ virtuoso Symphony for Voices in three movements, William Schuman’s Declaration Chorale – written for the United Nations in 1971 – and Melissa Dunphy’s immensely powerful What do you think I fought for at Omaha Beach?.

Stephen Paulus is one of the foremost names in American music today, and his ecstatic Stabat Mater for 16-part double choir, was commissioned by the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus in 2009.

Under the directorship of Philip Barnes, the choir’s British-born conductor since 1989, the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus has become known as one of the finest chamber choirs in the US, with an enviable reputation for championing both neglected and newly-written repertoire. The choir has commissioned new works from numerous contemporary composers of many nationalities, including British composers Judith Bingham, Sasha Johnson Manning, David Bednall, Francis Pott and Bob Chilcott.

This is their fourth recording for Regent Records.