Thursday, April 3, 2008

Music of R. Nathaniel Dett At Washington, D.C. Papal Mass April 17


[The Collected Piano Works of R. Nathaniel Dett; Summy-Birchard (1973)]

Sarah Karush of the Associated Press writes “
Choir Gets Down to Work for Pope's Visit”, an April 3, 2008 article. Reporting from Hyattsville, Maryland, she says a specially-selected 250-member choir has begun rehearsals for a Papal Mass at Washington's Nationals Park baseball stadium on April 17. The visit to Washington is part of an official visit to the U.S. by Pope Benedict XVI. Sarah Karush writes: “The rehearsals are intense. There are no breaks, except for brief opportunities to stretch while announcements are made. At the first one, the group rehearsed a Gregorian chant, the spiritual Plenty Good Room and works by contemporary British composer David Ogden and the 20th century black composer R. Nathaniel Dett.” Born in Ontario, Canada, R. Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943) immigrated to the U.S. with his family as a child. He is profiled at http://www.AfriClassical.com Audio samples on the page include one of Ave Maria from the CD Got the Saint Louis Blues, sung by the VocalEssence Ensemble under the direction of Philip Brunelle, Conductor on Clarion CLR907CD (2004). The recording also contains R. Nathaniel Dett's Listen to the Lambs and The Chariot Jubilee.









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