[R. Nathaniel Dett (Photo from Library of Congress)]
Art Works
National Endowment of the Arts
Wading in the Water . . .
August 10, 2010
Washington, DC
“Established in 2000 by Musical Director Stanley J. Thurston, Heritage Signature Chorale (HSC) performs a broad repertoire of choral music. What makes HSC unique among Washington DC choruses is its devotion to performing African-American music, with a special emphasis on the Negro spiritual.” “In a 2005 Washington Post article, HSC singer Rufus Daniels, the grandson of a slave, spoke about his deep connection to the chorale’s traditional repertoire. '[Spirituals are] as much a part of me as my fingers and toes. They were created, in part, by my very family. I can remember my grandmother telling me about the conditions they lived in, and singing these songs in church as a child. . . . They express what might be called the soul of a people.'
“As reported in the NEA’s 2007 annual report, HSC received an NEA Access to Artistic Excellence grant to support a recording and performance of The Ordering of Moses, a rarely performed oratorio composed by R. Nathaniel Dett. Dett was an African-American composer, pianist, and choral director born in 1882, who published approximately 100 compositions of which many—including The Ordering of Moses—were inspired by African-American spirituals. There is only one other known recording of The Ordering of Moses, and it is an incomplete live radio recording of the oratorio’s world debut. HSC’s performance of Dett’s oratorio was recorded by National Public Radio and distributed by Albany Records, with program notes by musicologist Dominique-René de Lerma.
“Recently, HSC has been celebrating its 10th-anniversary season with an appearance at the American Guild of Organists conference, a performance of Carmina Burana with the Alexandria Symphony and Metropolitan Chorus, and a performance of Porgy and Bess with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, among other events. [R. Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943) is profiled at AfriClassical.com. The website features a complete Works List compiled by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma of Lawrence University Conservatory.]
Heritage Signature ChoraleThe Ordering of Moses
R. Nathaniel Dett
African American Composer
Dominique-René de Lerma
Albany Records
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