This is a recording of the world premiere performance of the seventh movement (Finale) of Aaron Alter's "Cantata of Praise" for chorus and chamber orchestra on March 23, 2025 at the Hope in the Desert Episcopal Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Cantata of Praise is a setting of the poetic interpretation of Psalms 118 and 150 by the Elizabethan poet Mary Sidney Herbert, from her book "The Sidney Psalter" from around the year 1599, with some added text from Psalm 118 in the original Hebrew and from The King James Bible.

The structure of Cantata of Praise is similar to many of Bach's sacred cantatas with large choral movements at the beginning and at the end, and shorter middle movements that feature soloists. The seventh movement (Finale) is for the full chorus and instrumental ensemble.

The music in Cantata of Praise displays a wide range of influences. The seventh movement shows influences of Renaissance sacred music, Bach’s sacred cantatas, "Classic" Rock and Pop/Rock.

Cantata of Praise was commissioned by the New Mexico Performing Arts Society.

The performers were:
New Mexico Bach Society Chorale and Orchestra
Franz Vote, Artistic Director and Conductor

Hannah Stevens and Camille Tierney, sopranos
Patricia Henning, Kehar Koslowsky and Melissa Riedel, altos
Gregory Gallagher and André García-Nuthmann, tenors
Javier Ortiz and Andrew Paulson, basses

New Mexico Bach Society Orchestra
Linda Marianiello, flute
Elaine Heltman, oboe
Joshua Petersen, clarinet
Lisa Grodin, concertmaster
Carla Kountoupes, violin 2
Lisa Di Carlo, viola
Joel Becktell, cello
Bob Barney, double bass
Joshua Pielemeier, piano

Text: Selections from Psalms 118 and 150 by Mary Sidney Herbert from
The Sidney Psalter (1599), with some Hebrew text from the original Biblical Psalm
and quotes from the King James Bible.

7th Movement (Finale for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra:)
(from Psalm 118)
Here, here, O Lord, I will thee praise,
Who didst my life to safety raise:
The stone the builders erst refusèd,
In corner now is laid and usèd.
This workmanship in deed divine
Doth in our eyes with wonder shine.
God made this day, he did us send it,
In joy and mirth then let us spend it.
Oh, help us, Lord, oh, help we say,
Oh, prosper, prosper us we pray.
Blest in thy name who coming rideth,
Blest in thy house who dwelling bideth:
Thy house, Lord, mighty God, whence we
Both have our light and sight to see:
O God, my mighty God thou art,
And I to thee will praise impart:
O God, thou art my God, and ever
I will extol thee, ceasing never.

(from Psalm 150)
Let ringing timbrels so his honour sound,
Let sounding cymbals so his glory ring,
That in their tunes such melody be found,
As fits the pomp of most triumphant king.
Conclude: by all that air or life enfold,
Let high Ha-Shem highly be extolled.

Text is from The Sidney Psalter, The Psalms of Sir Philip and Mary Sidney
Published by the Oxford University Press (2009)
Copyright Hannibal Hamlin, Michael G. Brennan, Margaret P. Hannay and
Noel J. Kinnamon, 2009
Reproduced with permission of the Licensor through PLSclear.

Cantata of Praise - 7th movement (Finale) for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra

Aaron Alter is a composer from Carlsbad, California. His music is published by Universal Edition and Silverwinds Publishing. Aaron calls his new music his "New Beginning" because it is an exploration of a new style and energy that defies categorization.    

A native of Chicago, Aaron Alter's musical background was a product of the rich musical life that he found growing up in the Windy City. Aaron received his Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University, where he studied piano with Frances Larimer and Gui Mombaerts, and composition with Lynden DeYoung and David Noon. He received his Master of Fine Arts Degree from Princeton University, where he studied with Milton Babbitt and James K. Randall.  

Aaron’s new music was first performed in 2015, with the performance of “Homage to Josquin” for two flutes, piano, electric bass and drum set by The New Mexico Performing Arts Society in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “Homage to Josquin” received an Honorable Mention in the 2016 American Prize competition for Chamber Music Composition.  

Works such as "Solar Rays" and "Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry" defy genres and exist in Classical ensemble and Jazz Big Band versions. Both the classical piano trio (piano, violin and ‘cello) and Jazz Big Band versions of “Solar Rays” have received Silver medals at the Global Music Awards. Aaron’s Introspective Blues #1 for Flute and Harp has become his most popular work, with over 16,100 plays on SoundCloud and over 5,200 plays on Jango Internet Radio. Aaron’s music has been featured on the albums “One Minute”, “Two Minutes”, “Gimel” and “Daleth”, by the flutist Iwona Glinka on the Sarton and Phasma Music labels, all of which have won Silver Medals at the Global Music Awards.  

Aaron has received two commissions in the past two years for choral works with an instrumental ensemble from The New Mexico Performing Arts Society.  The first commission, “Together We Create and Sing! (inspired by the music of Franz Joseph Haydn”) was a semi-finalist at the 2018 American Prize competition for Choral Music Composition and received a Silver Medal at the August 2019 Global Music Awards.  The latest commission, “Lo Lanu Ha-Shem” (a setting of Psalm 115) received a Silver Medal from the March 2019 Global Music Awards.  

Aaron is a regular contributor of compositions to the repertoire of the flutist Iwona Glinka, the pianist and Steinway Artist, Susan Merdinger, the pianist Vania Pimentel, The New Mexico Performing Arts Society and Composers Concordance in New York.  

Aaron also serves as an Executive Board Member of the Carlsbad Friends of the Arts.

Cantata of Praise - 7th movement (Finale) for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra

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