Acis announces the release of “The Joyful Mysteries”, an album of captivating choral premieres from acclaimed American composer Daniel Knaggs and GRAMMY® award winning Houston Chamber Choir under their Artistic Director Robert Simpson. The main work on the album is “The Joyful Mysteries” which through this performance takes its rightful place in the rich canon of American oratorio.  It concludes with two of the latest installments of Knaggs’ 50–year Ave Maria Project (2005–2054), No. 18 for Ukraine, and No. 19 for joy.
 
KNAGGS has said: “The Joyful Mysteries is a Choral Symphony of five movements which in Catholic tradition correspond to the five Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary: The angel’s Annunciation to Mary, her Visitation of Elizabeth, The Nativity of Christ, his Presentation in the temple, and later his Finding in the temple as a young boy. In his search for a way to deepen the connection to this familiar narrative, Knaggs sought, “to compose a musical meditation on paradox Joy does not cancel out all possible fear, sorrow, or suffering now or in the future” he writes. “But this joy will outlast and outweigh all adversity, a joy that, although mysterious, is yet real and offered to all people.”
 
Bringing together his libretto from Biblical texts and the writings of two medieval mystics, Hildegard von Bingen (b. c. 1098–1179) and St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153), Knaggs crafted a story both ancient and immediate. By prioritizing present tense and first and second-person language he consciously aimed “to draw everyone into the stories" and the familiar words are given a new context and deeper meaning. 

The album presents the world premiere performance, commissioned by Holy Rosary Church in Midtown Houston. The Joyful Mysteries is sung by the Grammy® award winning Houston Chamber Choir under their Artistic Director Robert Simpson. The recording also features Kinetic Ensemble (“Houston’s Indie, Conductorless Orchestra”) and the Monarch Chamber Players, alongside several outstanding vocal soloists. Boy treble Leonard LLagostera and soprano Gabriella Reyes portray the young Christ and his Mother. Mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko represents the Angel Gabriel, Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, and later reappears as the Prophetess Anna, when she is joined at The Presentation by bass-baritone Federico de Michelis as the visionary Simeon.
 
Knaggs’ 50–year Ave Maria Project (2005–2054), began with his first notated composition, Ave Maria – Mater Amabilis (2005) and will continue for 50 years, with a new Ave Maria composed each year until 2054. This album presents the Ave Maria (No. 18, ‘Queen of Peace’, 2022) sung in Ukrainian; and No. 19, Ave Maria - Causa Nostra Laetitia, 2023, that speaks to a lasting joy that balances the anguish of No.18.

04 The Joyful Mysteries: I. The Annunciation: Chorus: "This infusion from above"

03 The Joyful Mysteries: I. The Annunciation: Aria: "Be it done unto me"

02 The Joyful Mysteries: I. The Annunciation: Chorus: "Since you have been given joy"

01 The Joyful Mysteries: I. The Annunciation: Solo: "Hail, full of grace"

Cynthia Johnston Turner is an internationally recognized conductor with a passion for contemporary music advocacy. Michael Barry’s works have been performed by the London Symphony, the Danish Radio Symphony, the Buffalo Symphony and others.

"A serious and important work in three movements.
Beautiful counterpoint and gorgeous melodies.
Lots to dig into here and a great companion work to some Holst or Grainger!"

—CJT

2. Symphony For Winds, No. 1, "English": II. Lento

Justin Murphy-Mancini, organist, performs a survey of organ music from the colonial period to the present day, of composers associated with Newburyport's historic First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist church. Murphy-Mancini researched and recorded this album to mark the 300th Anniversary of the founding of the First Religious Society, Newburyport, where he was previously Director of Church Music, and to commemorate the life of his mentor, organist and historian, Barbara Owen.

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