The latest CD from Illumni Men's Chorale, featuring Russian Sacred and Secular Music: Music of the Russian Orthodox Church, and Folk Traditions.  This recording features Basso Profundo Octavist Glenn Miller in the first known live performance of the original ending to Chesnokov's "Do Not Forsake Me" (When I am old) - with it's stunning 9 beat G1 (G below Low C) at tempo 72
Also featured are the World Premier of Steven Clark's Plotiyu, Eh Ukhnem, Kalinka, and the music of Chesnokov, Grechaninov, and move.  www.musicofrussia.com.

Spasenie Sodelal - Salvation Is Wrought - Chesnokov

Sovyet Prevyechniy - The Pre - Eternal Council - Chesnokov

Go Tell it on the Mountain - straight out of the hymnal, featuring Bobby Barnts.

Lux Spiritu - Holiday Concert

09 Go Tell it on the Mountain

Illumni Men's Chorale on Goncharov's, "Krestu Tvoyemu (We Venerate Thy Cross)." 

Guest soloist, Glenn Miller, Basso Profundo.

07 Krestu Tvoyemu

Morten Lauridsen is one of the most important composers of the last 50 years.  His music is stunning, and sublime.  His works are included on 5 Grammy Award recordings, and a documentary was recently released about the composer to rave reviews.  It is our privilege to perform music by a composer with local ties.  Though a resident of California now, Mr. Lauridsen is a Washington Native, and spent his early years here - even working as a lookout on a fire tower near Mt St Helens.  Here we present his 'O Magnum Mysterium',  voiced for TTTTBBBB.


From our May 5th 'American Music' Concert at Lagerquist Hall, PLU, Tacoma.

O Magnum Mysterium - Morten Lauridsen

William Schuman was an American original. His music was known for its intense tonal passages and challenging rhythms.  In 1972, the Iowa State Singers commissioned Schuman to compose a new suite for them.  In reply he created the "Mail Order Madrigals: 4 pieces “loosely” set to text from the 1897 Sears and Roebuck Catalog".  Ron Anderson, of our own choir took part in the World Premier. 

From our American Music Concert on May 5th in Lagerquist Hall, Tacoma

Attention Ladies - William Schumann

Amy Beach was America's first successfully published female composer, and one of the countries first internationally touring concert pianists of either gender.  Her lush tones, and delicious harmonies are a joy to sing and are evident in this arrangement.

Canadian Boat Song was originally written by Thomas Moore, the Irish National Bard, composer, and poet.  In 1804 Moore embarked on a tour of North America, where he met President Thomas Jefferson, and where he later heard the "Voyageurs" singing on the Saint Lawrence River in Ontario as the paddled canoes loaded with furs through dangerous rapids.  Moore himself admits that he took quite extensive liberties with the boat men's style, but he tried to capture their spirit of their singing, and their songs.

It is believed that the popular folk tune, "Oh, Shenandoah!" originated with these same"Voyageurs".

From our American Music Concert on May 5th in Lagerquist Hall, Tacoma

Canadian Boat Song - Arr Amy Beach (Mrs H.H.A. Beach)

Norman Luboff was one of the great champions of American Choral music, and the "Midwest" sound.  His lush beautiful arrangements can be heard on hundreds, if not thousands of recordings, and in over 80 motion pictures.  Here he arranged the old African American Spiritual "Deep River".


From our American Music Concert on May 5th in Lagerquist Hall, Tacoma

Deep River - Norman Luboff

Spanish Renaissance music in the native Nahuatl language of the Aztecs on an American Music Program?  Well.... It's impossible to discuss American history without discussing our neighbors to the south, and the native parts or our culture.   As early 100 years -before- the Pilgrim's Landed at Plymouth Rock, native students at the Spanish Cathedrals in South and Central America were learning and composing Western Style Choral music in the New World.

This piece is a Marian text in the native Aztec, or Nahuatl language by Don Hernando Franco.  Don Hernando Franco was a student of Hernando Franco, the chapel master of the Cathedral in Guatemala and then Mexico City.  Don Hernando Franco took his teachers name with the added honorific "Don"  symbolizing his high status in society.  This work is believed to be the oldest known surviving copy of Western Style published music by a Native American composer.


From our American Music Concert on May 5th in Lagerquist Hall, Tacoma

Dios itlaconantzine - Don Hernando Franco (c.1570)

Eric Whitacre is one of the most exciting choral composers to come out of American Music in a long time.  His innovative ways of working with harmonies, rhythms and instrumentation have created some very well loved songs.  Here we try our hand at 'Lux Aurumque"  for TTBB - the same piece used for the first Virtual Choir (google it, worth your time).  We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did singing it!

http://www.illumni.net

Lux Aurumque - Eric Whitacre

A beautiful combination of the ever popular James Erb and Marshall Bartholomew Shenandoah arrangements, as pioneered by Chantileer.

Shenandoah - Erb/Bartholomew Illumni Men's Chorale: Soloists Tyler Morse Charlie Logan Brad Capatch

Illumni is one of Seattle's newest choral organizations.  Illumni is a unique mix of professional and amateur singers known for their dedication to high quality music, and to making their programs accessible to all members of the community.

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