VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS

ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

Bright Shiny Things is releasing VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS

In a world-premiere recording of eighteenth century a cappella music conceived by and written for members of the Pennsylvania Ephrata community, Bright Shiny Things introduces the listener to American music by members of a Pietist community of celibate men and women that flourished during the 1700’s in Colonial America.

Dedicated to a simple life of work and worship, the self-sustaining Ephrata community, founded in 1732 by Conrad Beissel, encouraged the talents of its residents, among them Christianna Lassle, two of whose compositions are heard in this album.

Over 126 works, eleven of which are performed in this recording were unearthed, transcribed and edited by musicologist Christopher Dylan Herbert, who acted as both musical director and producer of the recording.

The results could hardly be improved upon. The flawless engineering, mastering, and mixing, the thoroughly informative liner notes, and the handsome packaging are all in service of the music, which proves to be beautiful and eminently accessible on first listening. The writing is straightforward, unembellished, true to the texts, and obeying a no-nonsense compositional code established by Conrad Beissel, the founder and director of the Ephrata Community.

In spite of the severe aesthetic of Beissel, the response of this listener was one of enchantment with the purity of the music and enormous respect for the various works and the dedication of its creators and the excellence and artistry of a superb quartet: Soprano Elizabeth Bates, Male Alto Clifton Massey, Tenor Nils Neubert, and Bass Steven Hrycelak.

VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS (BSTC 0141) is available from Bright Shiny Things ( www.brightshiny.ninja )

Rafael de Acha

www.RafaelMusicNotes.com

Published by ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

Rafael de Acha has enjoyed a distinguished career in the arts as a performer, stage director, producer, and educator. He was born and grew up in Cuba. At the age of 17 he moved to the United States to study Drama at the University of Minnesota, and later Languages at L.A. City College, Music at the Juilliard School of Music, at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, and at the New England Conservatory of Music, from which he received the Master's degree. He has taught courses on the History of Music at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and at Florida International University, and contributed writings and reviews to Seen and Heard International (www.seenandheard-international.com ) and to this blog. He co-founded the award-winning New Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida, where he produced and staged twenty seasons of classical and contemporary theater, including fifty world premieres of plays that went on to have international and national productions on and off Broadway, including Ana in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz (Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2002 and Tony Nomination 2003.) In 2006 he was presented with a citation from The Dade County Cultural Affairs Council for “trailblazing contributions to the arts in South Florida.”