Earth Prayer
Composer Bill Douglas once again showcases the Ars Nova Singers and revisits his love of poetry, setting to original music the verse of master wordsmiths on four selections ofEarth Prayer. Effectively using offerings from each poet, Douglas is able to maintain the prayerful tone of the collection, beginning with the title track on which the Singers intone "dona nobis pacem" (grant us peace). The emotional posture is set remarkably well with this piece--restrained and sparse rather than decorous, including a lovely string interlude and soft piano. The pace quickens with plentiful horns and percussive dance rhythms on instrumentals "Spirit Dance" and "Wind of Delight." "The Splendour Falls," a stylized and dramatic piece, pays homage to Lord Tennyson's famous words, where other selections are brought to life by the words of Shakespeare and Thomas Traherne, Percy Bysshe Shelley and, on the worshipful "As Dreams Are Made Of," William Butler Yeats. Choral music fans will particularly enjoy the understated elegance of compositions featuring the Ars Nova Singers.--Paige La Grone