The Hope College Chapel Choir is featured on the newly-released compact disc "Wondrous Love," a compilation of 15 songs the group performed during its annual tour in the spring of 1999.
The recording includes music from the Renaissance, British choral and organ music, American music and a folk song from Latvia. The 44-voice Chapel Choir, which toured in Iowa and Wisconsin last year, is conducted on the recording by Dr. Brad Richmond, who is an associate professor of music and director of choral activities at Hope.
The disc is available at the college's department of music or the Hope-Geneva Bookstore for $10, plus an additional $2.50 if shipping is necessary. Proceeds from its sale will support the choir's forthcoming Spring, 2000, tour of the Pacific Northwest.
The Chapel Choir was organized in 1929 and began touring annually in 1953. The choir has made a European tour four times, most recently in May of 1993, and in 1989 presented a concert tour of the former Soviet Union. The choir has appeared on the "Hour of Power" from the Crystal Cathedral in California and has sung for the Easterdawn services at Radio City Music Hall in New York. In addition to other appearances on-campus and in West Michigan, the choir is featured annually in the Hope College Christmas Vespers program.
Selections on the disc include "Jubilate Deo," by Benjamin Britten; "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree," by Elizabeth Poston; "Cantate Domino," by Hans Leo Hassler; "Ave Verum Corpus" and "I Will Not Leave You Comfortless," both by William Byrd; "Let All the World in Every Corner Sing," by Ralph Vaughan Williams; "For All the Saints," arranged by Robert Shaw; "I'm Gonna Sing 'til the Spirit Moves in My Heart," by Moses Hogan; the Latvian "Kas tie tade," arranged by Steven Sametz; "He Has the Power," by Leon C. Roberts; "Set Me as a Seal," by Rene Clausen; "Ave Maris Stella," by Trond Kverno; "Gloria," by Jeffrey Rickard; "Wondrous Love," arranged by Shaw and Parker; and "Musiks Empire," by Lloyd Pfautsch.
The disc was recorded in March and April at the college's Dimnent Memorial Chapel and at neighboring Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church. Richmond was the producer, John K. Erskine was the recording engineer and John Frazer was the mastering engineer.