New American music at the Church of St. James, 129 Hudson Avenue, Chatham NY

American Psalms and Spirituals!

Music by Alice Parker, Moses Hogan, and more! This concert features the epic Psalm 90 by Charles Ives for chorus and organ and chimes with guest organist Neil Keen. Also on the program is new American music by Ola Gjeilo and Morten Lauridsen.

Ola Gjeilo’s works are performed all over the world. He especially enjoys writing music for choir and is also very interested in film. His music draws a lot of inspiration from movies and cinematic music. Lauridsen is a National Medal of Arts recipient (2007). He was composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Master Chorale (1994–2001) and has been a professor of composition at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music for more than 40 years.

The spirituals on the program will be by Alice Parker, Moses Hogan and arrangements of familiar spirituals such as Deep River, Ride up in the Chariot, and Wade in the Water.

Special guests who will be singing the spirituals with the Cantilena Chamber Choir will be the Hudson Valley Choral Society under the direction of Gretchen Rueckheim. Ms. Rueckheim is the choir director and organist at the First Reformed Church in Chatham. She teaches piano and instrumental music at the Little Falls School of Music in Kinderhook.

All seats $15.