After a year of anticipation, Coro Volante released their New Choral Voices, Vol. 4 CD last month on the Ablaze Records label. The CD features Composer Alan Goldspiel’s work, Soldier of Mine.
The recording for Soldier of Mine took place on 13-14th, March 2019 at the Church of the Redeemer in Cincinnati, Ohio. Goldspiel was in attendance to witness the outstanding musicianship of Coro Volante in person and he had this to say about the experience:
It was a pleasure hearing my music performed by such a top-level group and an honor to be included in such a well-produced CD.
– Alan Goldspiel
The recording sessions were overseen by Conductor and Music Director, Brett Scott and Producer, Douglas Knehans.
Scott is also Professor of Ensembles and Conducting at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. He has conducted and taught throughout the United States, Canada, Central America, and Europe.
Knehans is an award-winning composer as well as producer. He is the Dean of the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.
Also, on the CD was Joe L. Alexander‘s work The Lighthouse. In total, there were eleven composers’ works represented on the CD.
About Soldier of Mine
Soldier of Mine was originally commissioned by Snead State Community College (Boaz, Alabama) and it is based on a poem of the same name written in 1944 by Margaret McQuarry Huskey. The poem was sent in a correspondence to a soldier who was sent overseas, a soldier who, while not yet boyfriend, would later become husband.
Set tonally, Soldier of Mine musically exploits the character of our soldier as described in the poem and it also evokes the era in which he lives. In the poem, all of the description is juxtaposed against dream imagery to convey admiration and longing.
The sectional nature of the music corresponds to the images depicted in the writing. I wished to musically express the worry and concern of one left behind, the anguish of loneliness, the hardship of war, and our troubled thoughts when those we care about are not near – while also conveying the hope that the poem silently expresses for a romantic relationship.
Soldier of Mine was doubly premiered in 2017 at Snead State Community College as part of a literary festival and then in a concert salute to the armed forces.
About Coro Volante
Formed initially as a recording choir, Coro Volante is devoted to performing and recording music by living composers from around the world. Made up of sixteen professionals who flow comfortably between solo and ensemble singing, the chorus voraciously tackles a variety of styles and genres with a passion for highlighting new choral voices.
How To Get Your Copy Of Soldier Of Mine
Soldier of Mine is available on Coro Volante’s CD, New Choral Voices Volume 4 on the Ablaze Records’ website by clicking here.