Title : Hymn to the Virgin
Year: 2011
Genre : Classical, Instrumental
Artist : Schola Cantorum, Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl

Description:

Thomas Aquinas writes in the Summa Theologica: "Music is the exaltation of the mind derived from things eternal, bursting forth in sound." The quotation most aptly describes the repertoire on the Norwegian chamber choir Schola Cantorum's recording of hymns to Mary, the Mother of God, in which tranquillity, eternity and 'bursting forth into sound' are encountered in many different guises.

The composers represented here have often chosen to allow their music to evolve in stable structures and remain within static harmonic spaces even when the music becomes expressive and dramatic: Benjamin Britten, Francis Poulenc, Maurice Duruflé, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Martin Ødegaard, Kjell Mørk Karlsen, Anton Bruckner, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Arvo Pärt, Ola Gjeilo, Andrew Smith and Trond Kverno.

Throughout its existence the chamber choir Schola Cantorum has had high ambitions. The choir has built up an international reputation and has made it a trademark to include newly written music in its programmes. This is thanks to the work of Knut Nystedt ( 1915 -), organist, composer and conductor, who returned to Norway in 1964 after studying in the USA and started a choir at the music department of the University of Oslo. The choir continues to recruit members from the department of music, as well as from the Norwegian Academy of Music in more recent years.

Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl trained as a singer and pianist and specialized in the Kodaly method in Hungary before taking her diploma exam in choral conducting at the Norwegian Academy of Music. She has directed Schola Cantorum since 2002 .

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Tracklist :
01. Benjamin Britten: A Hymn to the Virgin
02. Francis Poulenc: Salve Regina
03. Maurice Duruflé: Ubi caritas
04. Eric Whitacre: Lux aurumque
05. Morten Lauridsen: O nata lux
06. Martin Ødegaard: Komm
07. Kjell Mørk Karlsen: O Magnum Mysterium
08. Anton Bruckner: Ave Maria
09. Sergei Rachmaninoff: Bogoróditse Dévo
10 . Arvo Pärt: Bogoróditse Dévo
11. Ola Gjeilo: Tota pulchra es
12. Andrew Smith: Pulchra es tu Maria
13. Andrew Smith: Stabat Mater
14. Trond Kverno: Stabat Mater Dolorosa