Sunday Morning with the Colorado Springs Men's Chorus

As I am wont to do on a Sunday morning, I am bringing some spiritual music to you. This week, I am tapping on the Colorado Springs Men's Chorus, a wonderful group of singers from the Rocky Mountain area. Their stated purpose "of making an artistic statement: the Chorus, as it sings, provides educational, cultural and social enrichment for our audiences and ourselves, and we identify as an organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people and supporters that is actively making a positive contribution to the entire community." Up first, we can hear them sing Nothin' Gonna Stumble My Feet, where composers John Parker and Greg Gilpin have combined their talents to create this exuberant and original spiritual for a cappella voices.



Zion's Walls was written by Aaron Copland in 1952, part of his Old American Songs. Listen as the Coloradans give it voice and life.



You can learn more about the Colorado Springs Men's Chorus by visiting their official website here. You can purchased their music on their website here. I am sure they would be happy for whatever support you can lend them.

Sunday Worship - What Matters More

He is a Str8 Christian singer/songwriter who likes to test the boundaries, and he might have pushed too far when it came to one song. Last summer he was set to release a solo album entitled Stockholm Syndrome when the Christian label balked, turning it away. Instead Webb took to the internet, and released it on his website. It seems a main bone of contention with the label was the song What Matters More.



I just have to point out how refreshing it is to hear a Christian pointing out the flaw in much of today's Christian political movement, which is often flying directly in the face of the very teachings and so-called 'Good Book' they claim to be promoting. The song calls for an end of putting out hate into the world rather than increasing it, and says judgment of others is not the answer. How novel, a Christian man who seems to have an understanding of what being Christian is all about.

For more about Derek Webb, you can visit his website here. I'll be honest with you, heard this song and had to check it out, and learned a bit about him, so I can't really recommend his other music, but you can check it out for yourself. And today, Valentine's Day, remember, it is love that counts.

Sunday Chorus - Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles

Raising their voices lout and proud to make a statement about marriage equality, The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles sing Maybe This Time, The Day After That and First You Dream, all written by the legendary songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb.



For more information about the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, check out their official website here. I am sure they would appreciate any support, be it a donation, purchase of a CD or DVD, hat or t-shirt.

Sunday Chorus - Seattle Men's Chorus

For some wonderfully relaxing music on this Sunday morning, I offer you the Seattle Men's Chorus. These are two videos from the 2008 GALA Miami performance. The music is just so beautiful, and performed magically. The first song is "How Sweet the Moonlight", which takes it's lyrics from William Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice', first performed in 1605.

The second song is "The Road Not Taken", with lyrics from the Robert Frost poem of the same name. As a poem, it was first published in 1916, the premiere installment of 'Mountain Interval'. There is a beautiful lushness to the job done here by the Seattle Men's Chorus.

For more about the Seattle Men's Chorus, visit the official website. At that site, you can purchase music or offer a donation to support the group. For the music, check out their online discography. You can find them on iTunes and Amazon. I have their holiday collection, 'Snowbound!', and love it.

Sunday Chorus - Chanticleer

For some wonderfully relaxing music on this Sunday morning, I offer you the California-based Grammy Award winning men's chorale unit Chanticleer singing Suo Gân and Shenandoah. Out singer Matt Alber was once a member of this group.




To find out more about Chanticleer, you can find their official website here. You can see about the tour, get tickets, and order some recordings.