dominickdiorio
conductor composer
two letter D inside a blue circle

Press

WHAT IS OURS

publication

Marçal Borotau

Sonograma.org

fulltext

Títol: What Is Ours Autors: Andrea Ramsey, Reena Esmail, John William Griffith II, Carlos Cordero, Leigha Amick, Moira Smiley, Joel Thompson, Dominick DiOrio Intèrprets: Roger Roe, English horn Notus Choir Direcció: Dominick DiOrio Segell discogràfic: Navona Records

Caldrà parlar durant un temps dels efectes negatius de la pandèmia, però també de l’esperit creador que va trobar un espai en aquells difícils mesos de tancament col·lectiu i individual.

What Is Ours (‘El que és nostre’) va sorgir de les reflexions del compositor Dominick DiOrio —director del grup vocal universitari Notus Choir (abans Contemporary Vocal Ensemble)—, que va seleccionar obres molt atractives i dinàmiques de diferents compositors contemporanis. Andrea Ramsey, Reena Esmail, John William Griffith II, Carlos Cordero i Leigha Amick són compositors agosarats, amb obres sorgides de la diversitat i la multiplicitat de l’Amèrica actual. A més, tal com es diu a les notes del disc, són compositors que destaquen per cantar les seves lluites i crear nous reptes que acabin portant el triomf de la humanitat.

Tot té una història. «Quan vaig imaginar originalment aquest programa, s’havia de representar com a part de la nostra gira a Nova Zelanda, emmarcada en el 12è Simposi Mundial de Música Coral, del juliol del 2020», explica DiOrio.

Finalment, es va poder presentar el febrer del 2022 a la Midwest Conference de l’Associació de Directors Americans de Corals, al Harris Theatre de Chicago. És esperançador reunir tants compositors de diferents orígens i llengües amb un objectiu comú. Cadascun d’ells compon música a partir d’obres de poetes americans, que també conflueixen en el propòsit d’escriure per a una Amèrica en construcció.

La música recollida en aquest àlbum, interpretada per les veus del Notus Choir, tenen l’encant de la música directa, impetuosa i rebel, interpretada dins una atmosfera d’absoluta compenetració. Dominick DiOrio ha combinat amb elegància un conjunt de poemes, percussió, corn anglès, recitatius, veus de cor i solos que exploren estats anímics en una formidable experiència musical compartida.

TRANSLATION

It will be necessary to talk for a while about the negative effects of the pandemic, but also about the creative spirit that found a space in those difficult months of collective and individual closure.

What Is Ours ('What is ours') arose from the reflections of composer Dominick DiOrio - director of the university vocal group Notus Choir (formerly Contemporary Vocal Ensemble) - who selected very attractive and dynamic works by different contemporary composers. Andrea Ramsey, Reena Esmail, John William Griffith II, Carlos Cordero, and Leigha Amick are daring composers, with works born from the diversity and multiplicity of America today. In addition, as it says in the disc notes, they are composers who stand out for singing their struggles and creating new challenges that end up bringing the triumph of humanity.

Everything has a story. "When I originally envisioned this program, it was to be performed as part of our New Zealand tour, as part of the 12th World Choral Music Symposium, in July 2020," explains DiOrio. Finally, it was able to be presented in February 2022 at the Midwest Conference of the Association of American Choral Directors, at the Harris Theater in Chicago.

It is hopeful to bring together so many composers from different backgrounds and languages with a common goal. Each of them composes music from the works of American poets, which also converge in the purpose of writing for an America under construction.

The music collected in this album, performed by the voices of the Notus Choir, has the charm of direct, impetuous and rebellious music, performed in an atmosphere of absolute rapport. Dominick DiOrio has elegantly combined an ensemble of poems, percussion, English horn, recitatives, choir voices and solos that explore states of mind into a formidable shared musical experience.

dominick smiling and looking out