Award-winning conductor Stephen Hatfield's London, Canada-based Amabile Boys Choirs have entertained audiences throughout Canada, the US, Europe and Australia, receiving numerous awards including 10 first places at the prestigious CBC Choral Competition. The ABC's refreshingly varied song selection and clean, spirited harmonies are in ample evidence on 'All Good People,' beginning from the first exuberant cut, the Reggae tune 'Don't Bend Down.' 18 other gems follow: the 4-part 'Missa Brevis,' the Japanese work song 'Ohisashi buri' (It's been a long time), the spiritual 'Ezekiel Saw The Wheel,' the lovely 'When The Stars Fall,' the salsa-flavored 'Son de Camaguey,' the raucous sea shanty 'All For Me Grog,' the heart-tugging 'All Too Soon,' 'Double Shot,' the spirited 'Jesus Met the Woman at the Well,' and the South African tune 'Dubula.' Each song surprises us with the energy and joy of singing of these talented boys. We have heard some of these songs before, but Amabile makes each one their own, the definitive version. 'All Good People' is a treat, and winning CD #4 for Amabile!

Composer's Notes: The title for this CD refers to the fact that it opens and closes with all 300 members of the Amabile family singing and dancing in killer versions of 'Oolichan' and 'Dubula'. These live performances, which I conducted, show all the Amabile choirs at their most fiery and confident, and include several massed choir selections that give an extra richness to the sound. The massed Amabile trebles give stunning performances of 'Ahe Lau Makani', 'Ain't That News' and 'Acceptance Speech'. The Amabile men are at their Olympian peak with 'Heaven Somewhere' and 'O Yo Yo'. 'Living In A Holy City' and 'All For Me Grog' are sung as only 300 voices can sing them, while the younger choirs in the Amabile family give stand-out versions of 'Two Minutes Before Sleep', 'Foggy Birthday Shuffle', 'Set' and the previously unavailable 'Three-Part Conniption'. In addition to the fourteen live performances that capture the singers at their high-flying best, the CD includes three treasures from the studio: the Amabile men tear up the speakers with their show-stopping TTBB version of 'Nukapianguaq' ; the Chamber Choir gives their definitive performance of 'Hard Shoulder', one of my best pieces ; and the Junior Amabile Singers serve up one of the rarest of Hatfield recordings, the reggae-soaked 'No Rock'. Fans of Amabile and Hatfield will not be disappointed in this collection of treasures from the archives.