Morten Lauridsen has become one of America's most widely performed composers. His 'O Magnum Mysterium' has been performed thousands of times since the 1994 premiere by Maestro Paul Salamunovich and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. With 'Dirait-on' these two works are the all time best selling choral octavos distributed by Theodore Presser, in business since 1783! Northwest Journey features world premiere recordings of art songs, choral works and chamber music featuring superb musicians and vocalists. This musical offering spans the range of Morten's work. 'Where Have the Actors Gone' gives one the sense of an allegorical ending to a relationship which might be found in a stage setting of musical theatre. From his beloved choral set, 'The Songs of the Roses,' comes a new arrangement of 'Dirait-on' written for vocal duet. There is the unaccompanied motet, 'Ubi Caritas et Amour.' 'A Winter Come' deftly takes the imagery of Howard Moss's verse and presents it in a marvelous variety of moods using amazing piano composition to accompany the soprano voice. Garcia Lorca's poetry is presented in the musical setting of the 'Cuatro Canciones,' each song based on a wider interval than the previous. And then we arrive at the finale, a new arrangement of the beautiful 'O Magnum Mysterium' which presents the power of the original choral version carefully preserved in this premiere recording for solo voice. Wonderful!

THhe Six Fire Songs have been featured at major choral festivals around the world. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as 'stunningly crafted', the Madrigalli are unified by romantic references to fire in each of the poems. Characteristic Italian Rennaissance 'madrigalisms' such as word painting, modality, bold harmonic shifts, intricate counterpoint and augenmusik occur throughout the cycle.

This collection of Lauridensen's aural artisanship contains hits such as 'O Nata Lux,' a serene a cappella motet celebrating the Redeemer, 'Ubi Caritas Et Amor,' a motet composed 'in celebration and gratitude for the glorious and enduring service to God,' as well as a setting of 'Ave Maria' specially composed as a seventieth birthday gift to Maestro Salamunovich.

'Les Chansons des Roses' is a collection of compositions based on the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke. Says Lauridsend of his selection: '[Rilke's] poems on roses struck me as expecially charming, filled with gorgeous lyricism, deftly crafted and elegant in their imagery. There exquisite poems are primarily light, joyous and playful, and the musical settings are designed to enhance these characteristics and capture their delicate beauty and sensuousness.'