"Our American Journey" is, incredibly, legendary group Chanticleer's 25th CD, and it celebrates the music of America, from sacred motets by 17th century Mexican composers to shape-note hymns to newly-commissioned works on American themes. It is a showcase of the rich traditions and also of the creative tension between unity and diversity that are inherent in American music and in American life. Chanticleer's Music Director Joseph Jennings, who adapted and arranged a number of the works, said, "(The CD) captures the essence of what we do when we're on the road, and how we want to present ourselves." Some favorites: "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah," "Wayfarin' Stranger," Stephen Foster's "Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair" and "Camptown Races," "Jefferson," "David's Lamentation," "Willow Weep for Me," and the commissioned works "Whispers" and "The Un-covered Wagon." Excellent! |