New recording of Ave Verum Corpus by W.A. Mozart

Here is our new recording of Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus by the vocal quartet Tembresha. We recorded this in my living room at the tail end of the pandemic in December 2021. This was one of several groups I worked with in my home during the pandemic. During the pandemic I wasn’t able to perform publicly so I started working with people in my home as a way to keep my sanity and creativity alive.

Click the bottom right of the video “Watch on YouTube” to listen to it on my YouTube channel and also to read more about the singers, our recording and the history of Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus

Read more about the history of Ave Verum Corpus by W.A. Mozart: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ave_verum_corpus_(Mozart)

You can also listen to this recording on your favorite streaming platform: https://social.tunecore.com/linkShare?linkid=kvv70yBgJXvm6qcaL8RFqg

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Christmas Gloria – New Baroque Style Music for Chorus and Chamber Ensemble

Christmas Gloria © 2007 Conrad Askland. Christmas Gloria in the Baroque style for SATB Chorus, SAT Trio Soloists, Flue, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, Trumpet, Horn, Tuba, Harpsichord and Percussion. Composed by Conrad Askland for the 2007 Christmas Eve service at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church.

►Subscribe to Conrad Askland on YouTube: https://bit.ly/39vjc3A​

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Email Q&A: Who wrote Ave Maria

Email question received:

I read quite a few articles on the internet but still not sure who actually first composed Ave Maria, despite so many name changes to the music.  I read that Bach, Schubert and Gounod were at least the three persons  associated with Ave Maria but separated by hundreds of years apart.  The music on Youtube and other places are the same for all three.  Can you tell me?

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Karl Richter – Bach D moll Toccata

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd_oIFy1mxM

This morning I’ve been watching Karl Richter videos on YouTube. I especially enjoyed clips of the Bach B minor Mass. In this video of JS Bach’s Toccata and Fuge in D minor listen to Richter’s organ stop choice at 4:30 – I think it’s wonderful.

Not sure, but from the looks I think this is the original organ of Bach in Leipzig, Germany.

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The Christmas Gloria – One Year Later

In early December 2007 I had let go of all but one of my posts in preparation of leaving to work for Cirque Du Soleil. I received notice at the beginning of December that my date to join Cirque had been moved to three weeks later so I had some time on my hands. My last job I still retained was music director at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church in Mount Vernon, WA.

I wanted to do something with my newfound free time; so decided to do something crazy that I had always wanted to do: To write a complete orchestral and choral work in one week like JS Bach used to do for his weekly church services. My last service for the church was Christmas Eve 2007 so I decided to write a Gloria for presentation at the evening Christmas Eve service.

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Doyle Dykes Wabash Cannonball

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mwFA56dKP8

Doyle Dykes is an renowned acoustic guitar artist and Christian musician. I saw this Doyle Dykes video posted on one of my guitar discussion forums. It sure made me homesick! I used to work at a music store and Doyle Dykes did a guitar clinic for us. He’s a Taylor Guitar artist. He also performs often at one of my favorite churches in Southern California – Calvary Chapel High Desert.

When I listen to his rendition of Wabash Cannonball – I swear I can almost hear the lyrics being sung from the guitar. He’s absolutely amazing.

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Applause in Church

Received an email recently from someone who performed at a church concert where the audience was asked to not applaude between songs. They were a little upset about it and wanted to know what I thought about it.

I’ll start by saying I’ve played at a lot of churches that applaud, and a lot that don’t. I never tried to change the ways of each group, just went with the flow. I was usually a hired musician and didn’t feel it was my place to make calls like that. Each church has it’s own culture. I was raised in a Lutheran church that rarely clapped – so later in life I had to get used to hearing clapping in church.

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Victoria’s View on the Christmas Gloria

Article by Vicki McCarty about my Christmas Gloria which debuted Christmas Eve 2007.

Victoria’s View

“Drop off the music you got Wednesday and pick up the new packet.  Conrad has revised it”!  Huh?  Our jaws dropped in disbelief…how can that be?  We just got it and have only had one rehearsal…and we’re singing it tonight!!!    We took note of the sign on the front door and shook our heads.  This was turning into a memorable Christmas – in more than one way.  I could not have imagined this kind of Christmas Eve even a few years ago.  We entered and emptied the notebook with the music we had just picked up 5 days ago.  We were still reeling from the announcement our young music director had made just 2 weeks earlier.  “I’m thinking of writing a new piece of music for Christmas in a week – just like Bach and Mozart used to do!”   He went on to explain that it was common for them to write something new every week for church the next week.  So, he sat down and did it himself, just to see if it was possible.  I could not help but think what confidence he had in our choir – to think we could perform it after just one long practice – and do it in Latin – that took some confidence.

Two hours later, the service began.  Could we do it – the small group of musicians gathered together – we rehearsed it through twice with the orchestra – then our moment came.  A quiet fell over the congregation – and the first performance of Conrad Askland’s Christmas Gloria in D was born.  And it was beautiful.   A true Christmas miracle happened that night.  A wondrous story was told again, and became new and real to all there.  It was heralded with a beautiful new composition written to announce the glory of God.  A new Bach had done the impossible – composed, rehearsed, and presented his new work.  And we got to be there for the event.

We returned home to a house with no decorations, no tree, no dinner, and only the two of us.  But our heads were still ringing with the sound of Gloria in Excelsis Deo.   A memorable Christmas – in so many ways.  Move over Bach and Beethoven – there’s a new kid in town.

With caring,

Victoria