Notes and Editorial Reviews
The First Baptist Church in America is pleased to announce the upcoming release of God Makes a Path, a new Compact Disc project that celebrates the history and the musical traditions of The First Baptist Church in America, whose 375th anniversary falls in 2013.
This CD consists of all-new recordings made in the acoustically splendid Auditorium of the Church’s Third Meeting House, a National Register of Historic Places landmark that was built 1774-1775. The Auditorium’s horsehair-plaster ceiling combines with the barrel vault over the main floor and the cross-vaults over the balconies to create a wonderful acoustical environment for performing or recording.
God Makes a Path features solo
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performances by oboist Katie Scheele (Ennio Morricone’s “Gabriel’s Oboe,” the Main Title from the film The Mission); violinist Arturo Delmoni, the Concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra (the Adagio from Marcello’s Oboe Concerto); Stephen Martorella (Scriabin’s piano Prelude in D-flat); and Steven Unruh (Appalachian-fiddle-style improvisations upon “Were You There” and “Amazing Grace”).
The vocal and choral music on God Makes a Path includes the title track (with words by Roger Williams, who founded the congregation in 1638); “Lord, for Thy Tender Mercies Sake” (attr. Richard Farrant); “Come We that Love the Lord;” and “River in Judea.”
Other tracks of interest include a very dynamic recording, made in the Bell Tower, of the Church’s bell (first cast circa 1780), and a recording of the Church’s Pastor, Dr. Dan Ivins, reading the 23rd Psalm from the pulpit.
God Makes a Path was produced by Stephen Martorella, recorded and edited by John Marks, and mastered by Alan Silverman, a top New York City mastering engineer.
By having opted for Oasis CD’s Sunlyte-certified Zero Carbon Footprint DigipakTM paperboard packaging (which includes the purchase of carbon-offset credits), the First Baptist Church in America’s 375th-Anniversary CD project has a Carbon Footprint of zero. For more information: www.oasiscd.com/products/digipak-zerocarbon.asp Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
The bell in the steeple of the third meeting house (cast circa 1780) by None
2.
Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes (3) for Organ: no 1, Bryn Calfaria by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1920; England
3.
Psalm 23 read from the Revised Standard Version by None
Performer:
Pastor Dan Ivins (Speaker)
4.
The Lord is my shepherd by Randall Thompson
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Conductor:
Stephen Martorella
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Choir of The First Baptist Church of America
Period: 20th Century
5.
God makes a path by Traditional
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Conductor:
Stephen Martorella
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Choir of The First Baptist Church of America
Notes: Dundee, from the Scottish? Psalter of 1615; harmonization from Thomas ?Ravenscroft’s Whole Book of Psalmes, 1621. Words by Roger Williams.
6.
Eli: The Lord is good by Michael Costa
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Conductor:
Stephen Martorella
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Choir of The First Baptist Church of America
7.
Jul by Otto Emanuel Olsson
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Period: 20th Century
Written: Sweden
8.
Wasn't that a mighty day? by Traditional
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Conductor:
Stephen Martorella
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Choir of The First Baptist Church of America
Notes: Arr. Jacqueline B. Hairston
9.
Concerto for Oboe in D minor: 2nd movement, Adagio by Alessandro Marcello
Performer:
Arturo Delmoni (Violin),
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1717; Italy
10.
Lord, for thy tender mercy's sake by Richard Farrant
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Conductor:
Stephen Martorella
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Choir of The First Baptist Church of America
Period: Renaissance
Written: 16th Century; England
11.
Preludes (24) for Piano, Op. 11: no 15 in D flat major by Alexander Scriabin
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1888-1896; Russia
12.
Requiem, Op. 9: Pie Jesu by Maurice Duruflé
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Conductor:
Stephen Martorella
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Choir of The First Baptist Church of America
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1947; Paris, France
13.
Improvisation on "Were You There" by Stephen Unruh
Performer:
Stephen Unruh (Flute),
Stephen Unruh (Fiddle),
Stephen Martorella (Piano)
14.
The Mission: Gabriel's Oboe by Ennio Morricone
Performer:
Katie Scheele (Oboe),
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1986; Italy
15.
Climbin' up d' mountain by Traditional
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Conductor:
Stephen Martorella
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Choir of The First Baptist Church of America
16.
Requiem: The Lord is my shepherd by Mack Wilberg
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Conductor:
Stephen Martorella
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Choir of The First Baptist Church of America
17.
Come we that love the Lord by Aaron Williams
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Conductor:
Stephen Martorella
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Choir of The First Baptist Church of America
18.
Improvisation on "Amazing Grace" by Stephen Unruh
Performer:
Stephen Unruh (Fiddle),
Stephen Martorella (Piano)
19.
River in Judea by Jack Feldman
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Conductor:
Stephen Martorella
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Choir of The First Baptist Church of America
Notes: Composed in collaboration with Linda Marcus.
20.
Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes (3) for Organ: no 3, Hyfyrdol by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Performer:
Stephen Martorella (Organ)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1920; England
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