These Lambs aren't silent

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale bring forth Afrocentric sounds

Given that they formed in 1998, it's been a long wait for the first CD from the Nathaniel Dett Chorale. Happily, it's here now in the form of Listen to the Lambs - The Music of R. Nathaniel Dett, a diverse but always compelling collection of choral music.
Chorale founder and artistic director Brainerd Blyden-Taylor acknowledges that "it has been a long time coming, both for the Chorale and for the music of Nathaniel Dett. Releasing a recording of his work is something I set as a goal for the Chorale. We were not formed strictly to do his music, but I certainly wanted to honour him."
If you draw a blank over the name of Dett, don't feel bad. "Canadians really didn't know much about his life or his music," notes Blyden-Taylor. "He was better known in the United States, because of his adult life and work there."
Dett is an Afro-Canadian composer we should be proud to claim, as his work has stood the test of time. The liner notes in Listen to the Lambs explain that he was born in the Southern Ontario community of Drummondville, one populated largely by blacks escaping slavery in the South. Dett was born there in 1882, then educated at Niagara Falls Collegiate Institute, and later in the U.S.
He studied in Paris, performed at Carnegie Hall and in front of two Presidents, taught at prestigious U.S. schools, and compiled an extensive and groundbreaking body of work.
Dett was dedicated to the cause of African Canadian and African American music, and his compositions were strongly influenced by spirituals and folk songs as well as more orthodox classical music elements.
His work served as an inspiration to Brainerd Blyden-Taylor. He's long been a leading figure in Toronto choral music, via a long stint as artistic director of the Orpheus Chamber Choir (1987-2002). He has conducted The Ontario Youth Choir and served as Music Director of some major gospel and chorale events across Canada.
The Nathaniel Dett Chorale is clearly his primary passion. It is Canada's first professional choral group dedicated to Afrocentric music of all styles, including classical, spiritual, jazz, gospel, folk and blues.
"I've set out to make people much more aware of Afrocentric music and chorale music in general. We have already done some mainstream classical stuff, spirituals, gospel, jazz, and a few African folk songs, and we are beginning to stretch this further too."
That eclectic approach is shown on Listen To The Lambs, with material ranging from a version of "Ave Maria" to work based on Afro-American folk songs and the epic "The Chariot Jubilee," inspired by classic spiritual "Swing Low Sweet Chariot."
The 21-voice Chorale features classically trained vocalists, and their strength in performance has been shown in well-received tours across Canada. Listen To The Lambs is released on local label Marquis Classics, and distributed here via EMI. It has also just been released in the States.
It stands as the first-ever CD recording of Dett's choral work, and takes its name from a Dett piece. Listen to the Lambs is an eight-piece anthem that was recorded by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. "It has been performed all over the world, and is his most well-known choral piece," explains Brainerd. "It's the title of the catalogue of the Dett collection and is the inscription on his gravestone in Niagara Falls, so it seemed natural for us to use it as our title."
Tracking down Dett's work has required some sleuthing by Blyden-Taylor, as some is out of print. "In June, I was doing a workshop at Hampton University in Virginia. Dett founded the School of Music there, so I had an opportunity to get into the archives there. I was able to get a number of new pieces, and we included two of those on the CD."
When the Nathaniel Dett Chorale perform at the Markham Theatre on February 6, they will feature a variety of Afrocentric cantatas, including "The Chariot Jubilee."
A new series will premiere at York University on February 26. Entitled Voices Of The Diaspora, it will, says Brainerd, "feature Afro-Cuban choral music, focusing on the texts of African poet Nicholas Guillen."
Listen To The Lambs is out on Marquis Classics/EMI. The Nathaniel Dett Chorale perform at Markham Theatre on Feb. 6 and at York University on Feb. 26. A TV documentary on the ensemble screens on Vision.

Publication Date: 2003-01-19
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=2243