Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) Music Director Judith Clurman has announced that some favorite timely endeavors by the chorus are currently available, for streaming and downloading, from its website www.essentialvoicesusa.com, thanks to Acis Records.
“Words Matter,” inspired by gay couple Dan Savage and Terry Miller’s anti-LGBTQ bullying “It Gets Better” project, features Stephen Schwartz’s moving “Testimony,” with EVUSA and pianist James Cunningham, and Shawn Crouch’s “Who Would You Be,” with the chorus, Cunningham, and cellist Daniel Miller. “Testimony,” originally written for the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and now in EVUSA’s SATB version, progresses from the bleak darkness of suicidal self-hatred and yearning through encouragement to the epiphany of relief, celebration, and pride. Hear samples at https://essentialvoicesusa.hearnow.com/words-matter.
“Winter Harmonies” gives us EVUSA in a quintet of songs for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Chanukah: David Chase’s “Cradle Hymn,” with violinist Tessa Lark; James Sizemore’s “Home;” “The First Noel,” arranged by Chase, with Cunningham and Miller; Clurman and Chase’s “Eight Days of Lights,” with Cunningham; and David Shire and Sheldon Harnick’s “Everlasting Light,” with Cunningham. Sample “Winter Harmonies” at https://essentialvoicesusa.hearnow.com/winter-harmonies.