Award-winning iSing Silicon Valley girlchoir releases debut album on Innova Recordings

Here I Stand features new commissions by Adam Schoenberg and Daniel Elder, works by Eriks Ešenvalds, Claude Debussy and more 

iSing Silicon Valley announced today the release of their debut album, Here I Stand, on the Innova Recordings label. Here I Stand celebrate the power of girls to change the world as they raise their voices in remembrance, in strength, and in the pure, shared delight of coming together to sing.  

Here I Stand showcases the astounding vocal blend and joyous singing of 200 young women from Palo Alto’s award-winning girlchoir, conducted by iSing Artistic Directors Jennah Delp-Somers and Shane Troll; with accompanists Anny Cheng and Anna Khaydarova; and guest artists Emily Botel (violin), Ron Ho (violin), Lesley Robertson (viola), Warren Wu (cello), Kent Reed (percussion), and Meredith Clark (harp). The album is available now via iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and more.

The recording opens with the treble-voice version of “Only in Sleep,” Eriks Ešenvalds’ dreamlike work for solo voice and chorus. Also featured are impactful works commissioned by iSing during their first six seasons, with themes ranging from social justice to individual growth and collective power. Given first life by iSing singers on the concert stage and on this recording, these commissioned pieces and arrangements represent exciting and relevant additions to the choral repertoire for treble voices:

“Never Shall I Forget” — iSing won the 2018 Chorus America Dale Warland Singers Commission Award, funded by the American Composers Forum, in support of Adam Schoenberg’s haunting setting for treble voices, string quartet and percussion of excerpts from Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust memoir, Night, including these words: “Never shall I forget that night, / The first night in the camp, / That turned my life into one long night, /A night seven times sealed.”

“365” —Daniel Elder was commissioned by iSing to arrange his powerful commentary on gun violence for treble voices. In his notes on the piece Elder writes: “This original poem and its musical setting seek to pay tribute to the victims of gun violence… The text humbly seeks to draw attention to what exactly is happening among us, among our neighbors, our governors, and our legislators, and the importance of addressing this ever-growing crisis in our society.”

“In Your Light” — a new arrangement of Daniel Elders’s transcendent piece featuring texts from one of Rumi’s most ecstatic poems.

“Sing” — Musical artist Pinkzebra celebrates the potential of every voice: Every voice should be heard; every voice can make a difference. In a world that can dampen the confidence and enthusiasm of young women, the text of “Sing” is a message of empowerment to iSing singers, as they come together in song.

Here I Stand captures the musical finesse and the stunning vocal blend of iSing’s elite choirs — and the lovely ensemble sound of younger iSing singers ranging in age from 7 to 12. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Only in Sleep, Eriks Ešenvalds
2. Ave Generosa, Ola Gjeilo, Ave Generosa
3. In Your Light, Daniel Elder (arr. iSing commission, 2019)*
4. 365, Daniel Elder (arr. iSing commission, 2019)*
5. Never Shall I Forget, Adam Schoenberg (iSing commission, 2019)*
6. Like a Singing Bird, Bob Chilcott
7. Birds’ Lullaby, Sarah Quartel
8. Salut Printemps, Claude Debussy
9. Here I Stand, Karen Linford (iSing commission, 2016)*
10.   Sing, PinkZebra (iSing commission, 2018)*
11.   Grow Little Tree, Andrea Ramsey

* World premiere recording

Listen/download here
Private Soundcloud link

Album artwork
Elizabeth Foster, iSing alumna
Recorded April 26–27, First Baptist Church, Palo Alto, CA
Recorded May 17–18, Skywalker Studios, Marin, CA
Recording Producer: Nick Tipp, Soniferous Studios
Recording Engineer: Paul Vasquez
Editor: Nick Tipp
Recorded and Produced in the USA

“In just five years, iSing Silicon Valley has established itself as an organization with a bold vision” — Chorus America (2018)


About iSing

Award-winning girlchoir iSing Silicon Valley champions girls as artists through exceptional musical experiences. ISing brings together more than 200 1st–12th grade singers in Silicon Valley, offers them rigorous musical and vocal training, and guides them toward the highest level of artistry.

Celebrated for the gorgeous vocal blend and joyous singing of its choirs, iSing has quickly built a deeply-committed musical community in the Bay Area — and has also earned recognition on the national and international stages. Recent awards include the Grand Prize in the 8th International Robert Schumann Choral Competition (2018) and the Chorus America’s Dale Warland Singers Commission Award (2018). iSing has also enjoyed collaborations with musical pioneer Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble, and the world-renowned vocal ensembles Voces8 and Cappella SF.

iSing girls become friends for life, bonded by artistic experiences that challenge and shape their understanding of the world. As iSing singers realize the power and potential of their voices, their shared vision for a bright future in which the voices of these young women will be heard and valued, manifests itself in every rehearsal, every performance, and on iSing’s debut album Here I Stand.

www.isingsv.com

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