Rivers of Delight explores a uniquely American repertoire: the invigorating melodic hymns of Colonial America popularized through the burgeoning community choirs of the day. The New York Times raves that the Word of Mouth Chorus gives “enthusiastic” performances “too arresting to miss."
In Colonial America, traveling singing masters taught part-singing to townsfolk as a community activity that combined sacred and secular values. Concurrent with the rise of these community choirs was the development of Sacred Harp music, invigorating melodic hymns that were widely popular throughout young America. On Rivers of Delight: American Folk Hymns from the Sacred Harp Tradition, first release on vinyl in 1979 and on CD in 1989, The Word of Mouth Chorus explores this uniquely American repertoire with “enthusiastic” performances that are “too arresting to miss” (New York Times).
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Recorded April and June 1978, St. Monica Church, Barre, Vt.; Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, Cambridge, Mass.
Engineering: David Griesinger
Mastering: Robert C. Ludwig (Masterdisk Corp.)
Coordinator: Teresa Sterne
Design and art direction: Neil Terk
Cover illustration: Anonymous American artist, Hieroglyphic of a Christian, ink and watercolor on paper (ca. 1850-1875), from the Eleanor and Mabel Van Alstyne American Folk Art Collection, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
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MUSICIANS
Word of Mouth Chorus
Larry Gordon, director
Andy Christiansen, Mary Alice Copland, Mark Dannenhauer, Juanita Kyle, Cynthia Ross, treble
Mary Eldridge, Ellie Hayes, Kathy Munson, Joanne Schultz, Anne Zuckerman, alto
Peter Amidon, Heidi Broner, Fred Carlson, Trudi Cohen, Ralph Denzer, tenor
John Bell, Ron Kelly, Steven Light, Larry Gordon, bass
