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Conspirare

The Singing Guitar

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Behind the Playlist: Craig Hella Johnson with Colleen Phelps
Call Across
Holding Our Breath
Hear Me Out Part Two
1 Reena Esmail: When the Guitar  
2 Nico Muhly: How Little You Are / We washed our faces at the spring  
3 Do you remember  
4 A long-drawn wail  
5 Interlude: Springtime  
6 How little you are  
7 The night herders  
8 Kile Smith: The Dawn's Early Light / I, Sarah Winnemucca  
9 My grandfather jumped up  
10 While they were fishing  
11 The Palutes are not fond of going to war  
12 The Star-Spangled Banner  
13 I shall be beautiful  
14 Craig Hella Johnson: The Song That I Came to Sing  
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The wonderful Conspirare chamber choir, known for its interpretive depth and otherworldly sonic lushness, offers another of its captivating programs-this time joined by three superb guitar quartets-in a program remarkably relevant to our time.

Conspirare's 2019 Delos album, The Hope of Loving (DE 3578), was nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for Best Choral Performance in 2020. The concert version of The Singing Guitar was performed to full houses in 2019. The combination of guitar quartet and chorus is so successful it's surprising that more composers have not written for it. Four recently written compositions feature the voices of Conspirare accompanied by guitar-twelve guitars in Nico Muhly's How Little You Are, a compelling composition telling of the struggles of pioneer women. Kile Smith's The Dawn's Early Light ponders our national anthem in the writings of a Native American woman, Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins. The album is rounded out with compositions by Reena Esmail and Conspirare's founder and director Craig Hella Johnson.

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  • Conspirare 'House of Belonging' featuring: Craig Hella Johnson
    Posted At: November 15, 2023 12:00 AM
    As they begin their 30th Season, the GRAMMY® Award-winning choral ensemble from Austin, Texas, Conspirare, present an emotionally rich and wide-ranging program in their Delos recording: ‘House of Belonging.’Known worldwide for expanding the boundaries of choral performance, Conspirare has teamed up with the superb Miró Quartet to present a tapestry of intriguing new works by dynamic American composers…. Kev...
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  • Conspirare 'House of Belonging' featuring: Shara Nova
    Posted At: October 20, 2023 12:00 AM
    As they begin their 30th Season, the GRAMMY® Award-winning choral ensemble from Austin, Texas, Conspirare, presents an emotionally rich and wide-ranging program in their new Delos recording: ‘House of Belonging.’ Known worldwide for expanding the boundaries of choral performance, Conspirare has teamed up with the superb Miró Quartet to present a tapestry of intriguing new works by dynamic American composers...
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  • One can't help but be awed by the beauty and power of Conspirare's latest collection: 'House of Belonging' / textura
    Posted At: October 1, 2023 12:00 AM
    Many of the performances on this latest collection by Conspirare are so powerful, one can't help but be awed by their beauty. That starts with its haunting opening work, Reaching, featuring music by the choral group's founder and leader Craig Hella Johnson and words by Welsh-Scottish poet/librettist Euan Tait, which, especially when elevated by the majestic singing of tenor Haitham Haidar and baritone Simon...
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  • Conspirare and Miro Quartet collaborate on 'House of Belonging.' New Classical Tracks chats with Craig Hella Johnson
    Posted At: September 27, 2023 12:00 AM
    Conspirare, the GRAMMY® Award-winning choir known for expanding the boundaries of choral performance released: ‘House of Belonging’ on September 8 as they begun their 30th Season. House of Belonging is a dynamic and timely collection of American music for voices and with instruments featuring a collaboration with the internationally-renowned Miro Quartet. Craig Hella Johnson and Conspirare commissioned comp...
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  • Conspirare 'House of Belonging' featuring Miro Quartet violist: John Largess
    Posted At: September 20, 2023 12:00 AM
    As they begin their 30th Season, the GRAMMY® Award-winning choral ensemble from Austin, Texas, Conspirare, presents an emotionally rich and wide-ranging program in their new Delos recording: 'House of Belonging.' Known worldwide for expanding the boundaries of choral performance, Conspirare has teamed up with the superb Miró Quartet to present a tapestry of intriguing new works by dynamic American composers...
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  • 91.5WXXI's 'CD Spotlight' is Conspirare 'The House of Belonging'
    Posted At: September 12, 2023 12:00 AM
    Classical 91.5 WXXI-FM writes…..Sharing releases, present and past, to brighten your day. WXXI Classical has its eyes and ears on the latest releases from classical artists working today. When we come across a story or a release we think you might enjoy, we’ll be sharing it with you on CD Spotlight. You’ll learn more about the artists online at WXXI Classical, and you’ll hear selections from these artists o...
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  • Craig Hella Johnson and Derrick Skye chat about 'House of Belonging' with Texas Public Radio's Classical Connections
    Posted At: September 6, 2023 12:00 AM
    Conspirare, the GRAMMY® Award-winning choir known for expanding the boundaries of choral performance are set to release: ‘House of Belonging’ on September 8 as they begin their 30th Season. House of Belonging is a dynamic and timely collection of American music for voices and with instruments featuring a collaboration with the internationally-renowned Miro Quartet. Craig Hella Johnson and Conspirare commiss...
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  • The Singing Guitar - Kile Smith
    Posted At: January 25, 2022 12:00 AM
    ‘The Singing Guitar,’ 12 guitarists, 26 singers and a cellist, in new works by four American composers. Exploring the unique connection of voices and strings.Listeners experience an unusual musical journey on the Delos Music recording; ‘The Singing Guitar.’ Combining voices, guitars, and cello with Native American and non-native pioneer stories, it is hard to overstate the power, challenge, and difficulty o...
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  • The Singing Guitar - Kathlene Ritch
    Posted At: December 21, 2021 12:00 AM
    ‘The Singing Guitar,' 12 guitarists, 26 singers and a cellist, in new works by four American composers. Exploring the unique connection of voices and strings.Listeners experience an unusual musical journey on the Delos Music recording; ‘The Singing Guitar.' Combining voices, guitars, and cello with Native American and non-native pioneer stories, it is hard to overstate the power, challenge, and difficulty o...
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  • The Singing Guitar - Craig Hella Johnson
    Posted At: December 14, 2021 12:00 AM

    ‘The Singing Guitar,' 12 guitarists, 26 singers and a cellist, in new works by four American composers. Exploring the unique connection of voices and strings. Listeners experience an unusual musical journey on the Delos Music recording; ‘The Singing Guitar.' Combining voices, guitars, and cello with Native American and non-native pioneer stories, it is hard to overstate the power,...
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  • The Singing Guitar - Nico Muhly
    Posted At: December 10, 2021 12:00 AM

    ‘The Singing Guitar,' 12 guitarists, 26 singers and a cellist, in new works by four American composers. Exploring the unique connection of voices and strings. Listeners experience an unusual musical journey on the Delos Music recording; ‘The Singing Guitar.' Combining voices, guitars, and cello with Native American and non-native pioneer stories, it is hard to overstate the power, challen...
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  • Conspirare presents new works for choir and guitar to create a distinctive sound world / 89.7WOSU
    Posted At: June 23, 2021 12:00 AM

    89.7WOSU's Jennifer Hambrick writes......The Singing Guitar features new works by four acclaimed contemporary composers – Nico Muhly, Reena Esmail, Kile Smith and Craig Hella Johnson – performed by the Austin-based choral ensemble Conspirare, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, the Texas Guitar Quartet, the Austin Guitar Quartet and cellist Douglas Harvey. It was released last week by Delos. ...
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  • Conspirare conductor Craig Hella Johnson lets his imagination run wild on 'The Singing Guitar' / New Classical Tracks
    Posted At: May 26, 2021 12:00 AM

    New Classical Tracks - JULIE AMACHER writes.......Can you imagine the voices of the Austin-based vocal ensemble Conspirare, combined with the delicate shifting textures of 12 guitars? The conductor and artistic director of Conspirare, Craig Hella Johnson, decided to let his imagination run wild. Their new recording, The Singing Guitar, features Conspirare, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, the Texas Guitar...
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  • Conspirare founder Craig Hella Johnson talks 'The Singing Guitar' with Harmonious World
    Posted At: May 25, 2021 12:00 AM

    The wonderful Conspirare chamber choir, known for its interpretive depth and otherworldly sonic lushness, offers another of its captivating programs-this time joined by three superb guitar quartets-in a program remarkably relevant to our time. The concert version of The Singing Guitar was performed to full houses in 2019. The combination of guitar quartet and chorus is so successful it's surprising t...
    Bookmark and Share

  • Conspirare's June Season Finale: Songs for Seasons presents the world premiere of Kile Smith's 'April Showers'
    Posted At: May 21, 2021 12:00 AM

    Conspirare will close this season with Songs for Seasons, a concert centered on hope and renewal and hosted by artistic director Craig Hella Johnson. Conspirare singers Stefanie Moore, soprano, Laura Mercado-Wright, mezzo-soprano, Dann Coakwell, tenor, and Simon Barrad, baritone will be performing. The concert features the world premiere of April Showers, a song cycle by composer Kile Smith. Smith says o...
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  • Conspirare founder Craig Hella Johnson chats with 90.9WGUC - Cincinnati
    Posted At: May 12, 2021 12:00 AM

    90.9WGUC's Brian O'Donnell writes....Craig Hella Johnson is known for crafting musical journeys that create deep connections between performers and listeners. Johnson is Music Director of the Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble and conductor emeritus of the Victoria Bach Festival and he's also Artistic Director of Conspirare, a grammy award winning virtuoso choir who released a beautiful project not l...
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  • On 'The Singing Guitar' Conspirare touches on the major themes of 2020....solitude and loneliness / 90.5WUOL - Interview
    Posted At: April 16, 2021 12:00 AM

    90.5WUOL's Colleen Phelps writes.....When Texas-based professional choir Conspirare created their album The Singing Guitar they collected pieces centered on solitude, loneliness, and even the big questions asked in The Star Spangled Banner, they ended up touching on the major themes of 2020 that have continued into 2021.  Director Craig Hella Johnson points out that a sense of longing is a t...
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  • Conspirare's 'Quarantine Madrigals' - If the member of a choir sings when no one is around, is there a sound? / The Austin Chronicle
    Posted At: March 12, 2021 12:00 AM

    This new song cycle gives isolated singers music to build a choir with – a choir of just themselves The Austin Chronicle's ROBERT FAIRES writes.....For many choral singers, that's become a real – and distressing – question this past year. If the reason you sing is to blend your voice with others, who are you without those other voices? Anyone? The particular sense of lon...
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  • Conspirare collaborates 'October Project Music' for 'Genesis: From Grief to Hope'
    Posted At: March 8, 2021 12:00 AM

    Grammy award winning choir, Conspirare and internationally acclaimed creative collaborative October Project Music are uniting to present RE:Genesis, featuring the world premieres of ìHolding Our Breath,î written by Carlos Cordero (Austin, TX) composer and Julie Flanders (New York, NY), poet, and ìCall Across,î written by Kyle Pederson (Minneapolis, MN) and Brian Newhouse (Minnea...
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