Seraphic Fire- Random Act of Culture!

Please read and enjoy this news article relayed to me by James Bass, an amazing young conductor who I have known since his first days directing at Western Michigan University. James caught my attention when he was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 8 AM discussing fine points of advanced music theory with some people at a nearby table at a Michigan ACDA event, while I was still just trying to get caffeine into my tired soul and wake up!


Dr. James Bass










James studied with Mike Scheibe at University of Miami and now teaches at the University of South Florida and is also a member of Seraphic Fire. I believe he often sings with Conspirare too-in other words, he is one of those great young professional singers who can read like a maniac and loves to sing on an extremely high level with other young American choral singers with similar talents.

Here is the story link:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/11/2014888_surprise-serenade-courtesy-of.html#storylink=addthis

Seraphic Fire and Western Michigan University recording

A great story I'm reposting from ChoralNet - and what the future holds- more and more creative people will "do it themselves" instead of kowtowing to publishers, record companies and the like:



Releasing it yourselves: Seraphic Fire, WMU, and Monteverdi
Date: August 29, 2010
by Philip Copeland
All of the record labels turned them down, so they released it themselves. And now, the recording is tops on iTunes.

Patrick Quigley told ChoralNet about it on Monday. I thought it needed a little more prominence, so here is the story:

From WMU News:

A new compact disc by the Western Michigan University Chorale in collaboration with the professional singing ensemble Seraphic Fire has climbed to the top of the iTunes classical recordings charts, displacing new releases by the likes of Yo-Yo Ma and the London Symphony Orchestra.

The recording of Claudio Monteverdi's 1610 masterpiece, "Vespers of the Blessed Virgin," also known as the "1610 Vespers," was released on iTunes last week, immediately landing in the Top 10 classical recordings and prompting National Public Radio to feature the CD and the story behind its creation on the program "All Things Considered."

"It's really an amazing story," says Dr. James Bass, who just left WMU after serving as director of choral studies. "I'm so proud of the students at Western."

Here is the NPR story.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129321950&ft=1&f=1039