Album of the Week

Terra Nostra

We launch this week’s album feature on Earth Day (April 22), the day on which we release Terra Nostra: Oratorio by Stacy Garrop, which is all about the earth (Terra) and the balance we need to restore in order to save it. Stacy Garrop’s monumental work for vocal soloists, chorus, children’s chorus, and orchestra has been called an “oratorio that embraces the whole world” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “a powerful portrait of awe, sorrow and hope” (Chicago Classical Review). The oratorio is divided into three sections: Part I. Creation of the World, Part II. The Rise of Humanity, Part III. Searching for Balance. You can audition “High Flight,” the climax of Part II, which chronicles the advances of the industrial revolution before reflecting on the costs of those advances, HERE. Heard on this track are the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, Chorale, and Alice Millar Chapel Choir, all conducted by Stephen Alltop.

The theme of our featured Spotify playlist for April is “The Earth,” and we’ve just added tracks from Terra Nostra to round out the selection. You may also want to check out the latest Classical Chicago podcast from Cedille, on which Stacy Garrop reveals her composing process for this major work. Finally, please note that in conjunction with the message of this important piece, Cedille Records will, from now through the end of April 2025, donate 25% of our revenues from direct sales of the CD via the cedillerecords.org website to Climate Action Network International, a global network of non-governmental organizations working collaboratively to advocate for policies and initiatives that address climate change and promote sustainable practices. 

Every week Cedille President and Grammy-winning producer Jim Ginsburg selects a featured CD which is offered at a discounted price. Sign up for our e-newsletter and never miss an Album of the Week.