Download/StreaM CDs
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Seasons of Angels (2001)
“The four motets by Francisco Guerrero…demonstrate the strengths of the Rose Ensemble. Their intonation, balance and phrasing all work together to produce performances of the highest caliber….”
– Brewer, American Record Guide, September/October 2009
This CD was recorded in the acoustically stunning chapel of the Saint Paul Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It features motets, Gregorian chants, and spiritual songs which extol the virtues of various creatures of flight, highlighted by several works from Spanish Renaissance composer Francisco Guerrero. This recording demonstrates the ensemble's ability to sing as individual soloists as well as a splendidly blended choir. Includes two of the most beautiful spiritual songs by the famous 12th-century nun, Hildegard von Bingen.
Slavic Holiday (2001)
“The timbre of the Rose Ensemble is really lovely. Their singing is clear and forthright, quite reminiscent of Sequentia. One can hear it in the exuberant way they attack and drive through phrases. It really contributes to the rhetoric of the lyrics.”
— Loewen, American Record Guide, September/October 2009
Demonstrating the ensemble’s ability to sing as individual soloists as well as a splendidly blended choir, this disc features beautiful spiritual songs of Hildegard von Bingen, motets from Renaissance Spain by Francisco Guerrero, and various Gregorian chants for the feast of the Assumption and the Holy Mass of the Angels.
The Road to Compostela (2002)
“The pieces by [Victor] Zupanc are...quite remarkable, inventive compositions. [His] ‘Gratulantes Celebremus’ could almost pass as an authentic pilgrimage song ‘for the road.’... The eight singers...produce some of the most exquisitely serene, lovely singing; solo voices are carefully integrated into the ensemble.... The serene acoustic of the St. Mary Chapel of the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity (Minnesota) is most pleasurable.”
— Parsons, American Record Guide, September/October 2009
Chant and polyphony from the 12th-century manuscript Codex Calixtinus along with new music written specially for The Rose Ensemble by Minnesota composers Victor Zupanc and J. David Moore. Truly some of the most virtuosic medieval vocal music ever written and some of the most beautiful music we’ve commissioned.
Fire of the Soul (2003)
“The Rose Ensemble sings this music brilliantly with all the hallmarks in place: an almost supernatural blend of voices, beauty of tone, and rhythmic acuity. When the programming and singing is as good as this on a self-produced recording, you wonder why some of the more high-profile record labels can’t do as well.”
— Craig Zeichner, Early Music America Magazine, Spring 2004
Dazzling Eastern European polyphony featuring the antiphonal glory of Polish Renaissance composer Mikolaj Zielenski, the strength of the Russian Orthodox Liturgy with 12-part writing from Baroque master Vasily Titov, and our commissioned “hit,” Bogoroditse Devo, raduysia, by Minnesota composer, Sergey Khvoshchinsky.
Celebremos el Niño (2005)
“These are spirited and infectious performances of a high technical standard. The more lively and rhythmic the music, the more effective the performances. Any readers whose curiosity is even mildly aroused should get this and be prepared to be delighted.”
— Gatens, American Record Guide, May/June 2007
Early Mexican music resounds in this joyful program featuring over two centuries of festive Christmas dances and villancicos from the great cathedrals of Puebla and Mexico City. Accompanied by lively percussion, viola da gamba and vihuela da mano, solos and choruses burst forth in this holiday recording that’s anything but typical!
Rosa das Rosas (2006)
“The Rose Ensemble effortlessly pulls the listener from track to track.... Engaging and educational, the rich variety on offer makes this satisfying.”
— Andrew Druckenbrod, Gramophone, January 2007
Centuries of dedication and folklore in the chapels and courts of early Italy, Spain and Portugal produced music with rhythms that reverberated across the Mediterranean. In this recording spanning three centuries of vocal and instrumental music, a diverse collection of lyric poetry, dances, Italian spiritual songs, and Galician-Portuguese cantigas de Santa Maria tell of the Virgin’s sometimes-humorous, always-incredible miracles.
Nā Mele Hawai'i (2007)
featured in the HBO series, “THE WHITE LOTUS”
“...brings awareness...provides new insight...extended research...committed consultation with Hawaiian teachers...The Rose Ensemble has enacted a way of investing in indigenous expressive practices that might serve as a model....”
— C. K. Szego, Ethnomusicology, Winter 2011
It's an artistic legacy that looks and sounds nothing like a stereotype. Highlighting Victorian parlor songs, missionary hymns and paniolo (‘cowboy’) tunes, and the imprisonment of the last Hawaiian Queen — Lili‘uokalani, composer of the beloved and timeless “Aloha ‘Oe,” this exploration of Hawaii’s rich cultural history is as revealing and breathtaking as the valleys and gardens of the Islands themselves.
A SPECIAL NOTE FROM THE PERFORMERS:
We would like to express our respect and reverence for the teachers, both musical and academic, who have helped to shape our performance. It is with devotion and humility that we have approached this repertoire, and we are committed to its performance for two reasons:
First, we wish to share with you what we have learned concerning the music and the history of the Hawaiian Islands. It has indeed been an education for all of us. Second, and more importantly, we hope that by our efforts, we may honor the Hawaiian people, whose rich culture and traditions have made this work possible.
And Glory Shone Around (2008)
“…the arrangements…are tastefully done and add a nice touch of spice…sensitively performed…The Rose Ensemble demonstrates this music quite well with their joyous performances….”
— Roger Hall, American Music Preservation, December 2009
Early American vocal and instrumental music, which features Shaker hymns, Colonial anthems, country dances, shape-note hymns from The Southern Harmony and The Original Sacred Harp, and a variety of 19th-century spiritual songs. While we do not consider this exclusively a holiday recording, there are a number of selections appropriate for winter and Christmastide, including a beautiful new choral setting of Christ the Apple-tree by John Bitterman.
Il Poverello (2009)
…more than just another monotonous succession of monodies…. The singing is dominated by its blending of The Rose Ensemble’s clarity, pure intonation and seamless phrasing within the sheer naturalness of the acoustic space. For the audiophile, this represents digital art at its highest level….
— Laurence Vittes, Gramophone, April 2010
A delightful collection of over 300 years of vocal and instrumental music highlighting the life and legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi. The result of three years of scholarly research, this recording features a generous helping of medieval Italian instrumental dances (played on bagpipes, rebec, vielle, harp, recorder, pipe, and several percussion instruments), as well as early Italian-language spiritual and processional songs, lush choral motets from the Venetian School, and soaring plainchant written in honor of one history’s most beloved saints.
Land of Three Faiths (2011)
Limited Edition: Live Recording
The result of years of intensive research and training, “Land of Three Faiths” offers music that is at once sacred, secular, folk, and classical. Featuring instruments and musical ideas that blur the lines between Arabic and European, this CD provides a fascinating exploration of language, spirituality, and cultural exchange. Steeped in the rich history of the Abrahamic faiths the CD features laments of the Sephardic Jews, Arab-Andalusian dances and Spanish court songs, Hebrew cantillation, and Gregorian chant meet the mystical world of Sufi poetry.
A Toast to Prohibition (2014)
“Spirit is what flows throughout the entire set, all of which is sung and played with terrific old-timey verve, authenticity, curiosity, flair, musical chops and vocal expertise, combining for a swagger that celebrates the human condition in all its lubricated and stone-cold sober glory.”
— Jim Walsh, MNPost, 21 January 2014
Featuring the songs and stories of 19th-century Temperance Union meetings, old-time gospel, ragtime, Victorian parlor songs, 1920s anti-Prohibition tunes, and one of Irving Berlin’s best show-stoppers, it’s The Rose Ensemble like you’ve never heard before! 40-page booklet contains extensive program notes, historical photos, full-color images, and a link to complete lyrics.
Treasures from Baroque Malta (2017)
“The excellent American Rose Ensemble under the direction of Jordan Sramek provide simply radiant performances of this long-neglected repertoire, with superb vocalists singing equally effectively as soloists and in consort, while ably supported by a small but beautifully effective instrumental ensemble. ...superlative performances of richly rewarding music...”
— D. James Ross, Early Music Review, 8 January 2019
Preserved for centuries within the Cathedral archives at Malta’s ancient city of Mdina,17th-century vocal music rooted in the Mediterranean island’s Italian-colonial heritage is now reborn. Both Venetian and Roman styles are featured here in this rich and colorful array of sacred works for 1-8 voice parts, violins, and basso continuo, as well as a Maltese-language choral work by American composer, Timothy Takach.