Rituals combines songs by Charles Ives, Reynaldo Hahn and William Bolcom around a theme of “living the good life”.  The eight Ives songs set texts either by himself or by 19th century English poets in a characteristically Ivesian way.  There are folksy bits and hymn tunes (a setting of Arnold’s “West London”) plus some crazy loud piano (“Paracelsus”).  Laura Choi Stuart sings them idiomatically and clearly with excellent accompaniment by Tanya Blaich.  It’s a vision of the good life rooted in community and collective memory.

The Hahn songs contrast strongly.  It’s his Études latines to texts by Leconte de Lisle.  This is a very 19th century view of the ancient world.  It’s all beautiful nymphs and incense at the altar.  More Romantic than Roman in fact.  There are lots of vinous references too.  The vita bona through rosé tinted spectacles?  Beautifully played and sung with fine French diction.

The Bolcom set bookends his cycle Briefly it Enters; setting texts by Jane Kenyon with two songs from Cabaret Songs.  It opens with the well known “Waitin” followed by the much more cerebral and modern music of the main cycle.  This is made up of vignettes from rural life with somewhat abrasive piano accompaniment.  They are sung with great clarity and accompanied by precise piano playing.  The final piece is “Miracle Song”; a reminder that it’s a miracle we are alive at all or, as I’m sure Leonte de Lisle would have it, “Et in Arcadia Ego”.

The album was recorded in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory in Boston.  It’s very clean, clear and well balanced, at least in the lossless 96kHz/24 bit version I listened to.  It’s due for release March 20th as physical CD, two disk vinyl set, cassette (seriously!) and digitally.  There’s a pretty informative booklet.

If you fancy the rep on this album it’s a pretty good pick; well sung, played and recorded.

Catalogue information: Acis Records APL 78383