Redeeming Love | Repertoire

Repertoire

Repertoire The vocal trio Redeeming Love sings mostly, but not exclusively, sacred music. The largest part of their repertoire is American spiritual songs from the first half of the nineteenth century, drawn from Ric's library of dozens of tunebooks from that period. Many of these songs are from shaped-note collections, with rough-hewn harmonies and vigorous rhythms. However, rather than performing in the shaped-note singing style (which is somewhat raucous and inattentive to the words), Redeeming Love sings with refinement, nuance, and expression.

Redeeming Love can design special programs of spiritual songs from a particular historical period, for celebrations and commemorations. Anti-Slavery Songs The trio's project for 2011-2012 is anti-slavery songs from the 1840's and 1850's. These songs display a variety of approaches to opposing slavery: the irony of slavery in a free country, contemplating the feelings of both slaves and slaveholders, the fugitive slave law, and campaigning for an anti-slavery presidential candidate. Some songs portray entertaining scenes such as a southern planter courting a beautiful Yankee girl, and a southern preacher arriving in Hell. Christmas Songs Redeeming Love has a considerable repertoire of lesser-known Christmas music in several languages, from medieval chants through the twentieth century. In addition to unison songs, duets, and trios, they intersperse solo songs with guitar or keyboard accompaniment. They also sing entire programs of European music for the new year. Early Mormon Hymns Redeeming Love has two projects of early Mormon hymns. One is the matching of period tunes with the texts printed in Emma Smith's 1835 hymnbook. The trio has performed these songs in Nauvoo, Illinois, and near Kirtland, Ohio. The other project is a recording by Ric and Paul of all the pieces in the Collection of Sacred Hymns published in 1844 in Bellows Falls, Vermont--the first Mormon hymnbook printed with tunes. (To be notified when the CD is available, click here.) Ric and Paul gave a performance of this collection at the Mormon History Association's annual conference in Vermont in 2005.