About the Book
Arvo Pärt's music is deeply rooted in his profound faith and aims to touch the soul. The expressive beauty and clarity of his music shines through the joyful setting and dance-like rhythms of Peace Upon You Jerusalem and the glorious setting of Mary's words in the Magnificat. His masterful setting of L'abbé Agathon sets the scene of this ancient 4th century story of the chance (or was it?) meeting of the hermit Agathon and a leper. After several testings of the hermit's patience and his generosity, the leper reveals himself to be an angel, and blesses the hermit Agathon and goes on his way. The final work is one of Arvo Pärt's largest choral works--Stabat Mater, written to express the passion, agony and love of Mary at the foot of the cross of her son. Each stanza is set in a contrasting style with instrumental interludes that weaves a texture expressing the text and Mary's desire to stand with her son through his passion at the cross.
About the Author :
Gloriae Dei Cantores (Singers to the Glory of God) holds a passionate dedication to illuminate truth and beauty through choral artistry, celebrating a rich tradition of sacred choral music from Gregorian chant through the twenty-first century. Founded in 1988, Gloriæ Dei Cantores from Orleans, MA, under the direction of Richard K. Pugsley, has touched the hearts of audiences in twenty-three countries in Europe, Russia, and North America, receiving extensive critical acclaim for its artistic elegance, performance authenticity, and compelling spirituality. Distributed in the United States and internationally by Naxos, the choir's catalog of more than fifty recordings showcases their extensive repertoire, encompassing both masterpieces and rarely performed musical treasures. "Superb" --BBC; "Lovely, pure and radiant" --Gramophone; "Rapturous a cappella passages" --Chicago Tribune.
Highlights of the choir's career include three invitational tours to Russia, opening the 900th anniversary of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, live radio and television broadcasts with the BBC, film soundtracks, the tree-lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Plaza, and performances in some of the finest concert halls throughout Eastern and Western Europe and across the United States.
The choir's collaborative ventures have included a sixteen-city US tour of Mozart's Requiem with Philippe Entremont and the Munich Symphony Orchestra (Columbia Artists, CAMI, LLC), performances in the United States and the United Kingdom with Her Majesty's Coldstream Guards, concerts of Mozart's Requiem with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic in Russia, numerous collaborations with Vox Cæli Symphonia, world premiere concerts and recordings with Grammy award-winning artist Mark O'Connor, and ten Holiday Tours with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. They have also appeared on the concert stage and in recordings with John Williams, Samuel Adler, Stephen Cleobury, Vladimir Minin, and the late George Guest, Dr. Mary Berry, and Margaret Hillis, among others.
Gloriæ Dei Cantores makes its home at the Church of the Transfiguration (Orleans, MA) where the choir sings weekly worship services and seasonal concerts, and records throughout the year. The members' ongoing life of worship--Sunday Eucharist, Choral Evensong, and Liturgy of the Hours in Gregorian Chant--is the foundation of the choir's artistry, enabling their extensive repertoire to become a vibrant form of prayer in any setting. Their music conveys "a kind of utter, rapt, spiritual intensity, that you simply can't imagine unless you've experienced it for yourself." (American Record Guide)
Richard K. Pugsley, Director
Known for his musical sensitivity and performance authenticity, Richard K. Pugsley, Director of the world-renowned Gloriæ Dei Cantores, has been applauded for his "expert conducting" (Mozart Forum). Pugsley has conducted the internationally recognized Gloriæ Dei Cantores for over 15 years, and performed with the choir in concert halls and churches in 24 countries throughout Europe, Russia, and North America for over 25 years. His passion for enlivening the sacred texts of choral literature as relevant and present encounters of sung prayer spans the traditions of ancient Gregorian chant, to classic repertoire, modern works, and rarely performed choral gems. Maestro Pugsley has conducted over 2,000 works at the Church of the Transfiguration in Orleans, MA.
A soloist of critical acclaim, Mr. Pugsley's most recent performance as the lead role of Pilgrim in Ralph Vaughan Williams's opera The Pilgrim's Progress, was hailed for his "fully-embodied" and "musically thrilling" (NewsMax) performance, "where he captured the character's humility and resilient faith" (Boston Classical Review). Other lead roles have included Saul in Händel's oratorio, Saul, Pilgrim in the 2005 New England Premiere of Vaughan Williams's The Pilgrims Progress, solo roles in Duruflé's Requiem, and works by Bach, Copland, Grieg, Händel, Sowerby, and Vaughan Williams, among others.
An accomplished producer of over thirty recordings on the Paraclete label, Richard is a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences in the Producers and Engineers wing. A recent project, a collaborative recording featuring Gloriæ Dei Cantores of Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil, has been hailed as "one of the very finest recordings this work has ever received " (Fanfare); ". . . a superlative recording . . . beyond glorious," (Buffalo News); and "...brilliant recording... sheer beauty " (HRAudio.net).
Maestro Pugsley is a tenacious advocate for youth music education, continually inspiring young musicians to reach their greatest potential and experience the joy of excellence through performance. He has been recognized as an extraordinary teacher and coach of vocal technique. Pugsley has directed numerous ensembles and led musical and instrumental workshops with thousands of students throughout the world including in South Africa, South Korea, Australia, and across the United States.
