Memphis Chamber Choir, Memphis Boychoir, John Ayer - The Art of the Chorale, Vol. 1-2 (1999-2020)

The program notes for this exciting CD proclaim the chorale as "one of the greatest cornerstones of human art." At least, he turned out to be an important musical anchor, to which composers of all eras returned again and again. This compilation explores 10 old chorales, including "Komm, heiliger Geist" from 1480 and "Lobe den Herren, den Mächtigen König" from 1665. Each of the 10 is presented in three different versions, one for choir and two for organ. The productions span four centuries, from Pretorius and Walter to Reger and Dupree, culminating in the 1999 organ production of the final chorale, written by performer John Ayer.
Since this program is a musical journey of discovery and exploration, I would not like to reveal too much, but here is an example: three versions of "Der Tag der ist so Freudenreich" (A Day Full of Joy) begin with an exciting, stormy choral performance staged by Pretorius, who also wrote the original chorale, followed by a more reflective organ The treatment is by Buxtehude, and culminates in a grandiose, complete organ harmonization by Dupree. The performances are full of life and insight, beautifully designed and sustained. Whether the focus is on the unaccompanied choir or the organ (two different organs are used, one at Christ Episcopal Church in Little Rock and one at Hendrix College), the sound is breathtakingly realistic. This rewarding CD is an adventure with numerous rewards.