Hope of Loving

Jake Runestad is one of America's leading composers of the younger generation; witness his many commissions from prestigious ensembles and artist institutions worldwide. This, the first Delos album devoted to his music, presents many of his finest choral compositions. Listeners will marvel at the rich, luminous textures, lyricism and harmonic wizardry of his compositions as he explores (among others) themes of love, spirituality and the natural world in mesmerizing settings of verses by poets ranging from medieval mystics to more contemporary masters. And what better ensemble to perform these rarefied pieces than Craig Hella Johnson's Grammy winning Conspirare chamber choir, a select professional ensemble that has captivated choral fans worldwide for nearly three decades now. Among American choirs, it has achieved near-legendary status for its consistently supreme technical mastery, collective musicality, interpretive depth and other-worldly sonic lushness.