Featured in Houston Chronicle: Opera Singer Feeds Kitchen Passion

I’ve been enjoying my time performing at the Houston Early Music Festival.  I’ve also been lucky to have been featured in the Houston Chronicle discussing my two passions, music & food.  You can take a look at the article here along with one of my favorite recipes.

CD review in L’Opera

My CD entitled “Freud und Lust” received a great review in September’s  magazine L’Opera.  Click the next link to see the review. L’Opera review.

“St.John Passion” and Rick Erickson

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of being part of a wonderful event that took place in Boulder, CO – The Boulder Bach Festival. The main performance of Bach’s dramatic and emotional “St. John Passion” and its director, Rick Erickson, received a great review in Denver.  Click here to read it.

Singing with Texas Camerata at St. Patrick’s Cathedral

It was really lovely to sing agian with Texas Camerata at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Fort Worth, TX, on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012. We performed German Baroque music and the Frost Movement of “Our Lady” by Gregory Spears. Here is the review!

“Freud und Lust”

Here is a great review of the album “Freud und Lust” posted in the Early Music America Magazine. I recorded Buxtehude Cantatas and Bach songs with the amazingly talentedand Rick Errickson and the Holy Trinity Bach Players. You can check the review below, or go to the website and click on the new edition and go to page 26 and 27.

Singing with the Trinity Choir & Baroque Orchestra

I absolutely love this time of the year and the wonderful music we get to perform.  Recently, I had the opportunity to sing, Handel’s “Messiah” at Trinity Church with the Trinity Choir and Baroque Orchestra.  This piece was conducted by Julian Wachner and reviewed by Heidi Waleson of the “Wall Street Journal“.  Ms. Waleson had the following to say:

“Take the alto aria “He was despised.” It can run 10 minutes or more, and feel endless its many repeats. But with subtle details, countertenor Ryland Angel and the Trinity violins, led by concertmaster Robert Mealy (who was key to the spirit of this performance), turned it into a nuanced picture of the Passion of Christ.”

And, “Part I began with a swinging overture and maintained sprightly tempi and bright colors throughout, befitting the optimism of its subject: the annunciation of the birth of Christ. “Oh thou that tellest” was a speedy, joyful exultation as Mr. Angel, the chorus, and the fierce violins threw themselves into its dancelike rhythms.”

You can read the article in its entirety, here.

Majestic ‘Messiah’ Inspirational

George Frederick Handel’s masterwork, The Messiah, has been a part of the  holiday season for as long as any of us can remember.  I had the honor of performing this great work, under the direction of Christopher Shepard, at the gorgeous Worcester’s Mechanics Hall.  As an added bonus we were joined by 100+ voices of The Worcester Chorus, accompanied by a full orchestra.  What an amazing opportunity.  Here is what the Worchester Telegram and Gazette had to say about the concert.

“In another turn to original intention, Shepard decided to use (as was the custom in Handel’s time) a male counter-tenor for some of the “high parts” usually assigned in later performances to a lower-range female. Soloist Ryland Angel brought a bit more than the purity of tone associated with counter-tenors; he embraced a certain operatic flare to his excellent delivery.” 

 To read the entire article, click here.

Review of Gregory Spears’ Requiem

Back in August, 2010, I was at New York’s Corpus Christi Church, a part of the ensemble recording Gregory Spears’ Requiem.  It has just been released to wonderful reviews.  The Lucid Culture Blog had the following to say: 

 “The opening prelude sets the tone for the rest of the work. The sonics are marvelously suited to the music: the natural reverb on the two harps gives them the incisive presence of a piano, but muted just enough to enhance the murky ambience. The voices enter in counterpoint, with an unexpectedly agitated, clustering, seemingly argumentative crescendo, the last thing one would expect to hear in a “Requiem Aeternam:” it’s jarring, to say the least, and it packs a wallop.”  You can read the rest of the article, here.

Requiem is now out on New Amsterdam Records.

DFW.com Reviews Houston Performance

What a wonderful time I had in Houston last week performing at St. Patrick’s Cathedral!  DFW.com reviewed the performance saying,

“The high points of the evening … were a group of pieces devoted to the Virgin Mary.  Angel, with firm backing by the Camerata, gave a lovely, moving account of what is arguably Vivaldi’s most beautiful composition, a Stabat Mater.  Angel was also the vocalist in another moving work, a Salve Regina by Bassani.”

Thanks to the Texas Camerata, they were fantastic and made singing really fun!!

Please read the whole review here.

Press Release: Sacred Seven’s Chant released by Cosmos Music Group

Sacred Seven’s “Chant” released by Cosmos Music Group

 

New York, NY — July 28, 2011– Cosmos music group (www.CosmosMusicGroup.com) has released Sacred Seven’s “Chant”, composed, arranged and performed by Ryland Angel and Emanuel Olsson. Inspired by Gregorian chant, the new album includes twelve meditative tracks, enhanced with lush orchestration and flourishes of electronica. Traditional chants like Te Deum and Magnificat are included, as well as original melodies written from traditional Latin texts.

According to Kent Gillstrom, one of the founding partners of Cosmos Music Group, “’Chant’ contains soothing music with broad appeal both to traditional listeners and to others who are seeking calm melodies for meditation and relaxation. It’s a nice complement to our wide range of musical offerings.”

 Opera Magazine describes Grammy-nominated Ryland Angel, co-founder of Sacred Seven, with a “voice, obviously angelic . . . clothed in a truly unique charm . . . which . . . gives a softly elegiac dimension to the melodic line.”  Ryland’s effortless vocals enhance the relaxing quality of the chants, and in collaboration with Emanuel Olsson, renowned Swedish writer/producer, they create music which is wonderfully fulfilling. 

 The full album and twelve individual tracks are available on digital services worldwide, including iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/album/chant-feat.-ryland-angel/id430417458), Amazon and Spotify.  To promote the release of “Chant”, Ryland will be introducing the album live on “Sounds from the Spires” airing on SIRIUS XM 129, Monday, August 8th at 12pm EDT and on “Worship at Home” airing on Premier UK Radio, Sunday August 14th at 11am GMT.   Additionally, Sacred Seven will present a series of meditation chant performances in New York City.

Press Contact:

Aruna Naomi Inalsingh

Ani Marketing Service

Tel. 917-553-3790