Album Notes

This selection of songs is the culmination of a project that has been on my heart for a number of years. Some of the songs are new loves, and some are old favorites. However, they are all songs of faith. Composers and poets of all ages have communicated their spiritual yearnings through their art. My prayer is that you will hear God speak to you through these songs, no matter what the language. The recording is a compilation of sacred songs in different styles and different languages. It begins with a group of American Gospel songs, by Charles Ives, Aaron Copland and contemporary composers, Mark Hayes and Richard Walters. Representing the German language are five songs from the “Spanishes Liederbuch” of Hugo Wolf. This is followed by four songs from the French tradition, the two Hebrew melodies of Maurice Ravel, and songs by Francis Poulenc and Gabriel Fauré. The final group of songs are a solo cantata by John Carter based on African American spirituals.

Cheryl Anne Roach enjoys a distinguished reputation as both performer and teacher. She performs widely in recital and oratorio work and has been featured with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, the Camerata Singers of Long Beach, the Long Beach Bach Festival and the Robert Shaw Festival Singers. She has performed in operatic productions with the Los Angeles Music Center Opera and the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra. Cheryl is the founder of the highly acclaimed vocal ensemble, Zephyr: Voices Unbound, and was the mezzo soloist on two world premiere recordings. Dr. Roach is listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and has served on the faculties of several universities and colleges. She holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Southern California and the Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Illinois.