Echoes of Grace: Choral Music of Patti Drennan

Reaching #1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Charts, "Echoes of Grace" is a breathtaking new choral album featuring the works of Choral Director and Composer, Patti Drennan, as performed by the Sterling Ensemble Los Angeles under the direction of Conductor, Michelle Jensen.

Patti Drennan and Emily Drennan, who serves as Co-Producer and Chorus Master for the project, envisioned an album that encapsulated both sacred and secular works as that is most indicative of Patti’s compositional style as well as indicative of the choral music genre. There is often an intertwining of text, themes and harmonies in choral music which are conducive to both realms. "Echoes of Grace" suggests an exploration of an overarching theme of grace – both sacred and secular. It harkens back to grace given to us in songs like "Lux Aeterna" and "Ave Maria", reminds us of grace we can give each other in "Grace Before Sleep", "The Water is Wide" and "If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking" and ultimately, shows us the grace we can extend to ourselves in "Awake, My Soul". There is an echo of that grace not only in the text, but in the polyphony of voices, in the moving lines of the orchestra and in the musical motifs that are echoed from one song to the next.

In her choral and orchestral compositions, Patti strives to “create music that is not predictable to the ear, but instead incorporates unexpected meters, harmonies and melodies”. Whether it be a playful string accompaniment to a 6-part male ensemble piece or a powerful choral anthem with a regal flourish of brass and timpani, the variety of instrumentation and yet continuity in theme will hopefully be a feast for the listener. Mixed and Co-Produced by Christina Giacona, this album spearheaded by these four extraordinary women and is a testament to the power and grace within choral and classical music.