By Emily Crocker. (Showtrax Cd). Choral. Music First Express. Children's Musical. CD only. Size 5x5 inches. Published by Hal Leonard.

SKU: GI.G-1087

Jason Max Ferdinand, Conductor. Composed by Jason Max Ferdinand. GIA Choralworks. Music Education. Listening CD. GIA Publications #1087. Published by GIA Publications (GI.G-1087).

UPC: 785147008729.

This incredible group, on their self-titled first recording, melds the finest choral technique with true depth of emotion, creating a not-to-be-missed listening experience. Recorded just days before COVID-19 abruptly altered the semester at Oakwood University and released in the midst of the pandemic, coupled with heightened racial tensions across the U.S. and beyond, The Aeolians seeks to bring hope to so many who are in need. Conductor Jason Max Ferdinand writes, “You, our audience should be provoked, challenged, and leave with optimism—the type of optimism that Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King possessed. We, the Aeolians, are no longer satisfied with solely displaying musical prowess. Coupling hope with mastery could be the combination that produces uncompromising societal transformation. We have programmed this music, hoping to appeal to the mind, but not leaving the heart untouched.” CONTENTS: Forever Music (Hayes) • Smile (arr. Dent) • Promised Land (Burton) • Pilgrim’s Hymn (Dawson) • Examine Me (Dent) • My Soul Hath Found Refuge (Simpson-Currenton) • The Chariot Jubilee (Dett/ed. Ferdinand) • Gospel Train (arr. Burton) • We Remember Them (LaBarr) • We Shall Overcome (arr. Gibson) • Shout for Joy (Hailstork) • When I Lay Me Down to Sleep (Mulholland).