America the Beautiful
KJ Phillips arranger
University of South Dakota Chamber Singers
David Holdhusen conductor
Navona Records is pleased to present David Holdhusen and the University of South Dakota Chamber Singers’ performance of the iconic America the Beautiful. Initially arranged by KJ Phillips to accompany a 2021 Veterans Day celebration, the patriotic work flourishes with modern compositional flair, and is accompanied by a visual presentation of the ensemble’s performance. Beginning with a solo line that builds in slow, unfurling intensity, Phillips’ America the Beautiful weaves through several dynamic planes before ascending to a bright, resonant, and cathartic summit, inspiring admiration and reverence for the land of the free.
Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | America The Beautiful | arr. KJ Phillips | University of South Dakota Chamber Singers | David Holdhusen, conductor; Nicole Gerdes, soprano; Elizabeth Whitehead, soprano; Bekah Bahn, alto; Ali Guilloz, alto; Adam Lange, tenor; Brian Shirley, tenor; KJ Phillips, bass; Colby Stoos bass | 1:23 |
Recorded October 2021 at Aalfs Auditorium, Slagle Hall in Vermillion SD
Session Producer & Engineer David Holdhusen
Mastering Melanie Montgomery
Executive Producer Bob Lord
VP of A&R Brandon MacNeil
A&R Chris Robinson
VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Aidan Curran
Artist Information
University of South Dakota Chamber Singers
Chamber Singers is the premiere vocal ensemble at the University of South Dakota. It is comprised of graduate and undergraduate students selected through audition from the entire university student body. Known to critics for “creating a choral concert of stunning beauty and musical understanding,” its repertoire, which is primarily a cappella, includes music from the Renaissance to the present in a wide variety of styles.
David Holdhusen
Dr. David Holdhusen is the Director of Choral Activities and the Douglas and Susan Tuve Distinguished Professor of Choral Music at the University of South Dakota. His responsibilities include serving as conductor for the Chamber Singers and teaching courses in conducting. In addition to his teaching duties, Holdhusen is currently the Chair of the Department of Music and Director of the university’s annual Choral Directors Institute as well as the USD Summer Music Camp. He is also the co-founder and Executive Director of the Vermillion Children’s Chorus.
Notes
This arrangement of America the Beautiful was born when the University of South Dakota’s Office of Marketing and University Relations approached David Holdhusen about creating a video tribute in celebration of Veteran’s Day in 2021. The university team wanted a modern, patriotic arrangement that could show people coming together as voices are layered to a full chorus in a contemporary a cappella group style performance. At this point, Holdhusen enlisted graduate student KJ Phillips to write the arrangement. The two then worked together to polish and edit the music before assembling a group of officers and section leaders from the USD Chamber Singers to perform and record the arrangement. The result is a beautiful edition that begins with a single line and slowly adds parts as the piece swells to a powerful ending that will hopefully inspire patriotic feelings in its listeners.
Videos
America the Beautiful, as arranged by KJ Philips, performed by the University of South Dakota Chamber Singers
