The Pine Forge Academy is a historically African-American boarding school located in exurban Philadelphia. From the evidence of this double-disc live concert, to say that the school has a strong choral program would be a serious understatement. This performance, a concert recorded live at Washington's Metropolitan Baptist Church, falls into the realm of extraordinary achievement. It's a rare group of young people that manages the intonational precision of this group without losing its native enthusiasm --on display throughout in the rotating group of perfectly enchanting young soloists. The
Pine Forge Academy Choir under director
Jason Max Ferdinand is accompanied variously by an orchestra, keyboards, or nothing at all, and it neither charges beyond the orchestra's pitches nor sags in the a cappella sections. More impressive still is its facility with various musical languages. There are several classical pieces on the program -- not only high-school choir standards like "The Heavens Are Telling" from The Creation, but also
Horatio Parker's The Lord Is My Light, an intriguing choice not so often heard in Caucasian churches these days. The rich sound of blended vibrato voices is always a special treat to hear in classical numbers. Within the group of pieces from the African-American tradition there is a wide variety, from spirituals (several different arrangers are employed, from quiet pastel-like versions to big, symphonic ones) to gospel to contemporary Christian pieces (hear Examine Me, by Take 6 vocalist
Cedric Dent, on disc one), to solo elaborations of venerable hymn tunes (Great Is Thy Faithfulness, the unofficial anthem of Chicago's Moody Bible Institute, has rarely sounded so alive as in this version by soloist
Denae Fiedler). In describing the sound one must defer to the booklet writers: "Live on-location recording projects can be difficult, and in this case there were some elements beyond control resulting in anomalies some might consider less than desirable. [Audience noise is the main issue.] However, the aim was to convey the excitement of this 'landmark' concert event through audio media. God directed and the Holy Spirit inspired. Thus, decisions were made which allow listeners to experience the concert almost as if they were present." The program at once reminds us that the definitive investigation of the sources of the African-American choral tradition has yet to be written, tells us what a rich question it is, and brings us the good news that that tradition is still very much alive. A real revelation that can give any choir something to aspire to.