MusicatlasMusic
The Revenge of Hamish and Other Choral Works. Recorded by William Appling Singers & Orchestra. Albany Records (Troy 614).
The description on his page reads as follows:
"The Revenge of Hamish" includes settings of texts by some of America’s finest poets and authors including Elizabeth Bishop, Richard Wilbur, Mary Oliver, e.e. cummings and Conrad Aiken. Featured are two powerful extended ballads: The Revenge of Hamish by Sidney Lanier, and The Ballad of Don and Dan by Ian Frazier. Hamish is a chilling tale set in the highlands of Scotland which McClelland brings to life with Celtic fiddle, piano and bodhran and traditional jigs and reels. Don and Dan describes a bizarre kidnapping 20 years ago in the mountains of Montana with a text drawn from news items written in the Montana papers at the time. The chorus is accompanied by electric guitar, piano, bass and drums. Other works include Five Sonnets for Men’s Voices, settings of Dante and John Bunyan, and what is, undoubtedly, the first hymn ever written to the activity of removing plastic bags from trees!
Life
The bio on the page reads as follows:
William McClelland grew up near Goodison, Michigan and now lives near New York City. His works have been commissioned and presented by ensembles and organizations throughout the US and internationally.
