Welcome to TortoiseClimbing's™ new website.
NOTE. This entirely new website replaces the original, built in 2004. (The old site is still online.) Thus, this new version is currently hosted under a different URL (TortiseClimbing.net.) The plan is to eventually migrate this new site to our .com URL (replacing the original website built in 2004.) When migrated, we will automatically redirect this URL to the .com URL. Thus, any references you establish to this URL will continue to access the new website after it is migrated.
Our online Audio marketplace is operational. See Store Access for links to products available and coming on the Online marketplace pages.
Currently available Audio products -
Free - Download only of this separated into numbers, digitally Restored and Mastered version 2 of this historic, 1959 amateur, monophonic recording performed by Annapolis High School choirs. {Version 1 of this mastered and restored album released January 2023.} (NOTE - If you want MP3 streaming from Bandcamp, the cost is $1.00. FYI - This album contains earliest examples of David solos before voice training.)
Updated version 2 released 10/6/2024, contains:
- At Cost ($3.00) - Individually burned CDs available for delivery by mail.
Easy access links to online marketplace found at Store Access page.
The online marketplace allows you a limited number of streams all the numbers from the album, purchase and download digital version, and ordering CD for delivery by mail.
(Copyright note. We are now allowed to freely provide these restored and mastered copies because the score became public domain beginning of 2023.)
- Digital format of vocal version. (Released digitally 6/20/2024.)
- CD format (Released 9/20/2024.)
Near-term additional New Products:
This Fall we will add the following to our online marketplace:
Statuses:
Now available.
Hymns and Songs of My Mother
Selected streaming numbers from the vocal version. (Found on the annotated playlist of the 27 numbers.) See Annotated Playlist. (If you only want to know which hymns and songs included on album, see Simple Playlist.)
Digital version of vocal performance - Released 6/20/2024.
CD version of vocal performance released 9/20/2024, for delivery by mail (shipping included in price.)
The Crucifixion
This composition is about the Easter passion. This performance was given by 3 Annapolis High School choirs in 1959, and includes David in the part of Jesus, his first recorded performance. The use of womens choirs to sing most of the recitatives and arias makes this a much more choral performance than scored by John Stainer. See Store Access page.
Songs being finalized this fall (for digital download):
Coming later this year and early next
TortoiseClimbing Audio™ is providing Free downloads of version 2 this recording. (If you want MP3 streaming from Bandcamp the cost is $1.00.) An older mastered version 1 is available from this website. The newest separation into 15 performance numbers of score, mastering and restoration, plus addition of lyrics to the online album store is available from our online marketplace at Store Access. This is a digitally restored and mastered version from the unmixed and unmastered historic, amateur, monaural, private LP recording from 1959. We can now offer this for free because the score for The Crucifixion became public domain the beginning of 2023.
(FYI, this vintage album contains the first recordings of David as a high school soloist before voice lessons.)
The original vintage, historic, monaural, private LP record was made in 1959 by editing together the best of from the amateur raw tapes of two 1959 live spring performances by the 3 Annapolis High School choirs in the then AHS (now Maryland Hall) auditorium. The performances are a unique arrangement, achieved by using 2 womens choirs to sing most of the recitatives and arias of John Stainer's The Crucifixion, achieving a dramatically more choral presence. (Hymns in the score are omitted. About 41 minutes in length.)
NOTES
TortoiseClimbing Audio™ is pleased to have the opportunity to digitize, restore and master these performances from the monaural, private LP record of those live performances.
Note. The recording fidelity is subject to limitations of late 1950's consumer quality audio equipment technology. However, because that equipment was available, this truly unique and wonderful performace was preserved. It is an uncommon much more choral arrangement, created by the choral director, Robert Kunkle.
Available free from this website are both:
Note. The Online Marketplace free download includes a copy of the lyrics, but it does Not include a copy of the score. The score is only available from this website.
For more details on this website about this project, click on The Crucifixion.
This is an extensive (almost 78 minutes in length), very high-quality collection of 27 classic, traditional, nostalgic, congregational hymns and other songs. They were jointly selected by David and his mother from his parents' favorites. A number of outstanding trained singers join David in various combinations and accompaniments. He sings lead on all but one hymn, where he provides accented harmony to an original arrangement of "Were You There" by the Phase I Producer, Ms. Heidi Gerber-Salins.
Titles and timings of playlist are available at Simple Playlist.
The collection is composed of 21 traditional, congregational hymns, and 6 religious songs. The hymns were selected from hymnals David's parents had collected over the years, and the religious songs are drawn from a variety of sources, including:
Except for lyrics to "Morning Has Broken," all hymns are now public domain, i.e., out-of-copyright, and no longer included in many church hymnals. Lyrics to the wedding song "Be Thou with Them," are similarly still under copyright. We will be copyrighting the original folk-Contemporary Christian song "Welcome Home" on behalf of the author/composer, Kathy Brigman Haupt.
This album provides an opportunity to re-live your memory of these hymns and songs. Their Congregational hymn origin is honored by singing them as printed in the hymnals, but in a variety of vocal combinations and different accompaniments, including:
-- Status --
Selected hymns from the vocal performance version are available for streaming from this website (see Annotated Playlist)
Streaming of all tracks of the vocal version are available from the online marketplace product page (see Hymns and Songs of My Mother). You can purchase and 1) digitally download the album, and 2) place an order for the CD to be mailed.
Lyrics for all hymns and songs are available both from this website and the online store for all hymns and songs. (See Lyrics.)
-- Future Projected Schedule --
The plan is to add 3 additional versions of this album as soon as circumstances allow:
This Fall we will be releasing several early, previously unreleased songs recorded with friends from around 1991, before TortoiseClimbing™ was established in 1993. The recordings are upgraded so their quality conforms with our upgraded mission. (They were post production processed, remixed, and remastered. Initial versions of some are available on this website for streaming from Duets with Terry.)
The following songs will be released for sale and digital download in Fall 2024. They may become part of an EP with additional songs subsequently.
This song was recorded likely in 1991-1992, prior to beginning work on the Solo Collection, which preceded recording the Hymns and Songs of My Mother album. "And So It Goes" includes a multi-part trio harmony version of this wonderful romantic song with friends Terry (Duets with Terry) and the Phase I Producer of Hymns and Songs of My Mother, Ms. Heidi Gerber-Salins (see Heidi Gerber-Salins - Producer, Phase I). This song will be offered, both as:
This lovely, poignant, romantic song of love lost was initially published by Billy Joel in ©1989 (about 3:40 in length). This trio version illustrates yet another dimension of TortoiseClimbing™'s repertoire.
Like the poignant, romantic song "And So It Goes" above, this song was also likely recorded in 1990-1991 before beginning Solo Collection. Similar to "And So It Goes", this song will be offered, both as:
This is a dramatic baritone and tenor duet, with synthesized orchestra, bass guitar and piano accompaniment. It is a strong motivational number from the 2nd act of the musical, Starlight Express. It is between the protagonist, Rusty, and the mythical Starlight Express, where Starlight gives Rusty the advice that the Starlight Express is within Rusty. Just believe in yourself and you can do anything!
This is available for streaming from Duets with Terry.
This romantic song was also likely recorded in 1991-1992. It begins with with thoughts that some may say about the difficulties of love, but ends with a pronouncement that love is what brings meaning into life, and that the seed for love can always spring forth anew. This song was a major hit from end credits of the 1979 movie The Rose staring Bette Midler. Although the choral arrangement used for making this recording included multiple parts throughout, the final mix we created is modeled more after the the Bette Midler version, which begins and ends as a solo.
This is available for streaming from Duets with Terry, and subsequently will be available for purchase and download from our online marketplace.
This is the only Contemporary Christian song on the album Hymns and Songs of My Mother. It is also provided separately because of its appeal as a CCM song. My mother loved this song written for her sister's funeral by her sister's grandchild.
This is available for streaming from Annotated Playlist, (scroll down to hymn 25) and from our online marketplace via Hymns and Songs of My Mother, (scroll down to hymn 25).
This website. Provides information about every artist involved in creation of both the Hymns and Songs of My Mother recording and the History Through 27 Hymns and Songs eBook.
(Note. There remain 3 vocalists who participated in recording Hymns and Songs of My Mother who have not provided bio materials. Additionally, the draft bio for the trumpeter is drawn from materials found on the internet, but are not yet commented on by the artist.)
Variations on the above are planned beginning in early 2024. Examples:
Check out considerable information about these projects, including detailed credits for each of the many persons involved in helping create each of the projects. The most expansive details are about making the album Hymns and Songs of My Mother recording.
Major categories are accessed by clicking the appropriate category in Top/master menu atop each webpage. Burrow deeper by clicking on dropdown submenu top left under master menu, then click on subtopic that interests you. Deepest details are under Recordings.
Many webpages under "Recordings," "Publications" and "About" contain more detailed Dropdown SubMenus found at the top left under Master menu bar. Click on any Dropdown SubMenu and additional webpage choices related to the webpage category you are on will dropdown. Clicking on any link in dropdown menus will take you to those more detailed webpages, with return links.
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