Recordings: Overview

The following summaries provide quick overviews (in alphabetical order) of TortoiseClimbing Audio™'s recordings (available and planned). If you'd like greater details than on this page, click on dropdown submemu in the upper left, then click on your choice of recording.

This is TortoiseClimbing Audio™'s 1^st publicly released album (previous releases were private). It is the 4^th produced. See The Crucifixion.

(Note. The 2^nd album for public release by TortoiseClimbing Audio™, Hymns and Songs of My Mother, is targeted for Summer 2023, see below.)

The Crucifixion's score became Public Domain the beginning of 2023. That allows TortoiseClimbing Audio™ to provide Free audio file downloads of the digitally mastered and restored audio file of this nostalgic, vintage, historic performance from the 1959 recording.

The original recording of The Crucifixion this is developed from, was made by Annapolis High School choirs in spring 1959, Robert F. Kunkle choral music director. Participating were Mr. Kunkle's: mixed chorus; two women's choruses; and limited soloists from the choirs. Members of the choirs were in the graduating classes of 1959, 1960 and 1961. This mastered and restored file comes from the private, limited edition monophonic LP made and sold to choir members and family in 1959.

The performance is a unique variation on the usual combination of soloists and choruses. The variation is many of the numbers scored as recitatives and arias for soloists are sung by the women's choirs, creating a much more choral performance. Instead of usual limited quality soloists, you are treated to the wonderful sound of womens' choirs on those recitatives and arias. (There are a few limited solos from the choir.)

In addition to this mastered and restored audio file being available from the online music store via Bandcamp, it is also available for download from this website. You can obtain your copy from this website of this mastered and restored digital audio file by:

• Accessing the Download process found at: Download mastered and restored audio file from 1959 AHS Choirs' The Crucifixion.
  1. The first step provides explanations about creation of the mastered and restored digital audio file and the download process;
  2. The second step is a form that collects basic information, and
  3. Transfers you to the Download page with links for downloading.
  
  
• You have a choice of digital audio file formats you can download, plus supporting documents for follow-along, if you wish.

NOTE. The mastered and restored audio file is being loaded for Free availablity from TortoiseClimbing™'s online music store on Bandcamp.

"God Is My Shepherd"

This is Antonin Dvořák's version of the 23^rd Psalm. It uses lyrics from the 16^th century Czech-language Bible of Kralice. The original piano version was published in Czech by Simrock in 1895, with English and German translations of the text. Dvořák took particular care that the translations were appropriate to the vocal line.

This recording uses the original piano version. It provides a beautifully pastoral setting of the reassurances contained in the 23^rd Psalm.

Publication - History Through 26 Hymns and Songs (Fall 2023)

Two recording products will be created from this eBook companion to the recording Hymns and Songs of My Mother. The hymns' album recording is targeted for availability by the latter part of 2023. (The ebook will become available in the music store as an part of an optional bundle with its companion hymns' album recording. The ebook will also be available alone, likely from a different online store. Both online stores will be accessible from this website's Store Access page.) The following recordings will be made from the eBook:

Audio files from The Companion Publication

Advanced Podcasts (Beginning fall of 2023)

When the publication History Through 26 Hymns and Songs is finalized later this summer, 2023, TortoiseCimbing Audio™ will begin recording a series of advance audio podcasts of the chapters from that book. Those advance chapter podcasts will be available as:

• A subscription series. (When the series is completed, the audiobook will be downloadable for free by those who subscribed to the series of podcasts), and
• Each podcast will be available to purchase as an individual chapter from the eBook.

Audiobook (Late 2024)

When the series of podcasts are completed, the complete audiobook will be assembled and made available. Target is late 2024.

Hymns & Songs of My Mother (Later summer 2023)

Hymns and Songs of My Mother is the 2^nd album produced for public release (targeted for late summer 2023). [Selections will be available earlier.] (It is the 4^th album TortoiseClimbing Audio™ has produced, with the first album produced for private release being Solo Collection in 1992. That album will be updated and publically released as Nostalgic Solos targeted for late 2024.)

Note. The ebook publication, History Through 26 Hymns and Songs is the companion to the album Hymns and Songs of My Mother. (See Publications for details about this eBook.) Following completion later this year of this companion eBook, the advanced podcast series of chapters will begin being produced, and then an audiobook version of the companion eBook.

The impetus for the Hymns and Songs album indirectly was David's father's death in late 1996. In Spring of 1998, (some months before his mother also would die) she requested TortoiseClimbing Audio™ create a quality recording of selections from their favorite hymns and religious songs. David and his mother jointly selected the list for inclusion on this album:

1. The 21 hymns were selected from hymnals his parents collected over their lives as their respective churches replaced older hymnals with newer hymnals, plus
2. 5 non-hymn religious songs were selected from several sources:
   • The first are two service songs from the backs of the hymnals;
   • Another is the contempory christian song written for the funeral of his mother's sister by a granddaughter of his mother's sister by Ms. Kathy Brigman Haupt;
   • Two religious songs often used in weddings, both harkening back to baroque music from J.S.Bach's era.

A number of musicians were involved, both instrumental and vocal, bringing a wealth of experience and skills to this recording. Credits for each participant are included on individual webpages, grouped by the recording phase when they participated, i.e., Phase I and Phase I. An artists' cross-reference is also provided.

All hymns on Hymns and Songs of My Mother are public domain. Lyrics for two of the songs are still under copyright, and Kathy Haupt gave TortoiseClimbing Audio™ permission to arrange and make the 1^st recording of her song:

• "Be Thou with Them" (lyrics);
• "Morning Has Broken" (lyrics); and
• "Welcome Home" (both lyrics and tune).

NOTE. Work on the Hymns and Songs of My Mother album extended over a number of years, divided into 2 widely separated Phases. For those interesed, a summary of how that project evolved is provided by opening the window below.

Kathy's Songs (Unknown)

Many thanks to Ms. Kathy Brigman Haupt, the composer and writer of "Welcome Home" for granting Tortoise Climbing Audio™ permission to create an arrangement for her song, "Welcome Home" and make the 1^st public recording. It is included on Hymns and Songs of My Mother.

Previously in her youth, she wrote several other contemporary christian songs. TortoiseClimbing Audio™ proposed creating arrangements for each and recording a small album containing Kathy's other songs. As of 2023, Ms. Haupt is reluctant to have that done.

Nostolgic Solos (Target, late 2024)

Note. The 1^st privately released album for family and friends produced by TortoiseClimbing Audio™ in 1992 was titled Solo Collection. The plan is to upgrade that album in accordance with TortoiseClimbing Audio™'s more evolved mission, and re-release as a public offering under the new title Nostolgic Solos. That will make it the 3^rd publically released album. Following the previous private release of that album in 1992, TortoiseClimbing Audio™ began production of another album with the working title of Romantic Duets. That album was put on hold to produce Hymns and Songs of My Mother.

The 1992 Solo Collection was ballads from the 1940's through WWII and a few decades afterward about values that make life worth living. It includes songs about: love; loss; sorrow; bereavement, dedication; and needed social change. The original acompaniment for most of songs on that album was solo piano, but several used prerecored Karaoke tracks as the accompaniment. (For the planned upgrade and public release of that album, TortoiseCliming Audio™ is investigating possibly augmenting the piano only accompaniments, and replacing the Karaoke ones.)

The plan is to revisit and publically re-release the upgraded version of that album, plus write a companion history publication. Work on that project is anticipated to be concurrent with production of the advance podcast series from the eBook History Through 26 Hymns and Songs. Completion of that series is projected for 2024.

Note. For the Nostolgic Solos album there is the cost of getting many copyright royalty licenses, since all those songs are under copyright.

Romantic Duets (TBD)

Note. Work on this presumably will take place after completion of:

• eBook for History Through 26 Hymns and Songs (late 2023);
• Advance podcast subscription series from eBook chapters (late 2023 - 2024);
• Audiobook version of eBook following completion of podcast subscription series (2024); and
• Augmented version of Nostalgic Solos (2024).

Work on this album began in 1993 after Mr. McElroy left Bias and Ms. Gerber-Salins became TortoiseClimbing Audio™'s lead audio engineer and co-producer, having recently completed private release of Nostalgic Solos in 1992. The duets included on the album are a selection of popular romantic songs, primarily from the 1970's through the early 1990's, largely in the style of ballads. (All accompaniments were prerecored Karaoke tracks. Note. Karaoke tracks no longer meet our evolved mission of quality recordings, so that is a challenge to be addressed.)

For the next 4 years TortoiseClimbing Audio™ gradually recorded materials for that project. Thus, production was ongoing at the time David's mother requested TortoiseClimbing Audio™ produce the quality recording of Hymns and Songs of My Mother for public release. (As noted above, work on Romantic Duets was put on hold in 1998 to focus on the Hymns and Songs of My Mother.)

The analogue materials from the master tapes for the Romantic Duets album are decoded from Dolby A and converted to digital. However, no decision has been made about completing those draft recordings and public release.

That recording would also have to deal with copyright royalty requirements.

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