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Note. In the future a publications' portion will be added dealing with sale of publications that are not sold as part of a bundle with audio recordings.
On the online Audio Marketplace you can:
View the playlist for this 1959 AHS performance of The Crucifixion by clicking Playlist.
Digital Download - Free! (However, Bandcamp will propose your pay $1.00 for unlimited streaming. You can decline Bandcamp's proposed streaming, and get the download for free.)
CD - $4.00, includes shipping!
Note. CDs will be individually burned on demand for delivery via mail. They will be hand-labeled, i.e., a plain CD. The CD has the same 15 individual tracks as the digital, version 2 download, giving you the ability to skip to any of Stainer's numbered pieces on demand.
Preview and order in the online audio store by clicking The Crucifixion. (This page includes options for both Free Digital download, and CD delivered by mail.)
This restored and mastered file is from from the 1959 private LP created by editing together the best of two taped performances. In 2023 the score became Public Domain, and TortoiseClimbing™ had the LP digitized by SlippedDisc™. TortoiseClimbing Audio™ then:
To our knowledge, this is the only public release of this performance by the AHS choirs. (It is 41 minutes long, and Lyrics are included as a Bonus.)
Stainer wrote this cantata telling the story of the Easter Passion to be performed by Church of England neighborhood parish choirs. Such choirs do not have the luxury of trained choir members, or additional supporting choirs. Given the constraints in musical abilities of neighborhood parish choirs, in order to tell the sweeping passion story, Stainer used numerous solo arias and recitatives. Singers for those parts would be brought in by the churches for the performances.
This recording of The Crucifixion uses a unique arrangement created by the AHS choral director, Mr. Robert Kunkle. It takes advantage of his having three choirs: two women's choirs; and a standard mixed choir. With that luxuary, he assigned most of the solo arias and recitatives to the womens choirs, creating a dramatically more choral sound.
Despite the limited sonic fidelity of the LP, this largely choral arrangement created for the 1959 AHS choirs, provides a dramatically more fulfilling choral performance than scored by Stainer of this classic Holy Week (the week before Easter) piece. The choral emotional feel of this performance is much more fulfilling than standard presentations following the score.
This distinctively different, mostly choral interpretation of this cantata, was achieved using 3 choirs:
Note. The sound fidelity is limited by:
-- End of window about details of Hymns and Songs --
More details about the making, both of the original private LP recording and this restored and mastered digital release, are found at Background on Historic 1959 Performances by Annapolis High School choirs.
Playlist:
Preview and order in the online Audio store by clicking Hymns and Songs of My Mother - Vocal Version. Both the Digital download and the CD for this vocal version are now available from our online marketplace product page.
The DEFAULT format for downloads of digital audio files is a low fidelity format, i.e., AAC or mp3. Audiophile digital formats are available for both FLAC and WAV, but you Must Explicitly select one of those autiophile formats if that is what you want to receive as your download. Do that by selecting one of the audiophile formats (FLAC or WAV) before clicking to download.
What Is This Album:
This album is almost exclusively nostalgic, old, traditional congregational hymns and songs (largely from Protestant Denominations).The exception is one Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) song.
(Note. Because the CCM song is a different genera of music, two (2) arrangements of it are offered separately as a mini-EP. See Mini-EP: Welcome Home below).
This album was recorded in professional sound studios, by professional:
It is a hi-definition (audiophile) recording; next to maximum length for a CD (78 minutes) of 27 nostalgic, of traditional hymns and songs. It provides a fabulous retrospective of when these hymns and songs were popular in church liturgies. This recording creates a gloriously listenable, intimate collage by using a number of different recording textures.
It's quality is head-and-sholders above most albums found on YouTube of favorite old hymns. While those hymn recordings are well intentioned, the contrast in presentation and audio quality results from:
1. Hymns and Songs of My Mother being recorded using professional everything. That includes real instruments played by professionals, trained vocalists, prepared audio recording spaces, and professional recording equipment. It includes:
Vocals for all hymns and songs are post production processed by TortoiseClimbing™ to create impecable precision.
Mixing and mastering were performed by a seasoned sound engineer who has successfully created many quality commercially very successful recordings.
Outstanding interpretations result from trained vocalists and instrumentalists.
2. In contrast, the majority of well intentioned recordings of nostalgic old hymns are amateur everything:
This album provides vocals with interpretive feeling, audiophile fidelity (achieved by using professional everything), variations in accompaniment including: orchestra, a very good real pipe organ, acoustic guitar, harp, and even handbells. The vocals are a mix of arrangements including: solo, duet, trio and multipart SATB, plus some have descants.
The many variations of vocals and accompaniments used on these favorite old hymns and songs by trained vocalists and musicians provide a wonderful spectrum of flavors. Instruments used include:
This album was recorded at the request of David's mother as a tribute to David's then recently deceased father. The hymns and songs were selected jointly with his mother from their favorites. (A young organist who saw the titles, described them as old chestnuts that all good organists are familiar with.)
The performances on this album shine! Their quality of interpretations and audiophile fullness will enrich your life with many hours of repeatedly playing and reflecting on the comfort and greatness these great performances of these old hymns and songs provide.
Access the online Audio Marketplace product page by clicking Hymns and Songs of My Mother - Vocal Version.
Not yet available. Details will be added when available.
Preview and purchase the digital file for download from the online Audio Marketplace product page by clicking Welcome Home.
This is a Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) song, in a folk style. It is the only CCM song included on the album Hymns and Songs of My Mother. Because CCM songs appeal to different folks than nostalgic old hymns, we made 2 different arrangements of this song available as a Mini-EP for those who prefer this style.
This song became a favorite of my mother when the author and composer, Ms. Kathy Brigman Haupt, a granddaughter of mother's sister, wrote and sang this song for the funeral of my mom's sister. The 2 arrangements of this wonderful "Folk style" CCM song are quite different:
Virtually everyone, young and old, who has heard this song describe it as very pretty and meaningful!
Thank you Kathy, first for creating it, and second for giving permission to arrange and make the 1st recording.
For this series of EPs, likely contents are formulated for the following, and their approximate projected release dates:
Click on the above for details regarding the projected list of songs to be included in each. When each EP is released, information will be added, both on the EPs page and the Store Access page, including a link to the online market product page, where you will be able to preview and purchase a download of it.
Current progress has completed for:
As of late Spring 2026, our target is to publicly release the initial EP: Chattanooga Choo Choo EP this summer of 2026. See entry above for list of 5 nostalgic love song contents.
For the songs originally recorded using karaoke accompaminents, we are recording new and better accompaniments to which TortoiseClimbing Audio™ owns the performance rights.
For your interim listening preview pleasure, drafts of some songs are available for streaming. From Duets with Terry. you can stream:
I Am the Starlight
All I Have to Do Is Dream
Till I Kissed Ya
The Rose
From Advanced Preview of Individual Songs you can also stream:
And So It Goes
Summary details for each of the EPs, and a link to preview and purchase for download will be added here as each is released.
An additional version planned is:
Plus, two additional versions are more tentative. They are:
Release schedule for versions of this album:
Other Things Forthcoming in Audio Store - The following near-term products are planned for the Online Audio Marketplace store.
Advance Narrations. Upon release of the eBook, History Through 27 Hymns and Songs (2024), we will begin releasing advanced narrations as we complete each chapter. The chapeters will be made available via the audio marketplace in 2 forms:
Audiobook. Upon completion of the chapter narrations (made available via the subscription series and individual chapters) the completed audiobook will be made available for purchase and download. Those who choose to subscribe to the narration series, will essentially have the audiobook (if they downloaded each chapter as completed.) We are investigating how to provide an assembled audiobook for free download to subscribers.
Upon completion of the audiobook it will then also be made available as:
The reason a separate online publications marketplace is required is because the audio marketplace requires eBook publications to be part of a bundle with audio material. Thus, to sell eBook publications as standalone products, without being bundled with an audio product, a separate online publications marketplace is required for the eBooks.
Forthcoming
Working title - History Through 27 Hymns and Songs. This ebook is both a companion to hymns and songs recording, and a standalone history eBook. This extensive history tells events that happened around each of the hymns and songs, thus shaping their creation. (Currently in editing.)
[This will be available both as part of a bundle with the album from the Audio store, and separately as a standalone eBook from the Publication store.]
(eBooks purchased by themselves [not bundled with an audio product], require using a separate online Publications marketplace. Links will be added below for purchase of the eBook by itself, i.e., not as part of a bundle with an audio product
For those curious about details regarding these projects, numerous pages under Recordings and Publications provide lots of background information about these TortoiseClimbing™ projects. Read at your leisure!
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