Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • SUMMER 2017 • PAN PIPES 25 PAUL LUSTIG DUNKEL, ALIVE IN THE STUDIO Works by: Dunkel, Moreno, Muskal, Shostakovich Paul Lustig Dunkel, flute; Peter Basquin, piano; Laura Conwesser, alto flute; Tanya Witek, flute, piccolo; Tony Moreno, drums MSR Classics P aul Lustig Dunkel is currently Principal Flutist of the New York City Ballet, and is also a composer and arranger; he displays all three of these considerable talents on this disc. He is joined by several outstanding colleagues. The first piece is his transcription for flute of the dramatic Cello Sonata in D Minor opus 40 by Shostakovich. Here Dunkel displays his virtuosity as both a skilled arranger and flutist. The Sonata is followed by his own flute quartet, Quatre Visions Pour Quatre Flutistes. With a touch of humor, Dunkel cleverly quotes several well-known flute pieces. It is a fine performance by some of the best flutists working in New York. In the third work on the disc, Episodes for Flute and Percussion, Dunkel performs with jazz drummer, Tony Moreno. Episodes is a challenging, complex work for flute and percussion and was commissioned by Dunkel for Tony Moreno to write and perform. The final two pieces on the recording Mechanofin and Sof are by Tamar Muskal. They are scored for flute and piano. Muskal is the recipient of several awards including those from Meet the Composer, ASCAP, American Academy of Arts, the Fromm Foundation, and the Guggenheim Foundation. Mechanofin is a combination of the words "Mechanical" and "fin" (end). Rhythm plays an important role in the work. Sof ("end" in Hebrew) is about tragedy which turns to hope and beauty. Mechanofin is a beautiful, lyrical work, perfectly executed by the many colors of Dunkel's lovely tone. Sof is a lengthy work full of colorful melodies and rhythms. Throughout the disc, one is struck by the tremendous diversity of music written in the last 100 years. Beta Alpha initiate Kim McCormick is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of South Florida and faculty advisor for Delta Chi Chapter. She holds a DMA from the University of North Texas and is a Yamaha Artist. REVIEWS IN THEIR OWN WORDS: SLAVE LIFE AND THE POWER OF SPIRITUALS Eileen Guenther. St. Louis, MO: MorningStar Music Publishers, 2016. I n Their Own Words: Slave Life and the Power of Spirituals offers a detailed look at the life of slaves and the music they created. Author Eileen Guenther intentionally focuses her study on the writings and words of African American slaves. She reviews all musical aspects including the origins of spirituals and performance practice. These characteristics are then placed in the larger context of slave life and faith. The work is very thorough and spans over 400 pages of powerful reflection on the words of slaves and abolitionists. Guenther's unique approach to the work is to employ first hand testimony as a primary source. This approach requires a lot of direct quotes and, therefore, less of Guenther's own words. At the same time, it provides a validity to the stories and testimonies. Who can better share about the life, faith and music of the slaves then slaves themselves? Scholars, musicians, and pastors will find this approach helpful in their work around slavery and spirituals. Several chapters in the work deserve particular note. For musicians, chapters 1 and 2 offer a solid foundation for the study and performance of spirituals. Guenther discusses the musical roots of spirituals, their distinctive musical styles, and performance practice. This includes detailed suggestions about contemporary spiritual performance, including current debates and controversies within the field. Chapter 3 provides a history of slavery and chapter 4 defines the types of authentic sources available from the slaves themselves. Guenther notes the differences between the slaves' own narratives and interviews with former slaves. In their own way, both narratives and interviews present scholarly challenges and both offer important information. Chapter 5 offers a great complement to spiritual performance and study. Each spiritual in the chapter includes a brief explanation of its history and development, complete lyrics, and testimonies from the slaves themselves. The testimonies are chosen to highlight the themes of each spiritual. This provides a concrete example of the author's premise that spirituals are directly related to the life and faith of the people who created them. This chapter may be particularly valuable for musicians and pastors as they lead choirs and congregations to understand the origins of "Deep River," "Every Time I Feel the Spirit," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," and 46 additional spirituals. Chapters 6 and 7 focus on slave religion, and chapters 8 through 16 provide a detailed look at aspects of slave life. While the entire book could serve as the primary text for a course on spirituals and slave life, Guenther's final chapters offer an overview that could be used in broader music classes. Guenther's work is detailed and complete. I recommend the entire work for those who have an interest in the study of spirituals. In addition, various chapters of this study may be helpful to scholars, teachers, musicians, pastors, choir directors, and singers. Excerpts could be used in worship or concert to add meaning to the music. Chapter 5 could be effective as a devotional study for choirs engaged in the performance of spirituals. Guenther is an accomplished church musician and organist. She is the Professor of Church Music at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC and regularly offers a semester long class on the origin and performance of spirituals. In addition to her extensive study of slave music and culture, Dr. Guenther has led several cultural immersions to South Africa. She is also a past president of American Guild of Organists and an initiate of the Beta Beta SAI Chapter at the University of Kansas and affiliated with the Washington DC Alumnae Chapter. Rev. Michelle Whitlock is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, currently serving in Northeastern Pennsylvania. An initiate of Epsilon Chapter at Ithaca College, she earned a Bachelor's in Voice Performance; she also holds a Master's in Music Education from Southern Methodist University, a Master of Sacred Music from Perkins School of Theology, and a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary. She is an initiate of the Epsilon Chapter and a member of the Baltimore Alumnae Chapter.

• Cover