From Wilderness
Jeffrey Derus composer
Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott conductor
Spanning landscapes from Mexico to Canada, the Pacific Crest Trail covers thousands of miles of natural beauty, creating a transformative journey captured in FROM WILDERNESS from Navona Records. Choral Arts Initiative, conducted by Brandon Elliott and joined by cellist Kevin Mills, paints these landscapes from composer Jeffrey Derus with vibrant color, with vocal soloists giving identities to the spirit animals one may encounter on the trail. A concert-length work and meditation, the listener will hear a wash of sounds that allow for introspective reflection on the sacredness of nature, the profound text, and themselves.
Listen
Stream/Buy
Choose your platform
Track Listing & Credits
# | Title | Composer | Performer | |
---|---|---|---|---|
01 | Root: Survival Chakra & Journey Into Yourself | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Kevin Mills, cello | 6:03 |
02 | Sacral: Emotions Chakra | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 2:35 |
03 | Southern California: No 1 Campo & No 2 Warner Springs | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 2:55 |
04 | Southern California: No 3 Cajon Pass | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 1:55 |
05 | Southern California: No 4 Agua Dolce & No 5 Tehachapi Pass & No 6 Walker Pass | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 5:20 |
06 | Southern California: No 7 Kennedy Meadows | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 1:24 |
07 | Solar Plexus: Vitality Chakra | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 2:58 |
08 | Sierras: No 1 Crabtree Meadows & No 2 Muir Pass & No 3 Tuolumne Meadows | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Kevin Mills, cello | 3:56 |
09 | Sierras: No 4 Sonora Pass | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 1:38 |
10 | Sierras: No 5 Echo Lake | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Kevin Mills, cello | 1:27 |
11 | Heart: Love Chakra | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 2:53 |
12 | Northern California: No 1 Donner Summit | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 1:30 |
13 | Northern California: No 2 Belden | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 2:50 |
14 | Northern California: No 3 McArthur-Burney Falls State Park | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 0:59 |
15 | Northern California: No 4 Castle Crags & No 5 Etna Summit | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 1:21 |
16 | Northern California: No 6 Seiad Valley | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 0:57 |
17 | Throat: Creativity Chakra | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 3:06 |
18 | Oregon: No 1 Crater Lake | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Kirk Averitt, baritone soloist | 1:18 |
19 | Oregon: No 2 Mt Thielsen Wilderness | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Genie Hossain, alto soloist | 1:02 |
20 | Oregon: No 3 Diamond Peak Wilderness | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Taylor Jacobs, tenor soloist | 1:29 |
21 | Oregon: No 4 Mt Washington Wilderness | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Timothy Cervenka, bass soloist | 1:12 |
22 | Oregon: No 5 Mt Jefferson Wilderness | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Anna Kietzman, soprano soloist | 1:05 |
23 | Oregon: No 6 Mt Hood Wilderness & No 7 Cascade Locks | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Anna Kietzman, soprano soloist; Genie Hossain, alto soloist; Taylor Jacobs, tenor soloist; Kirk Averitt, baritone soloist | 2:17 |
24 | Third Eye: Intuition Chakra | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor | 3:01 |
25 | Washington: No 1 White Pass & No 2 Snoqualmie Pass | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Kevin Mills, cello | 0:46 |
26 | Washington: No 3 Stevens Pass | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Kevin Mills, cello | 0:55 |
27 | Crown: Cosmic Chakra & Washington: No 4 Rainy Pass | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Kevin Mills, cello | 2:20 |
28 | British Columbia: Manning Park | Jeffrey Derus | Choral Arts Initiative | Brandon Elliott, conductor; Kevin Mills, cello | 4:23 |
Choral Arts Initiative
Sopranos Valentina Bocca-Hackwith, Anastasia Belleza-Gastelum,
Anna Kietzman, Rebecca Smith, Lorraine Joy Welling, Emmalee Wetzel
Altos Rachel Asmus, Anna Caplan, Carrie Dike,
Genie Hossain, Kyrstin Ohta, Tiffani Santiago
Tenors Stephen Amundson, Benjamin Glasner, Herman Hope,
Taylor Jacobs, Dawson Ma, Yngwie Zamarippa
Basses Kirk Averitt, Marcus Carline, Timothy Cervenka, Nathan Diaz,
Ashton Bocca-Hackwith, Marlon Santizo, Marcos Torres
Crystal Bowl Players Rachel Asmus, Anna Caplan, Marcus Carline, Benjamin Glasner, Tiffani Santiago, Marlon Santizo, Rebecca Smith, Yngwie Zamarippa
Special thanks to our family of supporters. You are the reason we sing.
Choral Arts Initiative Board of Directors
Loren Asmus
Jeffrey Derus
Kellori Dower
Brandon Elliott
Lisa Murphy
Savana Thomas
Lorraine Joy Welling
Choral Arts Initiative Staff
Marcus Carline, Audio & Video Production Assistant
Brandon Elliott, Founding Executive & Artistic Director
Sarah Gunstream, Marketing & Publicity Director
Kyrstin Ohta, Administrative Associate
Justin W. Thai, Production Assistant
Christopher Thume, Videographer
Recorded July 24 and 25, 2021 at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California
Recording Session Producers Brandon Elliott & Jeffrey Derus
Recording Session Engineer Jorge Vivo
Assistant Producer Connor Scott
Assistant Engineer Hannah Kacmarsky
Production Assistant Justin W. Thai
Photos of the Choral Arts Initiative Allan Helmick Photography
Audio Masters ⓟ 2022 Choral Arts Initiative
Executive Producer Bob Lord
Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
A&R Morgan Santos
VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Patrick Niland, Aidan Curran
Content Manager Sara Warner
Artist Information
Choral Arts Initiative
We believe that we have the opportunity to be a living metaphor that celebrates unity. We believe that fostering and embracing the music of emerging composers is critical to our art form. We believe that our community deserves to hear the greatest performances of new choral music. We believe that passion and sincerity should be at the forefront of all musical endeavors. We are Choral Arts Initiative.
Jeffrey Derus
Jeffrey Derus is an American composer, educator, and singer. His music has gained national and international presence with commissions and performances from a variety of ensembles such as Choral Arts Initiative, INSPIRARE, Inversion Ensemble, KC VITAS, Constellation Men’s Ensemble, the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, QED Vocal Ensemble, Magpies & Ravens, the Afternoon Singers, Temple University, Vanguard University, Saddleback College, and the Temecula Master Chorale. Hailed as “elegant” by the Voice of OC, Derus’s music is recognized by critics, performers, and audiences for its lyrical voice and lush soundscapes.
Brandon Elliott
Brandon Elliott enjoys an expansive career as a conductor-educator, musician, arts leader, and consultant. He is the Founder & Artistic Director of Choral Arts Initiative, an award-winning new music choral ensemble based in Orange County CA. Under his leadership, Choral Arts Initiative has received critical acclaim and recognition for its artistic excellence, musical innovation, and dedication to performing music from a vibrant roster of living composers. With a passion for new music, he has conducted the premiere of over 70 works.
Kevin Mills
Kevin Mills, a native of Southern California, has been residing in the Los Angeles area since completion of his schooling. With an Artist Diploma from Oberlin Conservatory, a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, and a Bachelor of Music degree from California State University of Fullerton, Kevin has been working in the world of classical music in all facets. He acts as Assistant Principal Cellist of Las Vegas Philharmonic and Rogue Valley Symphony as well as a member of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. Frequent recording studio appearances have allowed him to work at prestigious studios such as Capitol Records and Sony Pictures. An avid chamber music player, Kevin travels often across the country as well as overseas to perform with organizations such as The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York and The Greenhouse Foundation in Seoul, Korea. He is most fortunate to have been gifted a coveted instrument, a 1779 Renault & Chatelain, from his dear first cello teacher. For more information visit www.kevinmillscello.com.
Notes
FROM WILDERNESS is a concert-length work and meditation on the transformative experience of traveling the Pacific Crest Trail. As you travel up the west coast from Campo, California to Manning Park, British Columbia, you will hear a wash of sounds that allows for reflection on the sacredness of nature, on the inspiring texts, and on yourself. The cello accompanies you as you discover the beauty and serenity of each stop. Through the healing properties of the seven chakras, the meditation is guided by the celestial sounds of crystal singing bowls. Vocal soloists give identity to the spirit animals you may encounter on the trail. Just as the trail leaves you with something you have learned, you are left with an experience that will last beyond the final cutoff, something that is with you forever. From landscapes to soundscapes, this work offers a moment for self-discovery and self-healing.
– Jeffrey Derus
Inspired by the call to champion new choral music, Choral Arts Initiative was set to premiere this work in March of 2020. Due to the nationwide shutdown, the ensemble turned to the studios to capture this work in recorded form after sixteen months apart. The piece creates a time and space for meditation and healing, something that is timely and relevant now and later. May you begin that long journey into yourself.