Dashing Vol. 5
Christopher J. Hoh composer
Sarah Wallin Huff composer
Gary Schocker composer
Josef Suk composer
Phillip Rhodes composer
Michael Roush composer
Emily Mitchell harp
On the hunt for a flurry of contemporary classical works to soundtrack your holiday season? Look no further than DASHING VOL. 5 from Navona Records. This installment of the series unwraps the spirited, uplifting, and grandiose qualities of classical holiday music, exploring new interpretations of mainstay melodies, sonic interpretations of snowfall, delicate carols, and more. Featuring an array of instrumental and vocal music from several lauded composers and performers, DASHING VOL. 5 serves as a cheerful reminder that music may be the greatest gift of all.
Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Christmas Divertimento - I. Wenceslaus Carol | Christopher J. Hoh | Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra | Jiří Petrdlík, conductor | 3:45 |
| 02 | Christmas Divertimento - II. Gesu Bambino | Christopher J. Hoh | Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra | Jiří Petrdlík, conductor | 4:35 |
| 03 | Christmas Divertimento - III. Shepherd's Echo | Christopher J. Hoh | Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra | Jiří Petrdlík, conductor | 2:07 |
| 04 | Christmas Divertimento - IV. Greensleeves Reverie | Christopher J. Hoh | Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra | Jiří Petrdlík, conductor | 4:06 |
| 05 | Christmas Divertimento - V. Glad Day Melody | Christopher J. Hoh | Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra | Jiří Petrdlík, conductor | 3:20 |
| 06 | Cradle Song (Of Mary's Beloved) | Sarah Wallin Huff | The Crossing | Donald Nally, conductor | 4:01 |
| 07 | Twas in the Moon of Wintertime | Gary Schocker | Emily Mitchell, harp | 2:41 |
| 08 | We Three Kings | Gary Schocker | Emily Mitchell, harp | 2:04 |
| 09 | Carol of the Birds | Gary Schocker | Gary Schocker, flute; Emily Mitchell, harp | 2:33 |
| 10 | The Shepherds & Epilogue | Phillip Rhodes | London Voices, Members of the London Symphony Orchestra | Ben Parry, conductor | 6:05 |
| 11 | Flurries - Part 1 | Michael Roush | Brno Contemporary Orchestra | Pavel Šnajdr, conductor | 6:35 |
| 12 | Flurries - Part 2 | Michael Roush | Brno Contemporary Orchestra | Pavel Šnajdr, conductor | 5:23 |
| 13 | Flurries - Part 3 | Michael Roush | Brno Contemporary Orchestra | Pavel Šnajdr, conductor | 5:10 |
| 14 | Pohádka, Op. 16: II. Intermezzo. Hra na labutě a pávy | Josef Suk | Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor | 3:43 |
CHRISTMAS DIVERTIMENTO
Recorded January 31, 2024 at Vesmír Concert Hall in Ostrava, Czech Republic
Session Producer Jan Košulič
Session Engineer Aleš Dvořák
Editing Jan Košulič
CRADLE SONG (OF MARY’S BELOVED)
Recorded March 8, 2024 St. Peter’s Church in the Great Valley in Malvern PA
Session Producer & Engineer Paul Vazquez
Editing & Mixing Paul Vazquez
‘TWAS IN THE MOON OF WINTERTIME, WE THREE KINGS, CAROL OF THE BIRDS
Recorded November 18-19 at The Academy of Arts and Letters in New York NY
Session Executive Producer Emily Mitchell
Session Producer André Gauthier
Session Engineer Robert Friedrich for Five/Four Productions
THE SHEPHERDS & EPILOGUE
Recorded June 7, 2024 at St Jude’s on The Hill in London, UK
Session Producer Brad Michel
Session Engineer Dave Rowell
Editing & Mixing Melanie Montgomery
Additional Editing & Mixing Lucas Paquette
FLURRIES
Recorded January 26, 2024 at Janáček Theatre Recording Studio in Brno, Czech Republic
Session Producer Jan Košulič
Session Engineer Lukáš Nábělek
Editing Jan Košulič
POHÁDKA, OP. 16: II. INTERMEZZO. HRA NA LABUTĚ A PÁVY
Recorded April 18, 2024 at Vesmír Concert Hall in Ostrava, Czech Republic
Session Producer Jan Košulič
Session Engineer Aleš Dvořák
Editing & Mixing Jan Košulič
Mastering Melanie Montgomery
Executive Producer Bob Lord
VP of A&R Brandon MacNeil
A&R Danielle Sullivan, Chris Robinson
VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
Production Manager Martina Watzková
Production Assistant Adam Lysák
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Chelsea Kornago
Digital Marketing Manager Brett Iannucci
Artist Information
Christopher J. Hoh
“Full of charm and shapely allure” (Opera News) and “a tapestry of immense grace” (Textura) are some of the praises Christopher J. Hoh has received for his music. He grew up in Reading PA and was influenced as a young singer and accompanist by great works under conductors in Pennsylvania, New York, and Washington. He has been in Alice Parker’s composer seminar as well as workshops with Jean Berger, Daniel Moe, Robert Page, and Craig Jessop.
Sarah Wallin Huff
Sarah Wallin Huff is a music lecturer at California Polytechnic University of Pomona, teaching “History of Technology in Music,” for which she published an original textbook with Great River Learning in 2019. She received her M.A. in Music Composition at Claremont Graduate University in 2008, and was the Professor of Composition and Advanced Theory — as well as conductor of the Chamber Ensemble — at The Master’s University in Santa Clarita from 2012-2016.
Emily Mitchell
Emily Mitchell has earned critical acclaim as “a marvelous harpist” (The New York Times) who captivates her audiences with “playing of the utmost delicacy, beauty and subtlety” (Records and Recording). In the words of The Washington Post, “Mitchell commands a vivid palette of colors and uses them with imagination.” An Eastman School of Music degree along with an Associate from the Royal College of Music precluded Mitchell’s stunning first prize win at the seventh (1979) International Harp Contest in Jerusalem. She was immediately engaged by Columbia Artists Management and Community Concerts. Propelled onto the concert stage in all 50 United States, Mitchell offered a performance dynamic of standard harp repertoire coupled with Celtic harp and vocals giving her recitals charm and versatility. Mitchell’s three top-selling RCA Victor CDs Irish Harp Songs, A Celtic Christmas and Flying Dreams are testament to the popularity that has served her for over 30 years.
Gary Schocker
One of the finest flutists of his generation, Gary Schocker is also a pianist and harpist, a prolific composer, and a compassionate teacher. Born into a musical family in Easton PA, he began to play the piano before he was 3 years old. His father, Paul Schocker, was a multi-talented instrumentalist and composer as well. Schocker’s nursery shared a wall with his father’s studio, so music was heard around the clock. As a result, music has always felt as much a part of him as breathing.
Phillip Rhodes
Phillip Rhodes was born in Forest City, North Carolina in 1940 and received degrees from Duke University and the Yale University School of Music. His principal teachers have been William Klenz, Iain Hamilton, Donald Martino, and Mel Powell.
Michael Roush
Drawing upon a Fine Arts focus which began at a young age that included extensive Choral, Drama, Theory/Composition, Music Appreciation and more, Michael Roush continued his passion for music while attending The University of Colorado at Boulder. After successful stints behind the scenes in the concert industry, Roush's broad array of high profile, live performance production experience would later give way to independent film and, eventually, creative writing. His love of narrative filmmaking brought him to Southern California, where he continues to shepherd numerous projects through creative development as a Producer, Director, and Writer.
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava
The Janáček Philharmonic is a world-class symphony orchestra based in Ostrava, Czech Republic and an emerging figure on the international performance scene. With over 100 top-level musicians, the orchestra aims to introduce unique, quality repertoire while showcasing their own recognizable sound.
Jiří Petrdlík
Jiří Petrdlík (b. 1977) is appreciated as one of the most respectable conductors of his generation. He studied piano, trombone, and conducting — 1995–2000 at Prague Conservatory, and 2000–2005 at Academy of Performing Arts Prague — with Hynek Farkač, Miroslav Košler, Miriam Němcová, Radomil Eliška, and Tomáš Koutník, and took part in the masterclasses of the New York Philharmonic Principal Conductor Kurt Masur and the BBC Philharmonic Principal Conductor Jiří Bělohlávek. Petrdlík also successfully took part in several competitions, including the Donatella Flick Conductor Competition in London.
The Crossing
The Crossing is a professional chamber choir conducted by Donald Nally, dedicated to performing new music and committed to addressing social, environmental, and political issues through nearly 180 commissioned premieres. Collaborating with prestigious ensembles and venues like the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Park Avenue Armory, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall, The Crossing has released 35 albums, earning three GRAMMY® Awards for Best Choral Performance and multiple nominations. The Crossing is Musical America's 2024 Ensemble of The Year.
Donald Nally
Donald Nally collaborates with creative artists, leading orchestras, and art museums to make new works for choir that address social and environmental issues. He has commissioned nearly 200 works and, with his ensemble The Crossing (Musical America’s 2024 Ensemble of the Year), has produced 35 albums, winning three GRAMMY® Awards for Best Choral Performance, while nominated nine times.
Brno Contemporary Orchestra
The Brno Contemporary Orchestra (BCO) was founded in 2011 with the aim of performing the world’s contemporary music and selected 20th-century works in Czechia and Czech music throughout the world. The ensemble includes top-level professional musicians employed in the leading Czech orchestras. It draws on a large pool of permanent collaborators who perform in various lineups according to the needs of each project.
Pavel Šnajdr
Pavel Šnajdr is a Czech conductor and composer. He is a graduate of the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU), Brno in composition (which he studied with Alois Piňos) and conducting (with Emil Skoták). Beyond working with symphony orchestras, he has been engaged by music theatres including the J.K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen, the Prague State Opera and the Moravian Theatre in Olomouc, and currently conducts opera at the National Theatre in Brno.
London Symphony Orchestra
Widely acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, The London Symphony Orchestra was named by Gramophone as one of the top five orchestras in the world. A world-leader in recording music for film, television, and events, it was the official orchestra of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games ceremonies, memorably performing Chariots of Fire on stage in the opening ceremony, conducted by Simon Rattle and with Rowan Atkinson.
Ben Parry
Ben Parry has a busy career as a conductor, composer, arranger, singer and producer. He has made well over 200 recordings and his compositions and arrangements are published by Oxford University Press, Stainer & Bell, Peters Edition and Faber Music, including the popular Faber Carol Book. He collaborates regularly with the writer Garth Bardsley: their choral piece Flame was performed by a choir of 300 singers at the Royal Albert Hall in the 2012 BBC Proms and their carol Three Angels by King’s College Choir on BBC TV’s Carols from King’s. Garth and Ben are currently developing a new theatre piece for baritone and small instrumental ensemble. Major commissions include the Cathedral Choral Society of Washington DC, USA, St John’s College Cambridge, Chelmsford, Norwich, Ely and Sheffield Cathedrals, BBC Singers and the Aldeburgh Festival. Ben’s music also featured in the 1st episode of the hit US TV series, Glee. He has composed many tracks for the production music company, Audio Network, whose music can be heard throughout the world on radio and TV.
