The RCC Choir
I
The Redlands Community Church Choir was under the direction of Michael Roy from 1990 until 2001. Diane Maltby was the pianist. During this 11 years, the choir and its concert series was an important part of the choral arts in South Florida. The church was far from centrally located, being in deep south Miami-Dade County in the sprawling agricultural area of the Redland (the winter breadbasket of the nation). Nevertheless, the choir attracted serious concertgoers, patrons of the arts, members of the Folk Society, Renaissance Guild, Recorder Society, and regular attendees of chamber groups, the opera, ballet, and local symphonies. They came from all over Miami and the South Florida area, filling the church-as-concert hall.
During that grand era of choral excellence and packed-house concerts, the RCC Choir proved to be one of the stellar and most versatile all-volunteer choirs in South Florida, and perhaps the nation. Among the 32 productions were the annual Country-Bluegrass Concert and annual Ancient Concert. In addition to these recurring themed concerts, there were Messiah and other oratorio presentations, and seasonal events (Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas). Below, listen to the best choral offerings of the acclaimed RCC Choir: live performances taken from the concerts or from their Sunday morning church music ministry.
Lovers of choral music will appreciate the power of the choir, which rarely numbered over 17. The vocal parts were well-balanced, and each section had accomplished, professional-level voices leading the way and only experienced choristers in the ranks. These were the great days of tremendous choral music and citywide concerts, and we were all blessed to have been a part of it.
A Sampling of Choral Works
Below are a spread of various choral works by the RCC Choir selected from all of the concerts.
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Great Is the Lord is a praise and worship song here arranged for choir by MR. There are several provocative devices: listen for the fugue between women and men, but not at the unison or octave, but at the fifth below, creating dual tonality. Note the provocative solo instrument in the final verse, played by MR.
Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring: Listen to one of the most unusually orchestrated and pleasing versions of this choral masterpiece
by J. S. Bach. Accompanying the choir is portative, harpsichord, recorders and viols. Playing the air is professional recorder player, Rodolpho Guzman.
Lift Up Your Heads.. from Messiah, is here performed with only period instruments: recorders, viols, sackbut, portative organ, and harpsichord.
Anthem to the King (David Ayers): A fine anthem with both polyphonic and homophonic sections. RCC choir, c. 1994
Jesus Paid It All, a fine anthem that calls for seamless unisons as well as lush harmonies. The choir has both skills in
hand: listen especially for the final choral note, a pure unison in all voices; excellence in unisons is under-appreciated.
Carol of the Bells (arr. MR): Here's a bell choir piece. There's nothing like bells to teach all kinds of good theory to the choir:
it enhances teamwork, delineates the scale, and reinforces rhythmic concepts. The best part is, the remedial lessons in theory are painless because playing bells is so much fun.
Creation Will Be at Peace (Anna Laura): An anthem for the fall holiday season from Thanksgiving through Advent.
Hymn of Gladness (Craig Courtney) From the Easter Sunday service, 1994: the choir and brass ensemble combine for this
stirring anthem. Diane Maltby is at the 6' 1" Yamaha Grand piano with its digital organ function engaged. Jan is playing first trumpet. The anthem has a particular dance quality about it. This is what an all-volunteer resident choir and brass group can accomplish: excellence.
I know That My Redeemer Liveth (Joseph M. Martin): This powerful anthem was presented in a full-house concert on
Palm Sunday night, 1995, with the RCC chorale at its full strength,
here almost halfway through our eventual appointed time together. By this time in the choir's concertizing history, our church had become an important center of the choral arts in south Florida, though we weren't at the center geographically, being deep in the agricultural area beside a zucchini field. God willed it to be thus, and we all were drawn here, at this place, at this time, for this purpose, and for these songs unto the Lord. Diane Maltby: piano.
Antiphonal Hosanna - (Smith/Schader) - Recordings of Sunday morning anthems are rarer than the concert recordings. This
anthem from Palm Sunday, 1991, features the adult choir and a children's choir singing this antiphonal anthem. Diane Maltby accompanies. The children, need we say, are irresistible.
Now Let Us All Praise God and Sing - The RCC Choir went to another church to record this anthem by Gordon Young.
We also included their resident choir, which rather leavened the sound. Adding to the problems, MR sang with his basses and men as he conducted; he had a mic close to him, which made him stick out while the overall choral sound was quite ambient, with two mics set up halfway back in the sanctuary. The organ and brass, however, sound great. This whole enterprise was unusual, and this is the only recording in existence. Jan is playing first trumpet. This had to be saved for posterity. - Posted Jan. 31, 2023
Heaven Train - In MR's intro to this in-concert performance (1993 - Redlands Community Church), he tells
the audience that, if you play guitar and write folk songs, "it is against the law not to write one about a train!.." This is MR's train song to avoid prosecution. Singing are MR, wife Jan, and Becky Spence.
Pachebel's Canon - C. 1994 - RCC choir with Diane Maltby at the piano. .
O Happy Day - From the Sunrise Presb. concert, RCC Choir, 1994.
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Were You There? (arr. MR): Alas, this historic recording has a flaw. However, it is the only recording of the sole performance of this demanding arrangement, and despite its flaw (6 meas. are missing between vs.1 and 2), it's worth posting as a tour de force in solo work by our two fine vocalists, soprano, Katie Burdick and tenor, John Flynt. The score is available for view (incl. the 6 missing measures!) Diane Maltby flawlessly plays the demanding piano score.
All That Hath Life and Breath... an
a cappella anthem, with the incidental solo by soprano, Katie Burdick. Note the choral
cacaphony which reemerges into form.
Carol of the Bagpipers (arr. MR): This extremely interesting 16th c. carol provided Handel with the tune for "He Shall Feed His
Flock," in Messiah: performed here with krummhorns doubling the men's "zums" under the women's lead. Of course, the requisite instrumental solo is MR on the Galician bagpipes (performed at RCC on Christmas Eve, 1994).
Jubilate Deo (David Ayers): This recording is a little heavy on the piano, and a little light on the choir, but still worth a listen. It's a good anthem and well-sung.
Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart): MR provides the translation from the Latin for the Sunday morning congregation. The RCC Choir performs with Diane M. at the piano.
Praise Ye the Lord! This anthem written by Michael Roy, features several provocative devices, including a perfect canon based
on a harmonically complex tune. This was performed on Thanksgiving Sunday, 1999, MR directing and with Diane Maltby at the piano.
Now Glad of Heart (K. Lee Scott): This soaring anthem has a medieval sound, and in fact, the words are from the 16th c.
MR played an alto cornamuse (a double reed windcap inst. with a sound similar to the krummhorn) in several instrumental interludes. The anthem shows the power and range of the resident RCC choir: performed in the Easter Sunday service, 1994. Diane Maltby is at the piano.
The Eyes of All (Jean Berger): Based on the scripture text of Ps. 145:15, this sumptuous choral anthem has many fine
harmonic devices. Jan and Michael first sang this together in the choir at the First United Methodist of South Miami (where they first met) under the direction of the late Dr. Dale Willoughby (c. 1970). In this rendition, the RCC choir sings at Thanksgiving, 1994. Diane Maltby is the accompanist.
Come, Make a Joyful Sound - Hal H. Hopson - This well-known anthem is presented with good straight tones and an
excellent choral blend. Diane Maltby at piano; Debbie Knaus on synth. March 10, 1991 - Sunday morning service.
Chariots - This medley of songs about
chariots offers several well-known spirituals along with some obscure
ones. "Chariots of Fire" from the movie makes it into the mix. The medley is quite difficult, with many modulations, a wide range for all voices, and requiring precision singing. The RCC Choir does a remarkable job on a level 5 choral piece. Soloists include, Katie, Peggy Hunt (RIP), Jan, Patty Pluto, John Flynt, Lou Rose, and the arranger, MR, who is also on guitar (and does a little flute). Diane Maltby is at the piano . This medley was also sung by the Immanuel Singers and can be found on their pages.
I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say - This
duet by Katie Anderson and John Flynt is in the dramatic style of some years
past in contemporary music. It is interesting for that reason, and because Katie and John sing this idiom as well as they do modern contemporary Christian music, oratorio, and bluegrass gospel. The date is Oct. 23, 1994. Tempus fugit. At the piano (with digital organ in the mix), Diane Maltby.
Go Not Far From Me - Nicola Zingarelli - 1752-1837 - This sacred classic was presented in a worship
service in 1995, making it one of just a few recordings from a service rather than a concert. Diane Maltby is at the piano.