“Many of our audience and singers have enjoyed performing and hearing Christian music written not for the concert hall, or great cathedral, but by and for ordinary people,” explains Loomer. “Partly at our listeners’ request, and partly for our own enjoyment, we put together a collection of hymns and spirituals for our spring 2009 concert. The wildly enthusiastic, standing-room-only response to those performances inspired us to make this CD.”

The disc evokes a less complicated time when people shared through common song their joys, pain, and hopes. Meetin’ Here Tonight includes examples of Shaker melodies, hymns from the Mennonite tradition, classic English hymn tunes, and favourite gospel and spiritual numbers. It is a collection that aims to inspire, console and excite - as well as get your toes tapping, too. 

“Meetin’ Here Tonight features Chor Leoni singing songs written by and for ministers, congregations, believers, workers, slaves, and just plain folk,” adds Loomer. “Many of them sung first, and only written down later. This was music originally heard not in concert halls or cathedrals but in country churches, cotton fields, ghettos, and - at ‘meetin’s.”

The CD was released on the choir’s own label, Cypress Choral Recordings and is available through www.chorleoni.org.

Meetin’ Here Tonight playlist:

1. There’s a Meetin’ Here Tonight music and text: traditional, arr. Ron Smail

2. Shall We Gather at the River music and text: Robert Lowry

3. Hard Times music and text: Stephen Foster, arr. Willi Zwozdesky

4. All Beautiful the March of Days music: traditional, harm. Ralph Vaughan Williams, text: Frances Whitmarsh Wile

5. Not One Sparrow is Forgotten music and text: Shaker hymn, arr. William Hawley

6. Precious Lord music: Thomas A. Dorsey after George N. Allen, arr. Diane Loomer, text: Thomas A. Dorsey

7. Eternal Father, Strong to Save music: John B. Dykes, arr. Paul Sjolund, text: William Whiting

8. Goin’ Home music: Antonin Dvořák, arr. Diane Loomer, text: William Arms Fisher

9. Nobody Knows the Trouble I See music and text: spiritual, arr. Roland Pack

10. Blessed Assurance music: Phoebe P. Knapp, arr. Ken Cormier, text: Frances J. Crosby

11. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot music and text: spiritual

12. In Dat Great Gittin’ Up Mornin’ music and text: spiritual, arr. Jester Hairston 

13. Witness music and text: spiritual, arr. Jack Halloran, Jonathan Quick

14. All Through the Night music: traditional Welsh, arr. Mack Wilberg, text: Sir Harold Boulton, alt.

15. In the Garden music and text: C. Austin Miles, adapt. Charles H. Webb

16. Wehrlos und verlassen music: William Warren Bentley, text: Mary Dagworthy James, trans. Carl Röhl 

17. Abide with Me music: William Henry Monk, text: Henry Francis Lyte

18. Over Yonder music and text: spiritual, arr. Diane Loomer

19. Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal music and text: traditional, arr. Alice Parker

20. Ain’-A That Good News! music and text: spiritual, arr. William L. Dawson