Various Composers - Roots & Rivers (Santa Fe Desert Chorale)

Information

• Reena Esmail - The Tipping Point
• Jocelyn Hagen - Caminante
• Kile Smith - Northland
• Shawn E. Okpebholo - The American Road
• Shawn Kirchner - Sweet Rivers

Santa Fe Desert Chorale

Joshua Habermann, conductor

Nathan Salazar, piano

Sutanu Sur, tabla

Date: 2026

Label: Navona

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On ROOTS & RIVERS, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale enriches the American choral canon through a curated selection of commissioned works that explore diverse cultural narratives. The album features Reena Esmail’s The Tipping Point, which blends Indian classical and Western traditions, and Jocelyn Hagen’s bilingual Caminante, celebrating Santa Fe’s multicultural heritage. It also examines the immigrant experience through Kile Smith’s jazz-influenced Northland and reimagines traditional music forms in Shawn E. Okpebholo’s six-movement suite, The American Road. Concluding with a specialized arrangement of Shawn Kirchner’s Sweet Rivers, this release serves as a profound expression of gratitude for contemporary American choral music.

Founded in 1982 by Lawrence Bandfield, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale is one of the oldest and most distinguished professional chamber choirs in the United States. Comprising 24 elite vocalists from across the nation, the ensemble has performed under the artistic leadership of Joshua Habermann since 2008. The Chorale boasts a diverse repertoire spanning seven centuries and frequently tours nationally, notably headlining the 2025 American Choral Directors Association National Conference. Deeply committed to contemporary music, the organization has commissioned over 35 new works, supported by its Commissioning Club. Their acclaimed discography includes the Billboard-charting The Road Home and their latest release, ROOTS & RIVERS.

High Resolution 24-bit / 192 kHz