DENICE RIPPENTROP
AWARD WINNING COMPOSER, MUSICIAN & SONGWRITER
Composing innovative, high-quality sacred and secular choral music is the core of my professional and personal life...
VIDEO LIBRARY
FEATURED PERFORMANCE
"Yahweh!"
Composed and Arranged by Denice Rippentrop
"Yahweh!" (Psalms 66:4) The Kuhn Choir of Prague Lenka Navratilova Choirmaster
recorded at The Chapel in Korunni Street, Prague - Korunni 1440/6-, Prague, CZ
Video Produced by Clay Ashworth
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NEW RELEASE
"Salvation's Light"
Isaiah 9:2, 60:1-3
In composing music for this Scripture, the weight of the Israelites' burdens truly resonates. They moved through a profound darkness that covered the earth, a heaviness captured in the bass line that echoes their slow, sorrowful journey through gloom. Their disobedience led them to this dark place, with the cello sustaining a constant, unchanging sound.
When the women's voices enter, they herald a powerful transition from darkness to light—the light of coming glory for Israel. The violin ignites a sense of hope and energy, and the music crescendos as the light becomes visible to the soul’s eyes. The prophet paints a picture of future glory for Zion, reflecting the magnificent glory of the Lord God Himself. "Arise, shine!" The Messiah has come to bring salvation's light to a dark and lost people.
I must ask: "Are you walking in darkness or in the great light of Jesus Christ?"
“Denice Rippentrop’s music – unfailing works from the spirit outward – beginning with the soul and singing through the words.”
Libby Larsen
Grammy Award Winning Composer
“You have some really lovely gestures in The Sacred Seed. And the text is so compellingly beautiful….”
Howard Helvey
Composer, Arranger, Pianist
“The Desert Trilogy is a wonderful exploration of text and sounds in expressing ultimately – hope. The Sonoran Desert Choral was very pleased with the Trilogy – as was our audience – enjoy the colors of Light and Hope.”
Jeff Harris, Conductor
The Sonoran Desert Chorale
“For our Music of Passion concert to begin Holy Week, your The Atonement was paired with a requiem. Learning and preparing your piece was a marvelous experience for the choir; hearing it was an equally powerful time for the audience.”
William H. Mathis
Minister of Music and Fine Arts, Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church, Minneapolis, MN.
“Denice is a composer who writes passionate, heartfelt, compositions, usually with a religious theme. Her texts come from scripture, but she also sets her own poetry and thoughts. Denice know how to use the chorus to great effect. Her voicings are rich, and the use of harmony compelling.”
Dr. Jody Rockmaker
Arizona State University Associate Professor of Music, Composition and Theory
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
“A recording of three new choral pieces by Denice -- each with individual character, but all filled with Denice's special spiritual touch. "Whispering Palms" captures a medieval-like plainsong idea, but with a contemporary folk-like feel. The key of D minor captures that mood! "The Cross" for larger forces builds on arpeggiations mimicked in the handbells. It crescendos with handbells, timpani, and piano to a powerful climax on "To know we are everything to God!" The rhythmic "Yahweh's Love" lets claves chatter over the energetic text -- a real delight!”
Dr. Peter Hendrickson
Choral Conductor, Augsburg College
Minneapolis, MN