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
"The Sea Stays Within Its Shores"
Job 7:12, DR
"Am I the sea or a sea monster that you set a guard over me?" Job cries out to God, questioning whether he is like a dangerous creature that needs to be controlled and restrained. In this context, the sea and the sea monster represent the untamed and potentially destructive forces of nature, and Job is wondering if he is as wild and uncontrollable as these elements. Charles Spurgeon notes, "You are more capable of evil than the sea and more wild than a sea monster."
Are we more like the sea or the sea monster than we would like to admit? The sea is restless, much like our own nature, but the sea obeys the moon with passive obedience. It surrenders to the moon's pull, trusting in its guidance. But what about us? Will we be wise and not be seduced from being obedient to God? Do we resist God's authority, or do we embrace the gift of His grace, mercy, and love, surrendering to His plan?
"The Sea Stays Within Its Shores" Job 7:12, DR - TTBB Chorus with Piano - recorded 'live' at Grace Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, MN - "The First Readings Project" - J. David Moore, Conductor. Matthew Valverde - Tenor Soloist, Celeste Marie Johnson, Pianist. Clay Ashworth, Video.
“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