Discography

Canticle (2026)

In 1225, Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone (now better known at St Francis of Assisi) composed one of the great works of medieval literature – the Canticle of Brother Sun & Sister Moon. 800 years later, his poetic reflection on the interrelatedness of all things still inspires and challenges us to care for the world around and among us as a manifestation of the divine. Artistic Director Jason Shelton composed this new setting of the Canticle for chorus, piano, and strings, which Portara premiered in 2025. More information, including sheet music for download and performance, is available here.

Canticle
Words: St Francis of Assisi, adapted by Rami Shapiro and Jason Shelton
Music: Jason Shelton
Performed by Portara Ensemble
Horacio Guendulain, piano
Kevin Edlin, recording engineer/mixer

The longest night (2019)

Mark the Winter Solstice with The Longest Night, a multidisciplinary, multi-community celebration blending original music and spoken word with traditional songs and carols, storytelling, and dance. Portara Ensemble joins forces with some of Nashville’s most influential artists including multiple Grammy-winning saxophonist Jeff Coffin, premier poet Ciona Rouse, and Lisa Spradley’s di Mossa dance company, to explore the richness of the dark and celebrate as we call the light back together.

Amorisms (2016)

The above quote from a review of Paul Moravec’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Tempest Fantasy could well be applied to any number of this composer’s beguiling compositions. In this stunning collection, we get not only his fabled Tempest Fantasy, but also two world-premiere recordings of his music for voices and chamber ensemble. Amorisms is a ballet piece that can also be savored as absolute music; the Sacred Love Songs set familiar biblical texts and the well-known “Prayer of St. Francis.”

Doing this marvelous music complete justice are members of the Grammy-nominated ALIAS Chamber Ensemble and singers of the Portara Ensemble. Both are firm fixtures in the vibrant cultural scene of Nashville, where they have also taken advantage of some of the nation’s finest sound engineering talent.

Choral Hymns of the Christian Faith (2012)

Check out this review from Classics Today. And enjoy a straightforward collection of some timeless, classic hymnody that is, sadly, on the verge of being forgotten in today’s sanctuaries.