Chris Kim wrote:

>I would like to ask for advice on spanish choral music.  It does not
>have to be limited to Spain.  I am looking to recommend pieces for my
>stduents who will be on tour to Spain, performing in Madrid and Seville.
>Iw ould like to give them recordig recommendation so that they begin to
>become familiar with the music of the region.

Someone from Spain or who is more familiar with regionally-inspired
works may be able to help you with the latter...but if you're going there
from America to tour, why not include some of the riches of Nueva Espana?
A great deal of music has been rediscovered that comes from the Spanish
colonies in the Americas, from Peru to Mexico and the Caribbean.  Much
if not most of it is vocal/choral, but not exclusively liturgical or
with Latin texts--quite a bit is in Spanish, with some even in Native
American dialects.  [Otherwise, one could go on discussing how some of
the more rhythmic music of this part of the world went on to infect
Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, leading among other things to
dances such as the Sarabande and the Chaconne.] Ignacio de Jerusalem,
Manuel de Zumaya and Tomas de Torrejon y Velasco are some of the composers
who I recall from this bunch.

Lots of recordings have been issued in recent years featuring this music,
some of the most well known including "Mexican Baroque" (Chanticleer),
"Nueva Espana" (The Boston Camerata), and the series on the K617 label,
"Les Chemins du Baroque", which features Garrido's Ensemble Elyma.

Bill H.