Composition Highlights

Various commissions and performance highlights include: 

  • Hail, Holy Light for SATB double choir, premiered by the University of Utah Singers, conducted by Dr. Brady Allred. Awarded first place in the International Chamber Choir Competition in Germany, and published by Carus-Verlag. 
  • Cradle Song, commissioned by The Canticum Novum Singers, conducted by Harold Rosenbaum for their annual New York City Christmas concert. A setting of poetry by William Blake, it is written for SATB chorus, children's choir, and organ. 
  • Tis Not Too Late, for treble chorus and organ, commissioned by The Collegiate Chorale for its Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Remembrance Concert at The Church of St. Mary The Virgin in New York City. 
  • Nancy’s settings of Hildegard of Bingen’s Antiphon for God the Father and Laudate Dominum performed during the Hildegard Festival hosted by The University Chorale of California State University, Stanislaus.
  • Championed and published by Dale Warland & G. Schirmer, Antiphon for God the Father may be heard on the Dale Warland Singers CD entitled “Bernstein and Britten”, subsequently broadcast on the national public radio program, First Art. 
  • The Seven Last Words of Christ commissioned by the First Presbyterian Church in New York City, performed as part of its Good Friday afternoon liturgy. 
  • Selections from Sonnets to Orpheus performed during the New York Singing Teachers Annual concert in New York City’s Merkin Hall. 
  • Laudate Dominum for double chorus (SATB traditional chorus and SAB gospel chorus) and organ, commissioned for The Interchurch Center’s 35th anniversary. 
  • Her rousing Black Gospel arrangement of the great American hymn Blessed Assurance, for chorus, soprano soloist, piano and organ,  commissioned and premiered by The Riverside Church in New York City, and subsequently broadcast nationally the following year during the inaugural celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Dr. King’s own Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where it was conducted by Dr. Wendell Whalum. The arrangement has since become standard repertoire for that holiday. The Ocean Grove Choral Festival in New Jersey counted Blessed Assurance among its “Top Ten Anthems of Festival History” and included the piece on its special fortieth-anniversary CD that same year.
  • The Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City commissioned Nancy to write a virtuoso a cappella arrangement of Blessed Assurance. Performed at the 2006 ACDA conventions both in NYC and in St. Louis, it is recorded on the St. Ignatius CD "Wondrous Love”. Also featured by Voices of Ascension on its American Composers concert.  
  • O Swallow (Tennyson) for a cappella chorus, commissioned by The Dale Warland Singers for their annual composers’ week. 
  • Walking the Melt, SATB and strings, commissioned for the 50th Anniversary of the Riverdale Chorale Society, New York City, John Lettieri, Director. Poetry by Maggie Schwed, former choral member. 
  • Mass of St James, SATB a cappella, commissioned by the Cathedral Church of St. James, Toronto, Robert Busiakiewicz, Director of Music. 
  • O Mistress Mine, from Shakespeare Suite, First Prize in the Ithaca College Composition Competition. The full Shakespeare Suite won First Place in the Athena Festival of Women in Music and was performed by the Murray State Concert Choir, Kentucky. Also heard in radio broadcast sung by Pro Arte Singers of Connecticut on First Art. It is published by G. Schirmer. 
  • Ms. Wertsch’s arrangement of America, the Beautiful for soloist, chorus, and orchestra, has been performed for many special national occasions, including the Cleveland Orchestra’s 150th anniversary, an event at the White House for President Jimmy Carter, and the post-September 11th interfaith Prayer for America service at Yankee Stadium, broadcast live on CNN. 
  • Nancy's arrangement of the popular spiritual Ride On, King Jesus, published by Oxford University Press, has been featured by many organizations nationwide, including the Westminster Choir under the direction of Joseph Flummerfelt, Voices of Ascension led by Dennis Keene, and the Susquehanna University Chorale in Pennsylvania conducted by Cyril M. Stretansky. 
  • The Sorel Foundation awarded funding for the 2012 CD recording “...with peace in mind.”, devoted to the works of Nancy Wertsch. Featured on WNYC’s “The Choral Mix” with Kent Tritle. 
  • Publishers include:
    G. Schirmer, distributed by Hal LeonardSicut Cervus; Shakespeare Suite; Antiphon for God the Father.
    Oxford University Press: Blessed Assurance, Didn' My Lord Deliver Daniel, and Ride On, King Jesus.
     Carus-Verlag: Hail, Holy Light
    Most other titles found on this site available from Art of Sound Music.