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
NEW RELEASE
"For You Alone Are Holy"
For You Alone Are Holy is an a cappella choral setting that draws its text from Revelation 15:3–4 and Psalm 86:12, two passages that proclaim God’s holiness with awe and conviction. In writing this piece, I wanted the music to reflect the purity and directness of those scriptures — nothing added, nothing embellished, just voices united in praise. The absence of instruments invites listeners into a more intimate sound world, where harmony, breath, and silence carry the weight of the text.
The musical language moves between stillness and radiant intensity, mirroring the reverence embedded in the words. Moments of close harmony create a sense of collective devotion, while more expansive phrases open into expressions of wonder. Throughout the piece, the choir’s unified sound becomes its own form of worship, offering a musical space where the holiness of God is not only sung but felt. My hope is that this setting allows both singers and listeners to experience these scriptures with renewed clarity and heartfelt sincerity.
“The First Readings Project” - David Moore, Conductor - recorded ‘live’ at Grace Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, MN.
Music by Denice Rippentrop
Video Produced by Clay Ashworth
℗ 2026 Denice Rippentrop
“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