STEVE SCHWARTZ (S.G.S) is a rank amateur and proud of it.  He taught himself sight-reading, the rudiments of theory and briefly studied piano when very young. Later, at Oberlin, he studied theory, counterpoint and composition.  He's dissatisfied with most of the music he has composed; now he is working on a string quartet, a chacony for string quartet, a setting of Jared Carter's "After the Rain" for string trio and voice, arrangements of two of Scott Joplin songs for male quartet, and a major project "in the works" for many years -- a setting of Wordsworth's "Imitations of Immortality" ode.   Steve has sung in choirs for much of his adult life (he formed and led several small vocal ensembles), but there's almost no such thing as a professional American choirster.  He's been collecting recordings for close to fifty years, but only recently decided to write about them, mainly because he felt he was buying without really listening.  Writing sharpens his concentration.  He has taught English and computer science in universities (having degrees in both subjects), so any grammar errors a reader may find will embarrass him no end.  Steve has also worked as a computer technician and programmer and now lives by his wits in New Orleans with his wife of 29 years, Kathryn Mettelka.