Over the Mountains

SKU: PR.16500104F

ISBN 9781491132159. UPC: 680160681082.

Ever since the success of my series of wind ensemble works Places in the West, I've been wanting to write a companion piece for national parks on the other side of the north American continent. The earlier work, consisting of GLACIER, THE YELLOWSTONE FIRES, ARCHES, and ZION, spanned some twenty years of my composing life, and since the pieces called for differing groups of instruments, and were in slightly different styles from each other, I never considered them to be connected except in their subject matter. In their depiction of both the scenery and the human history within these wondrous places, they had a common goal: awaking the listener to the fragile beauty that is in them; and calling attention to the ever more crucial need for preservation and protection of these wild places, unique in all the world. With this new work, commissioned by a consortium of college and conservatory wind ensembles led by the University of Georgia, I decided to build upon that same model---but to solidify the process. The result, consisting of three movements (each named for a different national park in the eastern US), is a bona-fide symphony. While the three pieces could be performed separately, they share a musical theme---and also a common style and instrumentation. It is a true symphony, in that the first movement is long and expository, the second is a rather tightly structured scherzo-with-trio, and the finale is a true culmination of the whole. The first movement, Everglades, was the original inspiration for the entire symphony. Conceived over the course of two trips to that astonishing place (which the native Americans called River of Grass, the subtitle of this movement), this movement not only conveys a sense of the humid, lush, and even frightening scenery there---but also an overview of the entire settling-of- Florida experience. It contains not one, but two native American chants, and also presents a view of the staggering influence of modern man on this fragile part of the world. Beginning with a slow unfolding marked Heavy, humid, the music soon presents a gentle, lyrical theme in the solo alto saxophone. This theme, which goes through three expansive phrases with breaks in between, will appear in all three movements of the symphony. After the mood has been established, the music opens up to a rich, warm setting of a Cherokee morning song, with the simple happiness that this part of Florida must have had prior to the nineteenth century. This music, enveloping and comforting, gradually gives way to a more frenetic, driven section representative of the intrusion of the white man. Since Florida was populated and developed largely due to the introduction of a train system, there's a suggestion of the mechanized iron horse driving straight into the heartland. At that point, the native Americans become considerably less gentle, and a second chant seems to stand in the way of the intruder; a kind of warning song. The second part of this movement shows us the great swampy center of the peninsula, with its wildlife both in and out of the water. A new theme appears, sad but noble, suggesting that this land is precious and must be protected by all the people who inhabit it. At length, the morning song reappears in all its splendor, until the sunset---with one last iteration of the warning song in the solo piccolo. Functioning as a scherzo, the second movement, Great Smoky Mountains, describes not just that huge park itself, but one brave soul's attempt to climb a mountain there. It begins with three iterations of the UR-theme (which began the first movement as well), but this time as up-tempo brass fanfares in octaves. Each time it begins again, the theme is a little slower and less confident than the previous time---almost as though the hiker were becoming aware of the daunting mountain before him. But then, a steady, quick-pulsed ostinato appears, in a constantly shifting meter system of 2/4- 3/4 in alteration, and the hike has begun. Over this, a slower new melody appears, as the trek up the mountain progresses. It's a big mountain, and the ascent seems to take quite awhile, with little breaks in the hiker's stride, until at length he simply must stop and rest. An oboe solo, over several free cadenza-like measures, allows us (and our friend the hiker) to catch our breath, and also to view in the distance the rocky peak before us. The goal is somehow even more daunting than at first, being closer and thus more frighteningly steep. When we do push off again, it's at a slower pace, and with more careful attention to our footholds as we trek over broken rocks. Tantalizing little views of the valley at every switchback make our determination even stronger. Finally, we burst through a stand of pines and----we're at the summit! The immensity of the view is overwhelming, and ultimately humbling. A brief coda, while we sit dazed on the rocks, ends the movement in a feeling of triumph. The final movement, Acadia, is also about a trip. In the summer of 2014, I took a sailing trip with a dear friend from North Haven, Maine, to the southern coast of Mt. Desert Island in Acadia National Park. The experience left me both exuberant and exhausted, with an appreciation for the ocean that I hadn't had previously. The approach to Acadia National Park by water, too, was thrilling: like the difference between climbing a mountain on foot with riding up on a ski-lift, I felt I'd earned the right to be there. The music for this movement is entirely based on the opening UR-theme. There's a sense of the water and the mysterious, quiet deep from the very beginning, with seagulls and bell buoys setting the scene. As we leave the harbor, the theme (in a canon between solo euphonium and tuba) almost seems as if large subaquatic animals are observing our departure. There are three themes (call them A, B and C) in this seafaring journey---but they are all based on the UR theme, in its original form with octaves displaced, in an upside-down form, and in a backwards version as well. (The ocean, while appearing to be unchanging, is always changing.) We move out into the main channel (A), passing several islands (B), until we reach the long draw that parallels the coastline called Eggemoggin Reach, and a sudden burst of new speed (C). Things suddenly stop, as if the wind had died, and we have a vision: is that really Mt. Desert Island we can see off the port bow, vaguely in the distance? A chorale of saxophones seems to suggest that. We push off anew as the chorale ends, and go through all three themes again---but in different instrumentations, and different keys. At the final tack-turn, there it is, for real: Mt. Desert Island, big as life. We've made it. As we pull into the harbor, where we'll secure the boat for the night, there's a feeling of achievement. Our whale and dolphin friends return, and we end our journey with gratitude and celebration. I am profoundly grateful to Jaclyn Hartenberger, Professor of Conducting at the University of Georgia, for leading the consortium which provided the commissioning of this work.

SKU: BT.AMP-340-010

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dutch.

Philip Sparke entitled this descriptive work in honour of America’s natural wonders with lines from the hymn America the Beautiful: O Beautiful the Spacious Skies is as light as a spring sky, From Sea to Shining Sea describes calm,flowing and bubbling waters, while in the third movement, For Purple Majestic Mountains, the glowing hues of the mountains are set to music.

Philip Sparke ontleende de titels van de drie delen van dit progrmamatische werk over Amerikas natuurschoon aan regels uit het lied America the Beautiful: O beautiful for spacious skies is licht als een lentehemel, From sea to shining seaverklankt het stromende water in beken, rivieren en meren, terwijl in het derde deel, For purple mountain majesties, beelden worden opgeroepen van een indrukwekkende bergketen.

Philip Sparke betitelte sein deskriptives Werk zu Ehren von Amerikas Naturwundern mit Zeilen aus dem Lied America the Beautiful: O Beautiful for Spacious Skies ist leicht wie ein Frühlingshimmel, From Sea to Shining Sea beschreibtruhende, fließende und sprudelnde Gewässer, während im dritten Satz, For Purple Mountain Majesties, die Erhabenheit der purpurrot leuchtenden Berge vertont ist.

Écrite comme un triptyque, Of Skies, Rivers, Lakes and Mountains s’ouvre avec des figures en filigrane jouées par les bois pour recréer la lumière et la légèreté d’un ciel printanier. Plein de vivacité, le deuxième tableau évoque lesfrémissements de l’eau des ruisseaux, des rivières et des lacs. Le dernier mouvement, lent et majestueux, dépeint une impressionnante chaîne de montagnes.

Philip Sparke ha intitolato la sua opera descrittiva in onore delle meraviglie naturali dell’America rifacendosi a versi della canzone America the Beautiful. O Beautiful the Spacious Skies è leggera come il cielo di primavera. From Sea toShining Sea descrive le acque silenziose, i corsi d‘acqua zampillanti, mentre nel terzo movimento della sinfonia For Purple Majestic Mountains, viene tradotta in musica la maestosit delle montagne.

SKU: BT.MUSAM996996

ISBN 9781849380140. English.

The Complete Guitar Player series has taught hundreds of thousands how to play and the accompanying songbooks have featured hits by Paul Simon, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, John Denver and many othertopartists.

Now these songbooks are available in super value omnibus editions like this one. The songs are still graded by ease of playing and everything is there... standard notation, Guitar chord boxes, full lyrics andevenstrumming patterns!

Over 180 great songs! Perfect for all players and singers!

The bonus CD contains backing tracks to 16 of the songs in the book.

SKU: HL.49008199

ISBN 9783795753818. 9.0x12.0x0.27 inches.

'Fun with Jazz Flute' is a series for beginners of any age, a way of complementing traditional teaching material with an introduction to the characteristics of pop and jazz. To help with practicing, the CD contains just the piano part as well as the complete track with both instruments for each piece. Walking by the sea * Two Note Blues * Dreaming of You * Up and Down Boogie * Try It! * The hurdy-gurdy * Singing' in the Church * Love Waltz * Sunset * Waltzin' * Happy reunion * Farewell-Gospel * Happy Talk * Holidays * Folksong * Looking back * Cuba Libre * Recollections of autumn * Hot Stuff * Song for Peace * French Evening * Gangster chase * Flight over the mountains * In the summer meadow * March of the old fogies * Agaric Rag * Notes on Interpretation, Commentary and Tips * Notes on the piano accompaniment * Even and Swing Quavers * Beat * CD-Index.

SKU: MB.31030

ISBN 9781513476735. 8.75X11.75 inches.

Easy to Play Viola Airs and Balladsáis a collection of 25 nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century folk and popular songs from England, Scotland, Ireland, and the United States.á All the songs are written in easy rhythms, entirely in first position, with bowing indications and suggested guitar chords. Each tune corresponds with the same song ináEasy to Play Violin Airs and BalladsáandáEasy to Play Cello Airs and Ballads.

SKU: AP.47435S

UPC: 038081542119. English.

This arrangement of lovely ballads, vigorous fiddle songs, and simple shaped-note tunes is deeply rooted in early-American folk traditions. The three Christmas tunes The Babe of Bethlehem, Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head, and Star in the East will carry you to the wind-swept, snow-covered Appalachian Mountains. Beautiful orchestral scoring will provide a full sound for any ensemble.