Watch Me Fly

SKU: HL.118407

UPC: 884088898632. 5x5 inches.

The 1964 theme of the classic French film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg has become a popular jazz standard, recorded by dozens of artists. You'll love the charming chromatic melodic theme of “watch what happens” when you keep yourself open to finding love. Choirs of all levels will enjoy experiencing this interesting song along with developing style and skill. Available separately: SATB, SAB, SSA, ShowTrax CD. Rhythm parts available digitally (gtr, b, dm). Duration: ca. 2:30.

SKU: FP.FBS03

ISBN 9790570500192.

Sarah Baker is Vocal Composer in Residence at Education Music Services, an ABRSM examiner and a well known composer of songs and musicals for primary schools and massed-choral events.

All this experience has come together in the creation of this album of piano pieces, inspired by growing up in the Chiltern Hills. Suitable for players of around grade 4-5 standard, her evocative sound pieces describe a crash-landing hot air balloon, garden invading cows and a even a snake in a pond!

Air Balloon!: One vivid memory I have as a child is of the day that a hot air balloon passed over our house and made an emergency landing on the road in front! The sound of the gas being blown into the balloon to try to keep it high enough to pass the house sounded so loud and intimidating, and then there was the bustle of the neighbours as we all went out into the street to watch. It was both terrifying and exhilarating to watch the balloon float past and then land so near by.

Buzzards Circling: There is something so calming and restful about watching birds of prey circling in the thermal currents of a summer sky. Growing up in the Chilterns gave me plenty of opportunity to watch buzzards and red kites. This piano solo captures the beauty of their flight as they glide so effortlessly through the air.

There’s A Cow In The Garden Eating The Flowers: Inspired by the memory of seeing an unexpected cow in the garden! This surreal image is captured in a quirky waltz, as I portray both the absurdity of the moment and the sense of wonder I felt as a child, looking out of the window and seeing the cow walking round and eating the flowers. The final phrase articulates my longing: ‘I wish it would come again’.

Watching The World Go By: A short, reflective piece, remembering what it was like to have time to just sit and watch the world go by from my bedroom window.

Autumn Skies: A miniature about the beauty of Autumn skies and the poignant sense of loss for a summer gone. Friends I was fortunate to have several children of my own age living close by. We seemed to be forever making dens, playing out in the street and generally enjoying each other’s company. This piece reflects that sense of well-being.

Snake In The Pond: One hot summer I was astonished and scared to see a grass snake cooling off in our garden pond! I watched, both horrified and fascinated, as it rose up from the depths and then disappeared again. Here I portray the sense of the hazy summer afternoon as I peacefully watched the tiny movements of fish in the pond, contrasted with the fear and excitement of seeing the snake appear.

Morning Commute: I recollect many mornings stuck in traffic as my Dad took me to school on his way to work. There is one main road out of the village where I grew up, and that got more and more congested the closer we got to the town. We may not have chatted a lot, but it was always good to be together with my Dad, lost in our own thoughts.

The Witch’s Cottage: My siblings and I had a fascination with a small cottage nearby. It was set back from the road in a dark part of the woods and we called it 'the witch's cottage’. Every time we passed, I imagined I heard the distant cackle of the witch and wished I could catch a glimpse of her.

These pieces are written to complement my other collection, Night Time Impressions, which also draw on childhood recollections, particularly of the woods behind the house where I grew up. - Sarah Baker 2023.

SKU: HL.44013293

UPC: 888680908898.

Watch Your Step! was commissioned by Stadtmusik Biel from Switzerland and is dedicated to the mayor of Biel/Bienne, Erich Fehr. The title was chosen to represent Biel as the watch-making capital of Switzerland. Watch Your Step! is one part of a series of 'up tempo' Sparke marches such as Slipstream, The Bandwagon and Jubiloso. After a bright opening, a syncopated first theme is played, firstly by clarinets and saxophones, and then by the full band. A bass strain is followed by a contrasting second subject, which is played twice. The bass melody returns to herald a truncated version of the main theme, before the opening fanfare reappears as a coda.

SKU: CF.FAS131

ISBN 9781491162644. UPC: 680160921393. Key: E minor.

At night, there are many possible dangers that lurk in the dark. With intense energy, this piece depicts the daring determination of protectors who keep watch in the night. The music is energetic and engaging, reinforcing foundational rhythms and techniques including staccato and changing dynamics. Written in three parts with Violin II doubling Viola and Cello doubling Bass, with optional Piano for support, all players will have the opportunity to play melodic material. Stay vigilant!

SKU: HL.750421

UPC: 606559312948. 6.0x6.75x1.771 inches.

The first timekeeper designed specifically for the band's timekeeper, Tama's Rhythm Watch, had everything a drummer needed to make sure the time was right, live and in the studio. The original Rhythm Watch featured enough volume to play with real drums, a large, easy-to-read display, a dial for quick tempo adjustments, separate volumes for quarter notes, eighths and triplets-the list went on and on. So who could ask for more? Well, lots of drummers could and did. So Tama listened to what they wanted and made some changes. The RW105 now features a backlit display, 30 different memory settings, and up to nine different beat divisions. The only thing Tama didn't change was the simplicity. Features *Volume loud enough to be heard over drums *Large, easy-to-read backlit display *A dial for quick tempo adjustments *Separate volumes for quarter notes, eighths, and triplets *30 different memory settings (up from 20)*Nine different beat divisions (up from 6).

SKU: OU.9780193866379

ISBN 9780193866379. 12 x 8 inches.

First Watch was composed for a four-octave concert carillon which consists of forty-nine bells. It takes as its inspiration the bell tower of the Albany City Hall carillon which overlooks the Hudson River in New York. It is the overwhelming sense of Albany as a canal-, river-, and sea port which inspired the composition.