Git'er Done

SKU: PR.11641867S

UPC: 680160683208.

Conte xtures: Riots -Decade '60 was commissioned by Zubin Mehta and the Southern California Symphony Association after the successful premiere of the Concerto for Four Percussion Soloists and Orchestra. It was written during the spring and summer months of 1967. Riots stemming from resentment against the racial situation in the United States and the war in Vietnam were occurring throughout the country and inevitably invaded the composer's creative subconscious. Contextures, as the title implies, was intended to exploit various and varying textures. As the work progressed the correspondence between the fabric of music and the fabric of society became apparent and the allegory grew in significance. So I found myself translating social aspects into musical techniques. Social stratification became a polymetric situation where disparate groups function together. The conflict between the forces of expansion and the forces of containment is expressed through and opposition of tonal fluidity vs. rigidity. This is epitomized in the fourth movement, where the brass is divided into two groups - a muted group, encircled by the unmuted one, which does its utmost to keep the first group within a restricted pitch area. The playful jazzy bits (one between the first and second movements and one at the end of the piece) are simply saying that somehow in this age of turmoil and anxiety ways of having fun are found even though that fun may seem inappropriate. The piece is in five movements, with an interlude between the first and second movements. It is scored for a large orchestra, supplemented by six groups of percussion, including newly created roto-toms (small tunable drums) and some original devices, such as muted gongs and muted vibraphone. There is also an offstage jazz quartet: bass, drums, soprano saxophone and trumpet. The first movement begins with a solo by the first clarinetist which is interrupted by intermittent heckling from his colleagues leading to a configuration of large disparate elements. The interlude of solo violin and snare-drum follows without pause. The second movement, Prestissimo, is a display piece of virtuosity for the entire orchestra. The third movement marks a period of repose and reflection and calls for some expressive solos, particularly by the horn and alto saxophone. The fourth movement opens with a rather lengthy oboe solo, which is threatened by large blocks of sound from the orchestra, against an underlying current of agitated energy in the piano and percussion. This leads to a section in which large orchestral forces oppose one another, ultimately bringing the work to a climax, if not to a denouement. Various thematic elements are strewn all over the orchestra, resulting in the formation of a general haze of sound. A transition leads to the fifth movement without pause. The musical haze is pierced gently by the offstage jazz group as if they were attempting to ignore and even dispel the gloom, but a legato bell sound enters and hovers over both the jazz group and the orchestra, the latter making statements of disquieting finality. Two films were conceived to accompany portions of Contextures. The first done by Herbert Kosowar, was a chemography film (painting directly into the film using dyes and various implements) with fast clips of riot photographs. The second was a film collage made by photographically abstracting details from paintings of Reginald Pollack. The purpose was to invoke a non-specific response - as in music - but at the same time to define the subject matter of the piece. The films were constructed to correspond with certain developments in the piece and in no way affect the independence and musical flow of the piece, having been made after the piece was completed. Contextures: Riots - Decade '60 is dedicated to Mehta, the Southern California Symphony Association and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. The news of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King came the afternoon of the premiere, April 4, 1968. That evening's performances, and also the succeeding ones, were dedicated to him and a special dedication to Dr. King has been inserted into he score. All the music that follows the jazz group - beginning with the legato bell sound playing the first 2 notes to We shall overcome constitutes a new ending to commemorate Dr. King's death.

SKU: HL.14043700

ISBN 9781783058617. UPC: 888680736491. 9.0x12.0x0.125 inches. English.

Sing Pop A Cappella is a collection of a cappella arrangements of fantastic pop songs old and new, by renowned teacher, singer and director Gitika Partington . Her arrangements are used by choirs across the UK, and she emphasises that being able to read music is not necessary. Rewarding and enjoyable, Book Three continues her project to bring people together through the power of song. What's great about Gitika Partington 's Sing Pop A Cappella series is how she understands that to make great music or to sing a great song, it's not necessary to be able to sight-read. It may be useful, but she has learned that there are other ways to communicate music, namely through ear training,repetition and gesture. Her arrangements, five of which appear in this book, have enabled youth and community choirs to spring up across the country, making singing truly and universally accessible.  Included in this book are wonderfully rich a cappella arrangements of Ain't No Sunshine  by Bill Withers, Black Is The Colour Of My True Love's Hair, Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up, Adele's Rolling In The Deep  and a huge favourite, Sway (Quien Sera) . Vocal scores for these innovative and enjoyable arrangements are included in standard notation, although Partington recommends learning by ear as something equally beneficial. To aid with this, the accompanying download card includes five tracks of audio for each song. One features a full performance demonstration while the other four each focus on either soprano, alto, tenor or bass. The easy download of these tracks makes learning efficient and fun, as you are able to listen wherever you are. The great thing about a cappella singing is that it can be done anywhere, with limited resources, with members who don't necessarily have any musical training. Partington  has created a book that can be used by a cappella choirs who love pop music that sounds great and will thrill audiences. Sing Pop A Cappella is not just a songbook, though, it also includes an extensive.