Format : Vocal Score
(Russian Folk Song) Discovery Level 2-You'll thrill to the wintry sights and sounds that this sparkling Russian folksong evokes as it celebrates the first snowfall of winter! Perform it in English or with the very short and easily-learned Russian text this will be adelightful choice for holiday and winter programs. Available separately: 3-Part Mixed 2-Part VoiceTrax CD.
SKU: AP.49688
UPC: 038081567754. English.
Frosty goes to the jazz club with this Michael Bublé-inspired arrangement of the wintertime classic. A rapid swing tempo, walking string bass line, and stylized syncopations sync up to create an undeniably big-band vintage vibe. The back and forth banter between voice parts is a blast to perform and adds a charming flair. A Puppini Sisters feature is an optional treble trio or duet in the middle, and a huge drum fill kicks off the ultimate jazz-hands chord at the end. Your jazz ensemble will dig playing the SoundPax instrumentation, or perform with the sizzling SoundTrax.
SKU: CF.CM9773
ISBN 9781491164440. UPC: 680160923342. Key: C# minor. English. Christina Rossetti.
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,                            Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;                                Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,                               In the bleak midwinter, long ago.What can I give Him, poor as I am?                                            If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;                                     If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;                                    Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.The text from this beloved poem of Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) was originally published in an 1872 issue of Scribner’s Monthly, under the title A Christmas Carol. In the first of its five stanzas, the speaker describes in great detail a bitingly cold winter scene, void of both warmth and light. By the final stanza, the speaker's thoughts turn inward, asking what gift they may offer the infant Jesus, meek though they believe themselves to be.The poem was later set by English composer Gustav Holst (1874–1934) as a contribution to the English Hymnal in 1906 and remains the most popular setting today.London-born Rossetti came to be regarded not only as one of the greatest female poets of her time, but as an outspoken advocate on several societal issues, including slavery and cruelty towards animals.In this setting, word painting is of the utmost importance. Careful attention to word stress throughout the course of the piece will make the performance all the more captivating. Descriptive lines such as “frosty wind made moan†should be conveyed with swelling crescendos, like frigid gusts of frozen air.While this piece features an original tune, the beloved Holst melody is also featured briefly, beginning in m. 28. Take care to bring this out.There are plenty of other allusions to wintry scenes scattered throughout the choral parts as well as the accompaniment. I encourage you to put your sleuthing “hats†on and find them all. It will make the learning experience much more memorable and fun.
