Journey Onward

SKU: ST.CN72P

ISBN 9790220228629.

A perfect seasonal choice, Onward we go is a consummate example of Thomas Hewitt Jonesâ??s feeling for young voices, and his passion for sharing the joy of Christmas through memorable tunes. A beautiful, arching melody carries the delightful verse by Canon Gordon Giles, which tells of children singing as they journey to the manger. Shepherds, angels and the Magi accompany them on their way, bearing gifts of love to honour the incarnation in faith, hope and reverence. Expressive and irresistible, words and music go straight to the heart, with a warmth especially inspired by the dedicatees, chorister-tutor Caroline Lenton-Ward and the childrenâ??s choir of St Stephenâ??s, South Dulwich, a church which also played a formative part in the composerâ??s musical upbringing.

Onward we go may be performed by unison voices with organ or piano, or with organ or piano and additional flexible instrumental ensemble including any available upper strings and woodwind, plus optional cello, bass guitar or double bass, mark tree and tubular bells.

A set of score and parts for the optional ensemble (Cat. No. Y373) will be available to purchase.

SKU: HL.3773119

UPC: 884088731267. 6.75x10.5x0.007 inches.

SKU: CF.YPS252F

ISBN 9781491161913. UPC: 680160920594.

A new day. A new event. A new opportunity. We look forward to these things and the potential they hold. We live our lives looking forward, but we understand them looking backward (a thought of Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard). We do not always know what the future may hold, but we must remember: first, there are no guarantees beyond the time and opportunity we are given to do good. Second, change around us is inevitable. Finally, and the most important aspect, we have choices. This lesson is fixed to the composer's office door: Today is the greatest day of your life, if you want it to be. Why not look forward to the Promise on the Horizon and the possibilities for greatness that lie within it? The opening motif of this concert fanfare is purposely inquisitive as the piece seeks to establish its first steps. The subtle shift at measure 37 and again at measure 69 are reminders of the challenges that await us during the journey. Here again it is a matter of choice - do we choose to let circumstances define us, or do we define the circumstances? The section at 93 is a resounding answer that we will move barriers, overcome obstacles and keep our vision looking forward. The piece builds toward an exciting conclusion from measure 127 onward. The piece reinforces several basic rhythmic patterns in 6/8 time. As a number of these rhythms are repeated, it provides an easy opportunity for the entire ensemble to grow more comfortable performing in this meter. While it is a fanfare-type piece, remind young musicians to play with lightness and precision, rather than intensity in volume. Maintaining this style of articulation and accuracy helps the rhythms in 6/8 time maintain their buoyancy. It is vital that each musician listens for the melody and balances their part, especially in moments where the melody is passed between sections. If vibes are not available, a second bell set can be employed in its place. It is hoped that this piece is an uplifting way to open your next concert, and a meaningful opportunity for you to discuss the power of making positive choices with your students in the ensemble (as a reminder, regular practicing of their instrument is a positive choice). Wishing you and your ensemble well as you look to the Promise on the Horizon.
A new day. A new event. A new opportunity. We look forward to these things and the potential they hold. We live our lives looking forward, but we understand them looking backward (a thought of Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard). We do not always know what the future may hold, but we must remember: first,  there are no guarantees beyond the time and opportunity we are given to do good. Second, change around us is inevitable. Finally, and the most important aspect, we have choices. This  lesson is fixed to the composer's office door: “Today is the greatest day of your life, if you want it to be.” Why not look forward to the Promise on the Horizon and the possibilities for greatness that lie within it?The opening motif of this concert fanfare is purposely inquisitive as the piece seeks to establish its first steps. The subtle shift at measure 37 and again at measure 69 are reminders of the challenges that await us during the journey. Here again it is a matter of choice – do we choose to let circumstances define us, or do we define the circumstances? The section at 93 is a resounding answer that we will move barriers, overcome obstacles and keep our vision looking forward. The piece builds toward an exciting conclusion from measure 127 onward. The piece reinforces several basic rhythmic patterns in 6/8 time. As a number of these rhythms are repeated, it provides an easy opportunity for the entire ensemble to grow more comfortable performing in this meter. While it is a fanfare-type piece, remind young musicians to play with lightness and precision, rather than intensity in volume. Maintaining this style of articulation and accuracy helps the rhythms in 6/8 time maintain their buoyancy. It is vital that each musician listens for the melody and balances their part, especially in moments where the melody is passed between sections. If vibes are not available, a second bell set can be employed in its place. It is hoped that this piece is an uplifting way to open your next concert, and a meaningful opportunity for you to discuss the power of making positive choices with your students in the ensemble (as a reminder, regular practicing of their instrument is a positive choice). Wishing you and your ensemble well as you look to the Promise on the Horizon. .

SKU: PR.11441998S

UPC: 680160681730. 9 x 12 inches.

The ancient Egyptian empire began around 3100 B.C. and continued for over 3000 years until Alexander the Great conquered the country in 332 B.C. Over the centuries, the Egyptian empire grew and flourished into a highly developed society. They invented hieroglyphics, built towering pyramids (including the Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the World), and the created many household items we still use today, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, eyeliner, black ink, and the forerunner of modern-day paper. Included among their achievements were a series of highly developed funerary practices and beliefs in the Afterlife. As the average lifespan of an Egyptian hovered around 30 years, living past the death of oneAs physical body was a legitimate concern. Egyptians believed that upon death, their souls would undertake a harrowing journey through the Netherworld. If they survived the horrific creatures and arduous trials that awaited them, then their souls would be reunified with their bodies (hence the need to preserve the body through mummification) and live forever in a perfect version of the life they had lived in Egypt. To achieve this, Egyptians devised around 200 magical spells and incantations to aid souls on the path to the Afterlife. These spells are collectively called The Book of the Dead. Particular spells would be chosen by the family of the deceased and inscribed on the tombAs walls and scrolls of papyrus, as well as on a stone scarab placed over the deceasedAs heart. Subsequent collections of spells and mortuary texts, such as The Book of Gates, assisted a soul in navigating the twelve stages of the Netherworld. Not only did these spells protect and guide the soul on this dangerous path, but they also served as a safeguard against any unbecoming behavior an Egyptian did while alive. For instance, if a person had robbed another while alive, there was a spell that would prevent the soulAs heart from revealing the truth when in the Hall of Judgment. Rites for the Afterlife follows the path of a soul to the Afterlife. In Inscriptions from the Book of the Dead (movement 1), the soul leaves the body and begins the journey, protected by spells and incantations written on the tombAs walls. In Passage though the Netherworld (movement 2), the soul is now on a funerary barque, being towed through the Netherworld by four of the regionAs inhabitants. We hear the soul slowly chanting incantations as the barque encounters demons, serpents, crocodiles, lakes of fire, and other terrors. The soul arrives at The Hall of Judgment in movement 3. Standing before forty-two divine judges, the soul addresses each by name and gives a A!negative confessionA(r) connected to each judge (i.e. A!I did not rob,A(r) A!I did not do violence,A(r) and so on). Afterwards, the soulAs heart is put on a scale to be weighed against a feather of MaAat, the goddess of truth. If the heart weighs more than the feather, it will be eaten by Ammut, a hideous creature that lies in wait below the scale, and the soul will die a second and permanent death (this was the worst fear of the Egyptians). But if the heart is in balance with the feather, the soul proceeds onward. The final stage of the journey is the arrival at The Field of Reeds (movement 4), which is a perfect mirror image of the soulAs life in ancient Egypt. The soul reunites with deceased family members, makes sacrifices to the Egyptian gods and goddess, harvests crops from plentiful fields of wheat under a brilliant blue sky, and lives forever next to the abundant and nourishing waters of the Nile. Rites for the Afterlife was commissioned by the Barlow Endowment on behalf of the Akropolis Reed Quintet, Calefax Reed Quintet, and the Brigham Young University Reed Quintet. -S.G.

SKU: PR.114417500

UPC: 680160634910. 9.5 x 13 inches.

Stream for Clarinet and String Quartet (2015) was commissioned by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society in celebration of its 30th Anniversary Season, through support of The William Penn Foundation. The first performance was in April 2016 at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Notes from the composer: The 'line' in Stream is often threaded together into a chain made up of separate 'points' played by the strings, and sometimes by the string and the clarinet. An analogy might be that each instrument, at times, produces a single 'ray of light' from within the larger light source. Moreover, there are many passages where the intended effect is that of the strings providing a 'halo' surrounding the solo clarinet. Similarly, the clarinet often dovetails with, as well as emerges or submerges in and out of, a strand in the string music..
What's in a name?   In my titles, I generally aim to capture something that I believe to be essential about the particular work.  At some level this is to offer an entry-point for the listener, a glimpse of the composition in its totality.  STREAM as a title came to be when much of the music was already fully composed, and it encapsulates much of what I wish to say in words about this work: it suggests flow - whether gentle or forceful; it implies a journey, one that could take us onto unexpected terrains yet is always moving forward; embedded into this word is also the idea of stream of consciousness, and with it, free association and unexpected twists of fancy. Approximately 16 minutes in duration, STREAM is to be played without a break, yet there are strong elements of a three-movement structure here. An expository quasi-first-movement lays out important materials of varying character; the middle part, suggesting contrast and repose, is initially slow and reflective, but then embarks on new explorations of the notion of stasis, while the final movement is dominated by fast-moving music of high energy that consolidates the previous materials.  Important throughout is the way in which seemingly transitional stretches of music emerge and propel the music onward in ways that are at once unexpected and fantastical. A composer's statement about this work would not be complete without acknowledging the degree to which the work was inspired by the awareness that it was being created for a quintet of extraordinary performers of the most beautiful and flowing musicianship - clarinet virtuoso Anthony McGill and the intrepid Brentano Quartet. Shulamit Ran .

SKU: FP.FTJ06

ISBN 9780951479537.

Composing for the recorder can be intimidating for those with limited or no experience playing the instrument. John Turner's new book is the ideal primer, taking the would be recorder composer on a journey through the history of recorder composition, and onwards to explore player techniques and the musicality offered by this versatile instrument. Each section is extensively referenced to exisiting compositions, providing a fantastic platform for further research by the reader.

About the Author:

JOHN TURNER is one of the leading recorder players of today. Born in Stockport, he was Senior Scholar in Law at Fitzwilliam College Cambridge before pursuing a legal career, acting for many distinguished musicians and musical organisations alongside his many musical activities. These included numerous appearances and recordings with David Munrow's Early Music Consort of London, the Academy of Ancient Music, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the English Baroque Soloists. He now devotes his time to playing, writing, reviewing, publishing, composing and generally energising.

He has played as recorder soloist with the Halle Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Manchester Camerata, the English Baroque Soloists, the English Chamber Orchestra, and many other leading orchestras and ensembles. Concertos and works with orchestra have been written for him by Gordon Crosse, Anthony Gilbert, Peter Hope, Kenneth Leighton, Elis Pehkonen, Alan Bullard, John Casken, and many other distinguished composers. His recordings include no less than five sets of the Brandenburg Concertos, as well as the F Major version of Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 with Menuhin and George Malcolm, but lately he has madenumerous acclaimed recordings of the recorder’s contemporary concerto and chamber music repertoire, including several concerto discs, all of which have received critical acclaim. In all, he has given the first performances of over 600 works for the recorder, with works by many non-British composers, including Leonard Bernstein, Ned Rorem, Peter Sculthorpe, Douglas Lilburn and Petr Eben.

Many of the works he has premiered have now entered the instrument’s standard repertoire, and these and his own recorder compositions are regularly set for festivals and examinations. He edits series of recorder publications for both Forsyths and Peacock Press, and founded the periodical Manchester Sounds, in response to the perceived threat to music libraries in Great Britain. In addition he was responsible for the rediscovery of several works for his instrument, including the Rawsthorne Recorder Suite, Antony Hopkins' Pastiche Suite, Herbert Murrill’s Sarabande, the Handel F Major Trio Sonata and John Parry's Nightingale Rondo (the only substantial known British nineteenth century work for a fipple flute). He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Northern College of Music in 2002 for his services to British music, and is a Visiting Distinguished Scholar of Manchester University.