A Performer's Guide to Music of the Baroque Period

SKU: A3.9781786010988

ISBN 9781786010988.

This stimulating guide will help students and their teachers to achieve stylish performances of music of the Baroque period. Individual chapters from leading experts focus on historical background, notation and interpretation, and sources and editions, presenting the latest thinking on performance in a clear, helpful and practical way.

SKU: GI.G-9739

ISBN 9781622773398. English.

The Renaissance era, lasting from the mid 1400s to about 1630, is one of the most distinctive and revolutionary periods in the arts, and music is no exception. Composers like Dufay, Josquin, Tallis, Victoria, Palestrina, Gabrieli, Praetorius, and Byrd were visionaries whose transformational music developed alongside the paintings and sculptures of Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. In this remarkable book, a companion to Performance Practices in the Classical Era and Performance Practices in the Baroque Era, noted scholar and conductor Dennis Shrock draws from primary sources to document and explain authentic performance practices of Renaissance era music—in many cases eye opening and rarely employed today. Insightful chapters cover topics including vocal and instrumental sound, tempo, articulation, phrasing, ornamentation, and expression. Like a restorer uncovering the original brilliance of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Shrock’s work reveals the rich and colorful nature of this wonderful music as originally intended. Performing Renaissance Music—together with Shrock’s companion recording Renaissance Reborn—is an insightful, colorful, and comprehensive portrait, certain to assist anyone who seeks to better understand the music of the great Renaissance composers. This book is a vital resource for any conductor, performer, or aficionado of Renaissance music. Dennis Shrock is author of six books published by GIA: Performing Renaissance Music (2018), Performance Practices in the Baroque Era (2013), Performance Practices in the Classical Era (2011), Handel’s Messiah: A Performance Practice Handbook (2013), Music for Beginning Conductors (2011), and A Conductor’s Guide to Choral/Orchestral Repertoire, co-authored with James Moyer (2017). In addition, Dr. Shrock is author of three books published by Oxford University Press: Choral Repertoire (2009), Choral Scores (2015), and Choral Monuments (2017). Dr. Shrock has held faculty positions at Boston University, Westminster Choir College, the University of Oklahoma, and Texas Christian University, and has had residencies at Baylor University, the University of Southern California, the University of Mississippi, and Yale University. He has also served as Artistic Director of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale and Canterbury Choral Society of Oklahoma City, Interim Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Chorus, and Editor of The Choral Journal. In addition, he has been a frequent All-State conductor and lecturer at conferences of the American Choral Directors Association. He has received a number of awards and recognitions for his work. The City of Santa Fe declared December 22, 2003 “Dennis Shrock Day,” Westminster Choir College granted him an “Alumni Merit Award,” the state of Oklahoma conferred on him a citation for “Contributions of Excellence,” and the University of Oklahoma granted him two “Distinguished Lectureships” and named him a “Presidential Professor.” Dr. Shrock received a bachelor’s degree in music education from Westminster Choir College and both master’s and doctoral degrees in choral conducting from Indiana University. The cover artwork is a depiction of monks singing the office from a Gradual illuminated in the 1440s and used by the Olivetan Benedictines.

SKU: GI.G-9615

ISBN 9781622774340.

With contributions from Jennifer Kerr Budziak and Kevin Padworski. This comprehensive and ambitious study is the first of its kind, focusing entirely on a large and diverse canon of six centuries of sacred choral repertoire that remains in worship presentation and performance to this day. Written and compiled by Tim Sharp, together with chapters by Jennifer Kerr Budziak and Kevin Padworski and contributions from 39 practicing church choir directors, Sacred Choral Music Repertoire is an in-depth exploration of 173 short- to medium-length anthems and single movements from larger sacred works. The large body of sacred music presented in this book was determined by surveys of practicing church musicians to discover the canon that remains relevant, beloved, and in unwavering use in church, school, and community choirs. Resource guides for each piece, written by researchers and practicing musicians from faith communities, survey the work’s history, offer conducting insights and detailed analysis, and give performance nuance and insight. Sacred Choral Music Repertoire explores a wide range of topics, including: Chant Sacred Choral Music of the Renaissance Sacred Choral Music of the Baroque Sacred Choral Music of the 18th Century Sacred Choral Music of the Romantic Era Sacred Choral Music of the 20th and 21st Centuries Folk Hymn Settings, Wilderness and African-American Spirituals Relational and Intentional Worship Music of the 21st Century Church Music in a Professional and Commercial Age Each section includes historical background information, conducting insights specific to each period, and practical analysis of each composition addressing musical style, interpretation, text, additional resources, and rehearsal considerations and approaches. Sacred Choral Music Repertoire is a practical and convenient reference for any conductor looking to bring the best sacred literature and performance practices to their school, college, community, or worship setting. Click Here to Download Book Index. Tim Sharp is Executive Director of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the professional association for choral conductors, educators, scholars, students, and choral music industry representatives in the United States. He serves as Vice-President of the International Federation for Choral Music and is Artistic Director of the Tulsa Chorale. A theologically and musically trained choral musician, Sharp has taught and written about sacred music literature and performed the canon of sacred repertoire throughout his career. He created and wrote the monthly Sacred Music News & Review publication, and originated the standing column on sacred music, Hallelujah!, for ACDA’s Choral Journal. Dr. Sharp is a Life Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, with degrees in music and conducting from The School of Church Music of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Belmont University, and Bluefield College, with post-graduate studies at the Aspen Music School, Harvard University, and Cambridge University.