Spirit of Times

SKU: PR.114419200

ISBN 9781491114223. UPC: 680160671731. 9 x 12 inches.

Spirit was composed in memory of the renowned clarinetist Laura Flax. Laura commissioned Ran’s first solo clarinet work, For an Actor: Monologue for Clarinet, to premiere with the Da Capo Chamber Players in 1978. Ran returned to the clarinet in many compositions over the years, sometimes as a lead instrument and at other times as an important voice, yet always inspired by Laura’s rich sound, blazing technique, and the “brain and guts” that she brought to her playing. As a memorial, Spirit is not about absence, but rather a celebration displaying a wide range of emotions, with at least a tiny glimpse of Laura’s brilliant spirit and spiritedness. Only in the work’s final stretch does the sense of parting and loss take over.
SPIRIT was composed in memory of Laura Flax (1952-2017), the renowned New York-based clarinetist and my cherished friend. Our musical and personal association began in 1977 when Laura invited me to compose a solo clarinet work, For an Actor: Monologue for Clarinet, in memory of her mother, Hazel Flax, whom I had known.After composing For an Actor for Laura I came back to the clarinet in many of my compositions over the years, sometimes as a lead instrument and at other times as an important voice. In all of my clarinet music Laura is present. The rich sound, blazing technique, the “brain and guts” that she brought to her playing, and her remarkable person, have inspired me in so many ways during the four decades of our friendship, and beyond.I did not want Spirit to be about absence, though. I wanted the piece to exhibit a wider range of emotions, as well as capture at least a tiny glimpse of Laura’s brilliant spirit and spiritedness. Only in the work’s final stretch does the sense of “parting,” and of loss, take over.Upon completing Spirit on October 21, 2017 I found myself compelled to add at the bottom of the score the words “To Laura, always in my heart,” as though in an effort to reach out, for a brief moment, and touch the unreachable.—Shulamit Ran.

SKU: XC.DCB2206FS

12 x 9 inches.

Carol Brittin Chambers has quickly become one of the top composers of music for younger students with engaging music that stretches their musical chops, but is fun to play. This piece is at times tuneful and other times dark and rich for great musical contracts. Check it out!

SKU: XC.DCB2206

12 x 9 inches.

Carol Brittin Chambers has quickly become one of the top composers of music for younger students with engaging music that stretches their musical chops, but is fun to play. This piece is at times tuneful and other times dark and rich for great musical contracts. Check it out!

SKU: FJ.ST6291S

English.

This lively original work embodies the character and spirit of the African-American spiritual. Combining themes of struggle, oppression, and hope for the future, the music begins quite vigorously before easing into a haunting middle section. Soon after, the music returns to its joyous nature, which is carried through to the spirited ending. Includes optional percussion.

SKU: MN.50-6522A

This anthem combines tunes In Babilone and Sine Nomine with a new text by Milburn Price and the traditional text ÒFor All the Saints.Ó Suited especially for times when we remember the saints and challenge ourselves to lives of service. Appropriate for All Saints, dedications, ordinations, anniversaries, and stewardship themes.

SKU: CF.SPS93

ISBN 9781491159774. UPC: 680160918362.

Adversity, in any form at any point of our lives, can be absolutely debilitating mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. In the midst of hard times, it is difficult to imagine what our lives will look like on the other side of the adversity we are facing. Yet so many of us carry on, move forward, and rise above determined to never be defined by our circumstances. For some their personal faith, support from family, or relationship to friends provides the necessary fuel for the resilience they need to rise above adversity. It is amazing when a group of people are able to come together to overcome a common obstacle. With this in mind, I put to music that spirit of rising above for the Liberty High School Band and their director Michael Summers. Northeast Ohio has seen its share of prosperity and significant times of hardship along many different fronts. I still see resilient leaders, community members, and educators like Mike who continue to fight for what is best and what is right. The debut of this work, like so many other things, was interrupted in the spring of 2020. Now on the precipice of a new beginning for many band programs across the country, all of us in instrumental music education must summon resilience to ensure our groups recover, grow and flourish. The rising major second represents us all taking the first step forward in good and difficult times. The adversity (tension) arrives in various ways harmonically throughout the work. Tension can make us lose sense of where we are on our journey and rob us of our ability to imagine getting through our current situation. But I am reminded that not all tension is bad. Given enough time and enough resolution, we can often make sense of the adversity. We can recognize that the adversity taught us something about ourselves we didn't know, or perhaps challenged us to grow in a way we didn't think possible. Either way, it does not happen unless we possess resilience. I thank you in advance for your support of this music and wish you and your group the very best moving forward with Resilience.
Adversity, in any form at any point of our lives, can be absolutely debilitating mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. In the midst of hard times, it is difficult to imagine what our lives will look like on the other side of the adversity we are facing. Yet so many of us carry on, move forward, and rise above determined to never be defined by our circumstances.For some their personal faith, support from family, or relationship to friends provides the necessary fuel for the resilience they need to rise above adversity. It is amazing when a group of people are able to come together to overcome a common obstacle. With this in mind, I put to music that spirit of rising above for the Liberty High School Band and their director Michael Summers. Northeast Ohio has seen its share of prosperity and significant times of hardship along many different fronts. I still see resilient leaders, community members, and educators like Mike who continue to fight for what is best and what is right. The debut of this work, like so many other things, was interrupted in the spring of 2020. Now on the precipice of a new beginning for many band programs across the country, all of us in instrumental music education must summon resilience to ensure our groups recover, grow and flourish. The rising major second represents us all taking the first step forward in good and difficult times. The adversity (tension) arrives in various ways harmonically throughout the work. Tension can make us lose sense of where we are on our journey and rob us of our ability to imagine getting through our current situation. But I am reminded that not all tension is bad. Given enough time and enough resolution, we can often make sense of the adversity. We can recognize that the adversity taught us something about ourselves we didn’t know, or perhaps challenged us to grow in a way we didn’t think possible. Either way, it does not happen unless we possess resilience.I thank you in advance for your support of this music and wish you and your group the very best moving forward with Resilience.

SKU: CF.SPS85

ISBN 9781491156421. UPC: 680160914968. 9 x 12 inches.

Blue Horizons is a spirited tribute to the musical heritage of the United States Air Force. The main theme is a variation of the U.S. Air Force Song (Off We Go), with a secondary theme based on A Toast to the Host (the bridge of The Air Force Song). Throughout the work, fragments of other Air Force-related songs appear: Lord, Guard and Guide (the Air Force Hymn), Air Force Blue, and Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. The original request for this work was a daunting task: I was asked to create an Air Force companion piece to Robert Jager's Esprit de Corps that would mirror the style and spirit of that landmark work. The goal was to use elements of our various Air Force tunes in the same way that Jager incorporated The Marine's Hymn into his work - that is, to weave a musical tapestry of the Air Force's musical heritage without ever becoming a mere arrangement of the original material. As a former student of Robert Jager at Tennessee Technological University, I discussed my plans for the piece with him, shared my progress along the way, and sought his guidance as I had done so many times in the past. He was delighted that I managed to incorporate a few Jager-isms into the music, including one direct quote from Esprit de Corps. Although Blue Horizons was conceived as a dedication to the Air Force's musical legacy, it is also a personal homage to my teacher and friend, Robert Jager. Performance Notes * If only two flutists are available, omit the piccolo part and have them play Flute 1 and 2; in this case, Flute 1 should switch over to piccolo (still playing from the Flute 1 part) at m. 81 and back to regular flute at m. 114. If only covering the Flute 1 and 2 parts, Flute 2 should ignore indications to switch to piccolo and just play the entire work on regular flute. * Oboe 1 and 2 parts should be covered before adding the English Horn part. * The clarinet in Eb part should not be covered unless there are a sufficient number of players on the clarinet in Bb parts. * The trumpet cues in mm. 77-80 are only necessary if the horns need assistance finishing their soli phrase with enough strength to be heard. If you can hear them without extra support, leave the trumpets out. * From mm. 89-95, be sure the wind players with static eighth notes do not cover up the players with moving lines. * There is a strong tendency to rush m. 121. * During the oboe solo from mm. 157-168, ensure that the suspension/resolution lines in the bassoon and clarinet parts are heard; emphasize the importance of growing into the suspension with a slight crescendo. * In the scherzo section that begins at m. 217, be sure that each player knows how his/her part fits into the overall sound. I recommend isolating different textural items so the players can hear those parts on their own. (The bass line from mm. 243-260, for example, or the moving inner-voice line from mm. 251-260.) * In this same scherzo section, care should be taken to not play too loud and save a little strength for the climax fanfare at m. 279. * If you have an abundance of tubas, I would recommend having one or two of them play up an octave from mm. 243-271 if the lower part seems too heavy.
Blue Horizons is a spirited tribute to the musical heritage of the United States Air Force. The main theme is a variation of the U.S. Air Force Song (Off We Go), with a secondary theme based on A Toast to the Host (the bridge of The Air Force Song). Throughout the work, fragments of other Air Force-related songs appear: Lord, Guard and Guide (the Air Force Hymn), Air Force Blue, and Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines.The original request for this work was a daunting task: I was asked to create an Air Force “companion piece” to Robert Jager’s Esprit de Corps that would mirror the style and spirit of that landmark work. The goal was to use elements of our various Air Force tunes in the same way that Jager incorporated The Marine’s Hymn into his work – that is, to weave amusical tapestry of the Air Force’s musical heritage without ever becoming a mere arrangement of the original material. As a former student of Robert Jager at Tennessee Technological University, I discussed my plans for the piece with him, shared my progress along the way, and sought his guidance as I had done so many times in the past. He was delighted that I managed to incorporate a few “Jager-isms” into the music, including one direct quote from Esprit de Corps. Although Blue Horizons was conceived asa dedication to the Air Force’s musical legacy, it is also a personal homage to my teacher and friend, Robert Jager.Performance Notes• If only two flutists are available, omit the piccolo part and have them play Flute 1 and 2; in this case, Flute 1 should switch over to piccolo (still playing from the Flute 1 part) at m. 81 and back to regular flute at m. 114. If only covering the Flute 1 and 2 parts, Flute 2 should ignore indications to switch to piccolo and just play the entire work on regular flute.• Oboe 1 and 2 parts should be covered before adding the English Horn part.• The clarinet in Eb part should not be covered unless there are a sufficient number of players on the clarinet in Bb parts.• The trumpet cues in mm. 77-80 are only necessary if the horns need assistance finishing their soli phrase with enough strength to be heard. If you can hear them without extra support, leave the trumpets out.• From mm. 89-95, be sure the wind players with static eighth notes do not cover up the players with moving lines.• There is a strong tendency to rush m. 121.• During the oboe solo from mm. 157-168, ensure that the suspension/resolution lines in the bassoon and clarinet parts are heard; emphasize the importance of growing into the suspension with a slight crescendo.• In the scherzo section that begins at m. 217, be sure that each player knows how his/her part fits into the overall sound. I recommend isolating different textural items so the players can hear those parts on their own. (The bass line from mm. 243-260, for example, or the moving inner-voice linefrom mm. 251-260.)• In this same scherzo section, care should be taken to not play too loud and save a little strength for the climax fanfare at m. 279.• If you have an abundance of tubas, I would recommend having one or two of them play up an octave from mm. 243-271 if the lower part seems too heavy.