Stanza No.1 Vce Inst

SKU: CF.CM9750

ISBN 9781491162385. UPC: 680160921133. Key: F major. English. Robert Frost.

About the workFew American poems are as well known as The Road Not Taken. Robert Frost, the author, is an international icon, not unlike Pablo Picasso, Winston Churchill or Mark Twain in their own disciplines. The poem is full of contradictions and quirks of form and structure. Perhaps that illusiveness is part of the poem's intrigue. But beyond all of the literary devices that only a few scholars may fully appreciate, this poem has taken on a sort of fanfare for the common person credo - a challenge to individualism, stepping out on one's own, and breaking the mold out of sheer determination if nothing else. Frost connects to the core of the human spirit in just a few stanzas using the analogy of a fork in a road. The message super cedes geography, culture, race or creed. Rather, it is part of the DNA of most every person on the planet - the inner desire to feel empowered to create one's own destiny, to forge a road not taken, and ultimately in doing so, to make a difference.Rehearsal notesResearch strongly suggests that there is a direct connection between the first rehearsal and the performance. First impressions last. I find it helpful to immediately lock three concepts into place - mechanics (notes/rhythms), text/phrasing (intent and motivation) and color (timbre). Performers need to think musically from the first reading forward (first impression). The cello is very much a collaborative instrument in this work, and should be located in front of the ensemble (not to side). Lastly, let the text speak. The simplest melodic lines are often the most exposed. Keep the voices clear and transparent, floating over the top in softer passages, and singing with vibrancy and forward focus throughout.Z. Randall Stroope.

SKU: PR.16500100F

ISBN 9781491114421. UPC: 680160669783. 9 x 12 inches.

Commissioned for a consortium of high school and college bands in the north Dallas region, FOR THEMYSTIC HARMONY is a 10-minute inspirational work in homage to Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon,patrons of the Fort Worth Symphony and the Van Cliburn Competition. Welcher draws melodic flavorfrom five American hymns, spirituals, and folk tunes of the 19th century. The last of these sources toappear is the hymn tune For the Beauty of the Earth, whose third stanza is the quatrain: “For the joy of earand eye, For the heart and mind’s delight, For the mystic harmony, Linking sense to sound and sight,”giving rise to the work’s title.
This work, commissioned for a consortium of high school bands in the north Dallas area, is my fifteenth maturework for wind ensemble (not counting transcriptions). When I asked Todd Dixon, the band director whospearheaded this project, what kind of a work he most wanted, he first said “something that’s basically slow,” butwanted to leave the details to me. During a long subsequent conversation, he mentioned that his grandparents,Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon, were prime supporters of the Fort Worth Symphony, going so far as to purchase anumber of high quality instruments for that orchestra. This intrigued me, so I asked more about his grandparentsand was provided an 80-page biographical sketch. Reading that article, including a long section about theirdevotion to supporting a young man through the rigors of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition fora number of years, moved me very much. Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon weren’t just supporters of the arts; theywere passionate lovers of music and musicians. I determined to make this work a testament to that love, and tothe religious faith that sustained them both. The idea of using extant hymns was also suggested by Todd Dixon,and this 10-minute work is the result.I have employed existing melodies in several works, delving into certain kinds of religious music more than a fewtimes. In seeking new sounds, new ways of harmonizing old tunes, and the contrapuntal overlaying of one tunewith another, I was able to make works like ZION (using 19th-century Revivalist hymns) and LABORING SONGS(using Shaker melodies) reflect the spirit of the composers who created these melodies, without sounding likepastiches or medleys. I determined to do the same with this new work, with the added problem of employingmelodies that were more familiar. I chose five tunes from the 19th century: hymns, spirituals, and folk-tunes.Some of these are known by differing titles, but they all appear in hymnals of various Christian denominations(with various titles and texts). My idea was to employ the tunes without altering their notes, instead using aconstantly modulating sense of harmony — sometimes leading to polytonal harmonizations of what are normallysimple four-chord hymns.The work begins and ends with a repeated chime on the note C: a reminder of steeples, white clapboard churchesin the country, and small church organs. Beginning with a Mixolydian folk tune of Caribbean origin presentedtwice with layered entrances, the work starts with a feeling of mystery and gentle sorrow. It proceeds, after along transition, into a second hymn that is sometimes connected to the sea (hence the sensation of water andwaves throughout it). This tune, by John B. Dykes (1823-1876), is a bit more chromatic and “shifty” than mosthymn-tunes, so I chose to play with the constant sensation of modulation even more than the original does. Atthe climax, the familiar spiritual “Were you there?” takes over, with a double-time polytonal feeling propelling itforward at “Sometimes it causes me to tremble.”Trumpets in counterpoint raise the temperature, and the tempo as well, leading the music into a third tune (ofunknown provenance, though it appears with different texts in various hymnals) that is presented in a sprightlymanner. Bassoons introduce the melody, but it is quickly taken up by other instruments over three “verses,”constantly growing in orchestration and volume. A mysterious second tune, unrelated to this one, interrupts it inall three verses, sending the melody into unknown regions.The final melody is “For the Beauty of the Earth.” This tune by Conrad Kocher (1786-1872) is commonly sung atThanksgiving — the perfect choice to end this work celebrating two people known for their generosity.Keeping the sense of constant modulation that has been present throughout, I chose to present this hymn in threegrowing verses, but with a twist: every four bars, the “key” of the hymn seems to shift — until the “Lord of all, toThee we praise” melody bursts out in a surprising compound meter. This, as it turns out, was the “mystery tune”heard earlier in the piece. After an Ivesian, almost polytonal climax, the Coda begins over a long B( pedal. At first,it seems to be a restatement of the first two phrases of “For the Beauty” with long spaces between them, but it soonchanges to a series of “Amen” cadences, widely separated by range and color. These, too, do not conform to anykey, but instead overlay each other in ways that are unpredictable but strangely comforting.The third verse of “For the Beauty of the Earth” contains this quatrain:“For the joy of ear and eye, –For the heart and mind’s delightFor the mystic harmonyLinking sense to sound and sight”and it was from this poetry that I drew the title for the present work. It is my hope that audiences and performerswill find within it a sense of grace: more than a little familiar, but also quite new and unexpected.

SKU: CF.SPS89

ISBN 9781491156483. UPC: 680160915026. 9 x 12 inches.

Program Notes This composition for wind ensemble is partially inspired by my home town of Sebastian, specifically its location on the east coast of the state of Florida. My childhood included many quick trips to both the nearby Indian River and the beaches on the coast, so swimming and the water were integral parts of my experience growing up. This work is my musical expression of diving underwater and getting swept up by a fast current and discovering wonders beneath the surface. Dive! has two central components: a constant, driving eighth-note pulse and a main theme which is fragmented and passed around at first, but then is presented completely by the low reeds around a minute and a half into the piece. The steady eighth-note pulse reflects the swift current that a diver might follow, while the main theme represents all the wonders that might be hidden under the water. Performance Notes Ideally, the Trombone 3 part should be played on a Bass Trombone. However, if one is not available there are cues for notes that are beneath a tenor trombone's range. Make sure the vibraphone is heard clearly throughout the piece, as this particular sound is very important to the overall color of this piece. The Percussion 5 part requires two performers as some of the hits happen too quickly for one player to switch between instruments. The most important component of this work is the steady eighth-note pulse, and this pulse never changes even though the meter changes frequently to odd or uncommon time signatures; if the eighth notes remain constant and driving, the meter changes will not pose much of a problem.              .
Program NotesThis composition for wind ensemble is partially inspired by my home town of Sebastian, specifically its location on the east coast of the state of Florida. My childhood included many quick trips to both the nearby Indian River and the beaches on the coast, so swimming and the water were integral parts of my experience growing up. This work is my musical expression of diving underwater and getting swept up by a fast current and discovering wonders beneath the surface.Dive! has two central components: a constant, driving eighth-note pulse and a main theme which is fragmented and passed around at first, but then is presented completely by the low reeds around a minute and a half into the piece. The steady eighth-note pulse reflects the swift current that a diver might follow, while the main theme represents all the wonders that might be hidden under the water.Performance NotesIdeally, the Trombone 3 part should be played on a Bass Trombone. However, if one is not available there are cues for notes that are beneath a tenor trombone's range.Make sure the vibraphone is heard clearly throughout the piece, as this particular sound is very important to the overall color of this piece. The Percussion 5 part requires two performers as some of the hits happen too quickly for one player to switch between instruments.The most important component of this work is the steady eighth-note pulse, and this pulse never changes even though the meter changes frequently to odd or uncommon time signatures; if the eighth notes remain constant and driving, the meter changes will not pose much of a problem.       .

SKU: GI.G-9538INST

UPC: 785147953890.

  Revival is a long overdue resource that provides fresh accessible arrangements of classic hymns for contemporary ensembles. Each arrangement is scored for SAB choir, piano, guitar, and optional instrumental parts. For added texture, the final stanza of each hymn includes an alternate harmonization of the accompaniment with a soprano descant. These fourteen arrangements will open a whole new set of treasured hymns to piano and guitar based ensembles. Compatible with the versions founds in GIA’s most recent hymnals, each of these arrangements is intended to support and inspire the sung prayer of the assembly. Every one will find a comfortable home in your repertoire throughout the liturgical year! A special spiral bound edition of Revival is also available. This edition is perfect for accompanists who would also like to use these hymn arrangements as preludes, interludes, or postludes.   Collections like Revival are not simply a way for contemporary ensembles to plant deeper roots and tap into more traditional repertoires. It is a way for all of us to hear old hymns with new ears, in a new way. --Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, Associate Professor of Theology at St. John's Abbey Quote from Pray Tell Blog. Click here to read full article Tony Alonso’s Revival offers us fourteen wonderfully arranged familiar hymns—musically accessible and a delight to sing. Flexibly crafted for voices, piano and guitar with lovely optional descants, this is an ecumenical gift and bridge-builder between classical and contemporary approaches to hymns in the liturgy. It should be in every parish’s working library. --Don Saliers, Professor of Theology and Worship at the Candler School of Theology In his new collection, Revival, Tony Alonso marks the 500th anniversary of a great divide in the church by bridging the chasm between Catholic and Protestant, contemporary and traditional, Appalachian and European. His arrangements for voices, piano, and guitar—with options for using other instruments as well—allow for improvisation and adaptation while remaining accessible for a wide range of musicians. Although these hymns are designed to be used by contemporary ensembles, they lend themselves to use in a variety of worshiping contexts. Alonso's arrangements will entice you to sing along--Revival is a great gift to the whole church! --Kimberly Bracken Long, Editor of Call to Worship: Liturgy, Music, Preaching, & the Arts Tony Alonso’s, Revival, is an invaluable resource to help find common ground among “contemporary” and “traditional” choirs and ensembles by making hymnody approachable to those who may have shied away from it for stylistic reasons. It is also a great educational tool for organists and pianists who are seeking ways to improve their improvisatory keyboard skills by modeling accompaniment styles and improvisatory patterns that support and enhance the singing of traditional hymns. ​--​Dominic Trumfio, Associate Director of Worship Music at Old St. Patrick's Church, Chicago.

SKU: CF.CM8607

ISBN 9780825839122. UPC: 798408039127. 6.875 X 10.5 inches. Key: Bb major. English. Text: Anonymous. Henry Baker, Hal Hopson.

From a composite text derived from Psalms 148 and 150 and a 19th Century hymn tune by Charles Hubert Hasting Parry, Hal Hopson has fashioned a grand, festive anthem of praise to the creator. The vocal parts are very manageable (much of the piece is unison - only the 2nd stanza and the final cadence are in parts), and the additional instrumental resources, while not required, will enhance the effect of grandeur that Mr. Hopson intends. There is also a descant on Stanza 4. Moderately easy. General Church/Festival occasion.

SKU: HP.C5636O

UPC: 763628256364. Natalie Sleeth. 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, Eccesliastes 3:1-8, Genesis 1:14, John 12:24, Psalms 1:3, Psalms 30:5.

Popular choral anthem Natalie Sleeth's popular choral anthem and hymn, also known as In the Bulb There Is a Flower, has been given a lovely new treatment by Tom Fettke for SATB choirs. The provocative text relates both to our present life and our hope of eternal life, as expressed in I Corinthians 15:35-58. This fresh setting emphasizes the resurrected life as it builds to the final victory stanza with driving rhythm and a change to common meter (4/4). This arrangement is also available in a medium-voice vocal solo in the key of F.

The orchestration by Camp Kirkland contains a Conductor's Score and parts for: Flute 1 & 2, Oboe, Clarinet 1 & 2, Horn 1 & 2, Alto Sax 1 & 2 (substitute for Horn 1 & 2), Trombone 1 & 2, Tenor Sax/Baritone TC (substitute for Trombone 1 & 2), Trombone 3/Tuba, Percussion 1 & 2, Harp, Violin 1 & 2, Viola, Clarinet 3 (substitute for Viola), Cello/Bassoon and String Bass, Keyboard String Reduction.

SKU: BR.EB-32117

ISBN 9790004187258. 7.5 x 10.5 inches.

The cantata Schmucket das Fest mit Maien has survived without any information about the time of its composition, its purpose, or its scoring. The librettist is also unknown, although there is a comparatively similar text in the work of the Silesian poet Hans Assmann Freiherr von Abschatz (1646-1699), printed in Leipzig in 1704. Since the copy of the score that serves as the source for this edition was probably written after 1708, and the work is closely related to the cantata Daran erkennen wir (PB 32090), it could have been written during Kuhnau's first years as Thomaskantor from 1701 on.The text set to music provides information about the purpose of the cantata. In the course of the work, the image of the bridegroom and his bride from the Song of Songs is reinterpreted as the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the congregation of Christians. In the first part, passages from the Song of Songs predominate while the second part quotes their symbolic interpretations or treats them in free poetry. In the concluding chorale, a stanza from Philipp Nicolai's Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern (How beautifully the morning star shines), the outpouring and the flames are also mentioned, so the purpose to the feast of Pentecost is clear.Another special feature of the cantata is the varied and colorful instrumentation with the scoring of two flutes, two oboes and bassoon in individual movements, in addition to the usual, sometimes divided strings.

SKU: CF.CM8607A

ISBN 9780825839429. UPC: 798408039424. 6.75 X 10.5 inches. Key: Bb major.

From a composite text derived from Psalms 148 and 150 and a 19th Century hymn tune by Charles Hubert Hasting Parry, Hal Hopson has fashioned a grand, festive anthem of praise to the creator. The vocal parts are very manageable (much of the piece is unison - only the 2nd stanza and the final cadence are in parts), and the additional instrumental resources, while not required, will enhance the effect of grandeur that Mr. Hopson intends. There is also a descant on Stanza 4. Moderately easy. General Church/Festival occasion.

SKU: BR.OB-32117-26

ISBN 9790004350867. 10 x 12.5 inches.

The cantata Schmucket das Fest mit Maien has survived without any information about the time of its composition, its purpose, or its scoring. The librettist is also unknown, although there is a comparatively similar text in the work of the Silesian poet Hans Assmann Freiherr von Abschatz (1646-1699), printed in Leipzig in 1704. Since the copy of the score that serves as the source for this edition was probably written after 1708, and the work is closely related to the cantata Daran erkennen wir (PB 32090), it could have been written during Kuhnau's first years as Thomaskantor from 1701 on.The text set to music provides information about the purpose of the cantata. In the course of the work, the image of the bridegroom and his bride from the Song of Songs is reinterpreted as the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the congregation of Christians. In the first part, passages from the Song of Songs predominate while the second part quotes their symbolic interpretations or treats them in free poetry. In the concluding chorale, a stanza from Philipp Nicolai's Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern (How beautifully the morning star shines), the outpouring and the flames are also mentioned, so the purpose to the feast of Pentecost is clear.Another special feature of the cantata is the varied and colorful instrumentation with the scoring of two flutes, two oboes and bassoon in individual movements, in addition to the usual, sometimes divided strings.