SKU: PR.114419290

ISBN 9781491135235. UPC: 680160676118. 9 x 12 inches.

Supported by a major commissioning award from the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress, my Chinese Folk Dance Suite is written for violin solo and orchestra, and premiered by The Women's Philharmonic with violin soloist Terrie Baune, conducted by Apo Hsu, on March 10, 2001, at Yerba Buena Center For the Arts Theater in San Francisco. Inspired by various Chinese traditional folk dances, I've composed three movements in the suite: 1) Lion Dance. Traditionally, people dance with richly decorated hand made lions, accompanied by percussion ensemble, to celebrate happy occasions and major festivals throughout the country. In the composition, I use Chinese drum and other percussion instruments in the background, to form a dynamic and rhythmic texture responding to the solo part, which imitates the tunes played on the suona (traditional Chinese trumpet). The pitch materials came from traditional Guangdong Music tune and Chaozhou Music tune ; 2) YangKo. Originated in northern China, it's a major folk dance form in mass performance popularized in the country. In YangKo performance, people always play rhythmic patterns on the drums hung around their waists while singing and dancing. In my second movement, I have imagined a warm scene of YangKo dancing in distance. The solo violin plays a sweet and gracious melodic line while all members in the orchestra sing the non-pitch syllables in different layers as the soft background, to imitate the percussion sound which produces the ever going pulse. 3) Muqam. It is a large scale traditional music and dance form from Uygur nationality in Xinjiang province, originated in the 15th century. In my third movement, I keep the meter of seven eight and the melodic style of Muqam music. The fiery dancing gesture cumulates the sustained climax section at the end of the work, after a colorful violin cadenza in both improvisational singing style and polyphonic writing with woven lines. Scored for 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns in F, 2 trumpets in Bb, 3 trombones, percussion 1 (3 congas, low tom-tom, temple block, paddle castanets), percussion 2 (snare drum, 6 small Beijing opera gong, 12 big Beijing opera gong, crotales, tambourine), percussion 3 (suspended cymbal, a pair of 6 Chinese cymbals, bass drum), solo violin, violins I, violins II, violas, cellos and double basses. Duration is about 16 minutes. The work is recorded on Bis [CD-1352] and released in 2003, performed by Cho-Liang Lin and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, cond. by Lan Shui. Reduction for B-flat soprano saxophone and piano by Wong Tak Chiu (2017) and edited by Chen Yi (2018) The second movement YangKo is premiered by Dr. Wong and Korak Lerpibulchai at the Singapore Saxophone Symposium on 8/13/2017. The American premiere of the saxophone and piano reduction version of Chinese Folk Dance Suite is given by Chi Him Chik and Hao Yin at the Society for American Music National Conference in Kansas City, MO on 3/2/2018.

SKU: BT.MUSAM1011637

ISBN 9781785582585. English.

This Easy songbook edition of the bestselling Uken Play Ukulele series will get beginners of any age strumming easy chords and playing popular songs in no time. Written by professional player and educator Mike Jackson, the book features his instantplay method together with downloadable play-along audio. The book begins with how to tune up, before detailing Jacksons innovative instant play method that helps you easily remember where to put your fingers for different chords. Once youvemastered this, Uken Play Easy Ukulele teaches you the 6 chords you will need to play all the 25 songs included in this book. The songs get progressively more challenging and each feature chord diagrams, lyrics and chord symbols, helping you tolearn to play the Ukulele by practising strumming the chords while also playing 25 famous tunes. Songs include I Walk The Line, Banks Of The Ohio, Achy Breaky Heart, and many more. The accompanying audio downloads will let you tune up, hear thesongs how they should sound, then let you play along with a full backing band. Some songs feature Mikes handy hints so learning the Uke goes as smoothly as possible. If youve struggled to learn to play the Ukulele because you cant remember thechords, or you want to learn some great songs with a minimum of chords, such as Goodnight Irene and Streets Of Laredo, Uken Play Easy Ukulele is a beginners instant play method that truly does work. Mike Jackson is a professional Ukulele playerand multi-instrumentalist who has sold over 250,000 albums and performed extensively across Australia and the rest of the world.