This series now has a new ?Part II? for each voice type at the same level as the original volumes. This is preparatory material for The First Book of Solos series with modest ranges and all songs in English including very easy art songs folksong arrangements and vintage popular songs. The song selection is completely different for each voice type with 18-20 songs per volume.

Nine Amen and Halleluja Movements-Between 1728 and 1747 Handel composed these nine two-part movements for soprano and instrumental bass. Though speculation exists the occasion for which the pieces were composed as well as the exact date of their composition remain unknown.The soprano sings short liturgical phrases such as ?Amen? ?Allelujah? ?Alleluja amen? or ?Amen alleluia?. The editor has supplied a text for the movement HWV 275 which until now has for reasons unknown been without text. The Amen and Hallelujah movements are in easy keys (using up to one sharp or two flats) and the modulations rarely move to harmonically distant tonal areas. Handel figured the bassline very detailed which playsmostly an accompanying supportive role imitating the voice in a few places. The vocal part is distinguished by the repetition of motives by repeated notes but also by short or extended coloratura. Presumably these movements were intended for use in teaching.Today these short movements of between 25 and 76 bars lend themselves well to use in church services.Based on the Urtext of the ?Halle Handel Edition?Idiomatic realization of the continuo part

This series was designed to supplement traditional vocal instruction and works perfectly as preparatory literature for The First Book of Solos and The First Book of Solos Part II.Each piece is in Englishand has a limited vocal range as well as a piano accompaniment that is playable by a student pianist. The pieces include art songs folksongs humorous songs and suitable vintage popular songs and are all appropriate for contestsolos. The accompanying CD includes professionally-recorded accompaniments. Soprano Contents: Alice Blue Gown · April Showers · Butterflies (Schulz) · Cradle Song (Brahms) · Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel(Humperdinck) · The False Prophet (Scott) · Florian's Song (Godard) · Golden Slumbers (English folksong) · It Was a Lover and His Lass (Austin) · Ladybird (Schumann) · The Lilac Tree (Gartlin) · The Little Sandman (arr. Brahms) ·My Little Heart (Weckerlin) · The Nightingale (Alabieff) · Oh! Dear What Can the Matter Be? (16th Century) · Oh Pretty Birds (Rigel) · The Rosebush (Himmel) · The Sweetest Flower that Blows (Hawley) · Two Marionettes (Cooke) ·The Willow Song (16th Century) · The Willow Tree (arr. Reimann) · The Winter It Is Past (arr. Hopekirk).