SKU: BT.CMP-0915-05-010

English.

You’ve got to love it when Stephen Bulla goes Gospel! Your musicians surely will! The slow introductory section sets up the audience for a rousing good time when the band suddenly lets rip with hand-clapping up-tempo Gospel sounds. Rhythmic and filled with amazingly creative harmonic ideas, this superb arrangement takes O Come Emmanuel, Adeste Fidelis, and Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus places that you probably never imagined they could go. Conductors seeking high-quality new and entertaining literature for the Christmas concert have come to the right place. Definitely NOT the “same old” Christmas arrangement!

Drie absolute kerstklassiekers in een gospeljasje: O Come Emmanuel, Adeste Fidelis (Komt allen tezamen) en het Hallelujah Chorus uit Händel’s Messiah. De langzame introductie bereidt het publiekvoor op wat komen gaat, waarna het orkest plotseling losbarst met uptempo gospelklanken. Levendige ritmes en creatieve harmonische ideeën maken dit een bijzonder en aanstekelijk arrangement voor uw eerstvolgende kerstconcert.

Großartige Effekte! Das Publikum wird nach einer ruhigen Einleitung ganz plötzlich von schnellen Gospelklängen geweckt und zum Mitklatschen animiert. Rhythmisch und voll kreativer harmonischer Ideen sind in diesem superben Arrangement die Lieder O Come Emmanuel, Adeste Fidelis (Herbei, o ihr Gläubigen) und Händels Hallelujah Chorus im Gospel-Stil zu erkennen. Unterhaltsame Weihnachtsmusik auf höchstem Niveau!

Musique d’hier née des souffrances d’un peuple, le gospel s’est transformé au point de devenir une musique universelle pleine d’émotion et de joie. Stephen Bulla vous propose une version gospel des mélodies O Come Emmanuel, Adestes Fideles et du célèbre Halleluja extrait du Messie de Georg Friedrich Haendel. Entrez dans une nouvelle dimension musicale.

SKU: CF.CM9740

ISBN 9781491161203. UPC: 680160919789. Key: Bb major. English. Siegfried Sasson.

Everyone suddenly burst out singing; And I was filled with such delight As prisoned birds must find in freedom... These opening lines to Everyone Sang by the British war poet Siegfried Sassoon feel as relevant today as they did when the poem was first published in 1919. It was after the end of World War I and these words capture so much of the collective exhilaration, relief, and pure joy about the Great War finally coming to an end. And yet Sassoon himself felt none of that when he wrote this poem. In his own words, he was feeling dull-minded and depressed. Perhaps his time in the trenches was still too recent. One of the reasons the creative arts are so powerful is that a poet like Sassoon (or a painter like Van Gogh or a composer like Mahler) can take their own feelings of deep sadness or pain and transform them into something beautiful, even uplifting. Everyone Sang is a celebration of the promise that things can get better, that there are things worth looking forward to.   The poem itself has so much rhythm and musicality. The appearance of suddenly in the first line of each verse gives those verses a rush of energy. Attention to the crescendo in measure 7, and again in measure 37, from mf to f will help the listener experience that rush. There are expressive opportunities with so many of the poet's bold choices of action words - burst, winging, and shaken. Then there's alliteration - a poetic device that can be overdone, but Sassoon strikes a wonderful balance. Suddenly/singing (measures 6-7 and 10-11) Find/freedom (measure 21-22) Winging/wildly (measure 23) Setting/sun (measures 47-49) Was/wordless (measures 65-75) Give these alliterations just a hint of emphasis (without overdoing) to bring out the natural rhythm of the text.   And just as O is set apart in the poem by punctuation, I wanted the musical setting - in measure 57 - to honor that feeling of wonder - ...O, but Everyone Was a bird; and the song was wordless; the singing will Never be done. Friends, there is so much good ahead, so much to be excited about. May the singing never be done.
Everyone suddenly burst out singingAnd I was filled with such delightAs prisoned birds must find in freedom…These opening lines to Everyone Sang by the British war poet Siegfried Sassoon feel as relevant today as they did when the poem was first published in 1919. It was after the end of World War I and these words capture so much of the collective exhilaration, relief, and pure joy about the “Great War” finally coming to an end. And yet Sassoon himself felt none of that when he wrote this poem. In his own words, he “was feeling dull-minded and depressed.” Perhaps his time in the trenches was still too recent.One of the reasons the creative arts are so powerful is that a poet like Sassoon (or a painter like Van Gogh or a composer like Mahler) can take their own feelings of deep sadness or pain and transform them into something beautiful, even uplifting. Everyone Sang is a celebration of the promise that things can get better, that there are things worth looking forward to. The poem itself has so much rhythm and musicality.The appearance of “suddenly” in the first line of each verse gives those verses a rush of energy. Attention to the crescendo in measure 7, and again in measure 37, from mf to f will help the listener experience that rush.There are expressive opportunities with so many of the poet’s bold choices of action words – burst, winging, and shaken.Then there’s alliteration - a poetic device that can be overdone, but Sassoon strikes a wonderful balance.Suddenly/singing (measures 6-7 and 10-11)Find/freedom (measure 21-22)Winging/wildly (measure 23)Setting/sun (measures 47-49)Was/wordless (measures 65-75)Give these alliterations just a hint of emphasis (without overdoing) to bring out the natural rhythm of the text. And just as “O” is set apart in the poem by punctuation, I wanted the musical setting – in measure 57 - to honor that feeling of wonder –…O, but EveryoneWas a bird; and the song was wordless; the singing willNever be done. Friends, there is so much good ahead, so much to be excited about.May the singing never be done.