SKU: CF.CM9606
ISBN 9781491154281. UPC: 680160912780. 6.875 x 10.5 inches. Key: C major. English. Charles A. Coffin (1844-1926).
Bethlehem Carol was the result of a commission in 2000 from the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The request came from the Cathedrals music director, Russell Jackson; he had very much liked the Italian Fable cum Violin Concerto (The Big Sword and the Little Broom) I had written in 1997 for the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra. Russell chose the text by Charles Coffin, a French poet and educator whose hymn verses were often translated into English. My approach toward setting the poem was my usual one; that is, to translate literally the words into music (note the dips into the minor mode for the cave of Bethlehem and the child of poverty.) But most of all, I wanted to capture the sense of joy and peace brought by the arrival of the Christ Child.Bethlehem Carol was the result of a commission in 2000 from the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The request came from the Cathedralas music director, Russell Jackson; he had very much liked the Italian Fable cum Violin Concerto (The Big Sword and the Little Broom) I had written in 1997 for the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra. Russell chose the text by Charles Coffin, a French poet and educator whose hymn verses were often translated into English. My approach toward setting the poem was my usual one; that is, to translate literally the words into music (note the dips into the minor mode for athe cave of Bethlehema and athe child of poverty.a)A But most of all, I wanted to capture the sense of joy and peace brought by the arrival of the Christ Child.Bethlehem Carol was the result of a commission in 2000 from the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The request came from the Cathedral's music director, Russell Jackson; he had very much liked the Italian Fable cum Violin Concerto (The Big Sword and the Little Broom) I had written in 1997 for the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra. Russell chose the text by Charles Coffin, a French poet and educator whose hymn verses were often translated into English. My approach toward setting the poem was my usual one; that is, to translate literally the words into music (note the dips into the minor mode for the cave of Bethlehem and the child of poverty.) But most of all, I wanted to capture the sense of joy and peace brought by the arrival of the Christ Child.Bethlehem Carol was the result of a commission in 2000 from the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The request came from the Cathedral's music director, Russell Jackson; he had very much liked the Italian Fable cum Violin Concerto (The Big Sword and the Little Broom) I had written in 1997 for the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra. Russell chose the text by Charles Coffin, a French poet and educator whose hymn verses were often translated into English. My approach toward setting the poem was my usual one; that is, to translate literally the words into music (note the dips into the minor mode for the cave of Bethlehem and the child of poverty.) But most of all, I wanted to capture the sense of joy and peace brought by the arrival of the Christ Child.Bethlehem Carol was the result of a commission in 2000 from the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The request came from the Cathedral’s music director, Russell Jackson; he had very much liked the Italian Fable cum Violin Concerto (The Big Sword and the Little Broom) I had written in 1997 for the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra. Russell chose the text by Charles Coffin, a French poet and educator whose hymn verses were often translated into English. My approach toward setting the poem was my usual one; that is, to translate literally the words into music (note the dips into the minor mode for “the cave of Bethlehem†and “the child of poverty.â€) But most of all, I wanted to capture the sense of joy and peace brought by the arrival of the Christ Child.
SKU: CF.CPS225
ISBN 9781491152515. UPC: 680160910014.
Tartan Tapestries is an original piece that sets out to emulate Scottish folk music. Composer Larry Clark has created a concert overture in triple meter to capture the essence of music from Scotland. After a lilting first section, lush and beautiful moments weave a tapestry of sounds with the lyrical, middle section of the piece. There is an optional part for bagpipes, and an optional ending should you chose to use this instrument as part of the piece. Alert your contest music committee about this strong new piece for advancing groups.Tartan Tapestries was commissioned by Friends of the Arts for the Saint Andrew's School Band in Boca Raton, Florida. The band program at Saint Andrew’s School is under the direction of Andrea Wolgin. The premiere took place on November 29, 2017.When I was asked by their conductor Ms. Wolgin to write a piece for the Saint Andrew’s School, I asked her what kind of involvement she wanted the students to have in the process. We discussed several options for having the students involved in the process of creating with the type of piece they wanted. We set up a “Skype†meeting with members of the band to discuss the piece. During this discussion, the consensus of the students was that they wanted a piece depicting the Scottish influence to the school. They also wanted a piece that would challenge all sections of the band and to include bagpipes if possible. I asked that the students be involved in helping to name the piece once it was completed, for which they agreed and were very helpful. Armed with this information, I set out to compose a piece for them, and Tartan Tapestries is the result.The piece begins with a fanfare gesture based upon rhythms and harmonies that appear throughout the piece. I chose the lilting triple feel to the piece, to bring about the Scottish flavor. I wanted the fanfare to be bardic sounding, to depict the strength of the Scottish people and for the piece to have a dynamic opening. The fanfare contains material that alludes to the main theme and with a bit of dissonance and tension that is resolved in the main body of the piece.The main theme is a lilting original melody, but one that I hope with have the essence of Scottish folk songs. The main idea is followed by a more modal and dark sounding secondary theme, first stated in the horns. This material is later used in the development section of the piece. The main theme returns several times, with different and varied orchestrations and harmonic treatments. This is followed by a short transition leading to the more lyrical and slower second section of the piece. A transparent presentation of the lyrical theme, which is based on aspects of the main theme, is presented first by a solo flute. This section is a nod to famous composer Malcom Arnold’s wonderful works for orchestra in its style and orchestration. After a transition or bridge section with a solo euphonium, the piece builds to a dramatic climax of the lyrical theme by the full band. This subsides to a return of the solo flute to end this second section of the piece, followed by a transition back the main theme.The solo bagpipes play a central role in the return of the main theme and take center stage after being heard in the distance earlier in the work. The piece brings back a shortened version of the darker secondary theme, followed by a hint of the fanfare material that builds to one last statement of the main theme by the full band, before leading to a dramatic coda to complete the work.It has been my pleasure to have been given the opportunity to compose this piece for the Saint Andrew’s School Band! I thank Andrea Wolgin for making it happen, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed bringing the piece to life.–Larry ClarkLakeland, Florida 2017.
SKU: CF.CPS225F
ISBN 9781491153192. UPC: 680160910694.
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,â€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.â€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,â€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 tuneâ€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 sightâ€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: PR.44641256L
UPC: 680160596010. 11 x 17 inches. Key: A major.
Fanfare; Reminiscence and Celebration is in 2 movements. I. Fanfare The opening of a concert hall is always an exciting event, introducing the hall to the performers and the performers to the hall each testing the capacities of the other. I decided to have the ensemble greet and salute the new Ruby Diamond Hall with a Fanfare that includes offstage brass players in 3 different locations in the audience. II. Reminiscence and Celebration The 2nd movement begins in a reflective mood. As I thought about Ruby Diamond Hall, where I had performed as a teenager, I remembered people, particularly many mentors with whom I have performed here, who are gone, but whose gifts and spirits are still with us. The theater has a beautiful tradition of leaving one light bulb burning all night long for the spirits of the actors who have graced that stage. While I wanted my 2nd movement to acknowledge that sense of continuity of past and present, the piece ends in celebration of the new. Perhaps all artists feel a strong connection with the past, but we work in and for the present and we build for the future.Fanfare; Reminiscence and Celebration is in 2 movements. I. Fanfare The opening of a concert hall is always an exciting event, introducing the hall to the performers and the performers to the hall a each testing the capacities of the other. I decided to have the ensemble greet and salute the new Ruby Diamond Hall with a Fanfare that includes offstage brass players in 3 different locations in the audience. II. Reminiscence and Celebration The 2nd movement begins in a reflective mood. As I thought about Ruby Diamond Hall, where I had performed as a teenager, I remembered people, particularly many mentors with whom I have performed here, who are gone, but whose gifts and spirits are still with us. The theater has a beautiful tradition of leaving one light bulb burning all night long for the spirits of the actors who have graced that stage. While I wanted my 2nd movement to acknowledge that sense of continuity of past and present, the piece ends in celebration of the new. Perhaps all artists feel a strong connection with the past, but we work in and for the present and we build for the future.Fanfare; Reminiscence and Celebration is in 2 movements. I. Fanfare The opening of a concert hall is always an exciting event, introducing the hall to the performers and the performers to the hall -- each testing the capacities of the other. I decided to have the ensemble greet and salute the new Ruby Diamond Hall with a Fanfare that includes offstage brass players in 3 different locations in the audience. II. Reminiscence and Celebration The 2nd movement begins in a reflective mood. As I thought about Ruby Diamond Hall, where I had performed as a teenager, I remembered people, particularly many mentors with whom I have performed here, who are gone, but whose gifts and spirits are still with us. The theater has a beautiful tradition of leaving one light bulb burning all night long for the spirits of the actors who have graced that stage. While I wanted my 2nd movement to acknowledge that sense of continuity of past and present, the piece ends in celebration of the new. Perhaps all artists feel a strong connection with the past, but we work in and for the present and we build for the future.Fanfare; Reminiscence and Celebration is in 2 movements.I. FanfareThe opening of a concert hall is always an exciting event, introducing the hall to the performers and the performers to the hall — each testing the capacities of the other. I decided to have the ensemble greet and salute the new Ruby Diamond Hall with a Fanfare that includes offstage brass players in 3 different locations in the audience.II. Reminiscence and CelebrationThe 2nd movement begins in a reflective mood. As I thought about Ruby Diamond Hall, where I had performed as a teenager, I remembered people, particularly many mentors with whom I have performed here, who are gone, but whose gifts and spirits are still with us. The theater has a beautiful tradition of leaving one light bulb burning all night long for the spirits of the actors who have graced that stage. While I wanted my 2nd movement to acknowledge that sense of continuity of past and present, the piece ends in celebration of the new. Perhaps all artists feel a strong connection with the past, but we work in and for the present and we build for the future.
SKU: PR.446412560
ISBN 9781598063738. UPC: 680160596003. 9x12 inches. Key: A major.
SKU: CF.CM9590
ISBN 9781491154120. UPC: 680160912629. 6.875 x 10.5 inches. Key: F major. English. Philip E. Silvey. Original.
Early one spring a robin nested in the bend of the downspout under my neighbors roof. Through an upstairs window, I could easily observe her feeding the newly hatched birds. A couple weeks passed before I spotted one of the babies perched on the edge of the nest. To my surprise, I witnessed it suddenly take flight for the first time, with a rustle of wings and a rocky descent to the ground. Feeling worried, I hurried outside to see what would happen. Part of me wanted its mother to come to the rescue, but deep down I knew this tiny creature would have to fend for itself. I wrote this composition for those who face such seminal moments as they muster the courage to leap from one stage of life into the next.Early one spring a robin nested in the bend of the downspout under my neighboras roof. Through an upstairs window, I could easily observe her feeding the newly hatched birds. A couple weeks passed before I spotted one of the babies perched on the edge of the nest. To my surprise, I witnessed it suddenly take flight for the first time, with a rustle of wings and a rocky descent to the ground. Feeling worried, I hurried outside to see what would happen. Part of me wanted its mother to come to the rescue, but deep down I knew this tiny creature would have to fend for itself. I wrote this composition for those who face such seminal moments as they muster the courage to leap from one stage of life into the next.Early one spring a robin nested in the bend of the downspout under my neighbor's roof. Through an upstairs window, I could easily observe her feeding the newly hatched birds. A couple weeks passed before I spotted one of the babies perched on the edge of the nest. To my surprise, I witnessed it suddenly take flight for the first time, with a rustle of wings and a rocky descent to the ground. Feeling worried, I hurried outside to see what would happen. Part of me wanted its mother to come to the rescue, but deep down I knew this tiny creature would have to fend for itself. I wrote this composition for those who face such seminal moments as they muster the courage to leap from one stage of life into the next.Early one spring a robin nested in the bend of the downspout under my neighbor’s roof. Through an upstairs window, I could easily observe her feeding the newly hatched birds. A couple weeks passed before I spotted one of the babies perched on the edge of the nest. To my surprise, I witnessed it suddenly take flight for the first time, with a rustle of wings and a rocky descent to the ground. Feeling worried, I hurried outside to see what would happen. Part of me wanted its mother to come to the rescue, but deep down I knew this tiny creature would have to fend for itself. I wrote this composition for those who face such seminal moments as they muster the courage to leap from one stage of life into the next.
SKU: CF.YPS212F
ISBN 9781491152997. UPC: 680160910496.
Taking its title from a poem about grief and loss by Chrissie Pinney, Live On honors the life of band director Linda Mann, to whom the piece is dedicated. The piece begins with a pensive intro before shifting to a whimsical theme that brings about happy thoughts of a life well-lived. After a return to the poignant opening material, the music surges to a triumphant conclusion based on an augmented version of the whimsical theme.Live On was commissioned by Diplomat Middle School's staff, faculty and students, in Cape Coral, Florida, and is dedicated to the memory of their Director of Bands, Linda Mann. Director of Orchestras, Roland Forti, championed the commissioning of this piece to honor the life of Linda after her untimely passing in February of 2017. Linda Mann’s impact on the field of music education was profound and wide-reaching. She was a beloved member of the staff at Diplomat Middle School, as well as the music community of Cape Coral and the state of Florida. Linda was highly respected throughout the state, serving as recent past-president of the Florida Bandmasters Association.In discussing the type of piece the school wanted to honor Ms. Mann, they indicated the piece should “depict Linda’s personality: dynamic, sassy, yet thoughtful and almost mentor-like.†They wanted a piece that was upbeat, yet still had moments that were thoughtful, portraying the grief that the Diplomat Middle School community has suffered from the sudden loss of such a beloved teacher.After contemplating their thoughts, I did some research to find inspiration for the piece. This led me to poetry about grief and loss. In time, I stumbled upon a short, yet poignant poem that I felt perfectly depicted the sentiment that I wanted the piece to convey. That poem is entitled Live On by Chrissie Pinney.Live OnNow as I live onWithout youI hope to keepThe pieces of youThat I loved so dearlyYour mannerismsAnd compassionate characterAnd smiles through struggleSo that youMay live on too -Chrissie PinneyI reached out to Ms. Pinney, and she graciously agreed to allow me to quote her powerful poem in these notes. She expressed that she was deeply touched that her work would inspire me to write a piece in honor of Linda Mann.The piece begins with a poignant, pensive opening section. The use of the musical interval of a tritone between the first two openly voiced chords are used to represent the sadness we all feel from this type of loss. When I sat in front of my piano and started to work on this piece, my hands seemed to naturally and immediately play these first two chords, which set the process in motion of composing the piece.After the somber opening, the piece shifts to a whimsical theme that I hope brings about happy thoughts of Linda and her personality. It was also my intent, however, to include some musical dissonance in the theme that still reflected the bittersweet loss at the same time. The piece develops into a secondary theme that is a quasi inversion of the main fast theme. This section is followed by a return of the opening material, with snippets of the fast theme intertwined, before the piece builds to a triumphant, augmented presentation of the main theme in a lush form to complete the work.It is my hope that in some small way, this piece will bring comfort to those affected by the loss of Linda Mann, and that the music will allow her memory to Live On.–Larry ClarkLakeland, FL 2017.
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