(Words and Chords to Nearly 1200 Songs 9x12 Spiral Bound). Edited by Annie Patterson and Peter Blood. For Vocal. Vocal. Softcover. 304 pages. Published by Hal Leonard

For voice and C instrument. Format: fakebook (spiral bound). With vocal melody, lyrics, piano accompaniment, chord names and leadsheet notation. Hymn. Series: Hal Leonard Fake Books. 494 pages. 9x12 inches. Published by Hal Leonard.

Band Bass Clarinet, Bass Drum, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Bongos, Castanets, Celesta, Clarinet, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Clarinet 3, Contrabass Clarinet, Contrabassoon, English Horn, Euphonium, Euphonium T.C., Flute 1, Flute 2, Horn 1, Horn 2, Horn 3 and more.

SKU: PR.16500100F

Hymns for Wind Ensemble. Composed by Dan Welcher. Sws. Full score. 48 pages. Duration 10 minutes, 41 seconds. Theodore Presser Company #165-00100F. Published by Theodore Presser Company (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.

Handbell Ensemble handbell

SKU: HP.2977

Arranged by Jason W. Krug. Small(er) But Mighty. Handbell score. 20 pages. Hope Publishing Company #2977. Published by Hope Publishing Company (HP.2977).

UPC: 763628129774.

Eight Settings for 12 Bells Intended for the small ensemble, this collection includes 8 arrangements that have been written for the treble clef, F5-C7. They can be used for 3 to 6 ringers.

Handbells 3-6 octave handbell choir with optional 3-5 octave handchimes - Level 2

SKU: HP.2844

Arranged by Brenda Austin. Advent, Birth of Jesus Christ, Sacred. Handbell score. Hope Publishing Company #2844. Published by Hope Publishing Company (HP.2844).

UPC: 763628128449.

Medley of Christmas Carols
This Advent setting is intended to reflect the wonder and mystery of the birth of Jesus. Conflict surrounded him from the moment of his birth, and this arrangement attempts to convey that turmoil through the use of dissonance. Care should be taken that the melody is heard above all other notes, and a smooth, legato line should be used for the entire piece.

(253 of the finest praise and worship songs). Composed by Various. For voice, piano and guitar (chords only). Sacred Folio. Gospel and Worship. Difficulty: medium. Songbook (spiral bound). Vocal melody, piano accompaniment, lyrics and chord names. 420 pages. Hal Leonard #080689006395. Published by Hal Leonard

SATB choir with optional rhythm

SKU: HP.C5468C

Composed by Dan Schutte, Gary Sadler, and Martin Nystrom. Arranged by Mark Kellner. Contemporary, Hymntune, Outreach, General Worship, Discipleship, Global, Mission, Sacred. Performance/Accompaniment CD. Hope Publishing Company #C5468C. Published by Hope Publishing Company (HP.C5468C).

UPC: 763628954680. By Martin Nystrom & Gary Sadler & Daniel Schutte. Acts 1:8, Matthew 9:36-38.

Popular hymn by Martin Nystrom & Gary Sadler & Daniel Schutte This arrangement combines a prayer of commitment, asking for God's heart for the nations, with an echo of Samuel's response to God, Here I am, Lord. It is a fitting call to missions or service for all Christians. The inclusion of the popular Daniel Schutte song rounds out the composition. Rhythm parts consist of: Guitar, Bass & Drums.

Chamber Music Cello, Piano

SKU: PR.114418880

Composed by Eric Ewazen. Sws. Set of Score and Parts. 12+4 pages. Duration 6:30. Theodore Presser Company #114-41888. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.114418880).

ISBN 9781491129289. UPC: 680160668618. 9 x 12 inches.

Idealism, humanity, world peace, and altruism, have been recurring themes and inspirations in many compositions by Eric Ewazen. In 2007, the Sejong Soloists commissioned this work for Cello and Strings to feature Paula Zahn as guest soloist – the celebrated telejournalist is an exceptional cellist, and a frequent and distinguished host for the concerts Sejong performs in New York City. The work was written for a gala concert honoring Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, and therefore the ultimate leader of international peacekeeping efforts. The resulting work, equally suitable for Cello and Piano, is appropriately titled A POEM OF HOPE.

Arranged by Brent Jorgensen. Christian, Contemporary Christian, Gospel, Inspirational. Jackman Music Corporation #01965. Published by Jackman Music Corporation

String Quartet

SKU: PR.16400222S

Composed by Dan Welcher. Full score (study). With Standard notation. Duration 11 minutes. Theodore Presser Company #164-00222S. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.16400222S).

UPC: 680160037841.

This work follows my Quartet No. 1 by five years. In terms of style and aesthetic aim, however, it seems light years away. Where the first work, a 28-minute, four-movement piece, took aim at cosmic conflicts and heroic resolutions, the present work is intended as a kind of divertissment. Harbor Music lasts a mere eleven minutes, is cast in a single movement with six sections, and should leave both performers and listeners with a feeling of good humor and affection.   The title comes from my experience as a guest in the magnificent city of Sydney, Australia. One of its most attractive features is its unique system of ferry boats: the city is laid out around a large, multi-channeled harbor, with destinations more easily approached by water than by land. Consequently, inhabitants of Sydney get around on small, people-friendly boats that come and go from the central docks at Circular Quay. During a week's visit in 1991, I must have boarded these boats at least a dozen times, always bound for a new location - the resort town of Manley, or the Zoo at Taronga Park, or the shopping district at Darling Harbour.   In casting about for a form for my second string quartet, a kind of loose rondo came to mind. Each new destination would be approached from the same starting-out point (although there are subtle variations in the repeating theme; it's always in a new key, and the texture is never the same). The result, I hope, is a sense of constant new information presented with introductory frames of a more familiar nature.   The embarkation theme, which begins the piece, is a sort of bi-tonal fanfare in which the violins are in G major and the viola and cello are in B-flat major. It is bold, eager, and forward-looking. The first voyage maintains this bi-tonality, beginning as a 9/8 due for second violin and viola in a kind of rocking motion -much as a boat produces when reaching the deeper water in the harbor. A sweet, nostalgic theme emerges over this rocking accompaniment. This music is developed somewhat, then transforms quickly into a much faster and lighter episode, filled with rising and falling scales (again, in differing keys). A scherzando interlude in short notes and changing meters provides contrast, and the episode ends with a reprise of the scales.   The second embarkation follows, this time in A major/C major. It leads quickly into a very warm and slow theme, in wide-leaping intervals for the viola. This section is interrupted twice by solo cadenzas for the cello, suggesting distant boat-horns in major thirds. The end of the episode becomes a transition, with boat-horns leading into the final appearance of the embarkation music, this time in trills and tremolos instead of sharply accented chords. The nostalgic theme of the first episode makes a final appearance, serving now as a coda. The rocking motion continues, in a lullaby fashion, leaving us drowsy and satisfied on our homeward journey.   Harbor Music was written for the Cavani Quartet, and is dedicated to Richard J. Bogomolny. Commissioned by his employees at First National Supermarkets as a gift, it represents a thank you from many of the people (including this composer) who have benefitted from his vision and generosity. An ardent advocate of chamber music (and a cellist himself), Mr. Bogomolny has for many years been Chairman of the Board of Chamber Music America. -- Dan Welcher.