Masterpiece was written by British composer conductor pianist and teacher Paul Drayton and sung by the King's Singers in their 2005 DVD release 'From Byrd to the Beatles'. Arranged here for SATB Voices with Piano accompaniment.The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge England where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom their popularity peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s. Thereafter they began to reach a wider international audience. Today the ensemble travels worldwide for itsperformances appearing in around 125 concerts each year mostly in Europe the U.S. and the Far East.

Uses: Communion Youth Praise TeamScripture: Isaiah 53:3-9; I Corinthains 11:23-24A communion moment from the Christian airwaves travels to the choir loft in this sensitively adapted choral. Theheart-felt images of the table of mercy are presented with vivid imagery and sensitive music. The words are a bittersweet reminder that in Christ's suffering we find our healing – through his death we are redeemed. Aninsightful choice for communion observances. Available separately: SATB LiteTrax CD. Duration: ca. 3:09.

To Nocturner (2001) - for Chamber Choir (12 or 24 Voices). Texts by Ole Sarvig and Ib Michael. English version available: KP01444E Programme note: These two choral pieces for 12 voices consists of radical recompositions on of earlier themes: in Summer's Sleep we hear new combinations of two 'Sarvig melodies' from the 1970s (one of which is now in the Danish Hymnbook under the title 'Året' The Year); Michael's Night is based on an earlier simple choral song (Star Mirror 1987) now for 12 voices and composed such that an original idea of 'simultaneously displaced opposite motions' cf. the poem)comes out as desired. Of the Nocturnes Nørgård writes: 'Summer's Sleep was composed to stanzas of Ole Sarvig's poem The Year (from the collection Forstadsdigte ('Suburban Poems')) and forms the picture of 'the summer of life' which is asleep - while the 'heaven seed' waits for the summer wind ('invisible to every mind'). The many layers of text are expressed musically in a multilayered choral texture with 'looks' up and down through the various tempo and time-worlds: summer sleep summer dream. 'The second nocturne Michael's Night takes its name from the author Ib Michael whose poem Star Mirror (from the collection Himmelbegravelse ('Sky Funeral') (1986) I pushed/coaxed him to expand from one to nine stanzas. The four selected stanzas set in the nocturne focus on the pan-erotic elements of the moonlit starlit night. With the titles I have chosen I have stressed the mythic layer of the text the summer night not as a dream but as sensual reality. 'The two nocturnes are dedicated to Ivan Hansen on the occasion of his fiftieth birthday on 25th February 2003 out of gratitude for over a quarter of a century of inspiring collaboration'.

Novello New Choral Series-Craig McLeish writes of The Negro Speaks of Rivers; Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was the first black American to earn his living from writing. He was an innovator of jazz poetry becoming part of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s. He wrote plays short stories novels and his poetry was widely read. He was also a journalist columnist and lecturer. The Negro Speaks of Rivers was perhaps his earliest published work written when only 17 and while travelling by train to Mexico to visit his father. As the train crossed the Mississippi he suddenly began thinking about how rivers had impacted on Negro history particularly in the fight against slavery.The four rivers mentioned in the poem lent themselves to using musical influences from those particular regions. However I have tried to keep these links fairly tenuous to avoid overt pastiche. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to work with Congolese musicians. These sessions led to the intricate rhythms in The Congo. The Mississippi mentions New Orleans so a jazz fugue seemed the most appropriate compositional device to weave into the texture. The spirit of The Nile was gauged from many hours listening avidly to Egyptian music.Craig McLeish began his musical life as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral. As a bass guitarist conductor musical arranger and composer he has worked with a wide variety of groups in several genres and scored a hit with the cult pop band ‘Fat & Frantic’. He is musical director of Young Voices UK and conducts several youth and community choirs in and around Milton Keynes. Listen to an excerpt from Craig McLeish's The Negro Speaks Of Rivers:  

Par DE HAAN JACOB. Pacific Dreams describes the experience of Miguel, a traveling composer from Spain who, feeling somewhat alienated from his homeland, is wandering through an area of Sydney known as The Rocks. At a small outdoor market in a typical street of this oldcolonial neighbourhood, he discovers a print of William DeShazos painting 'Pacific Dreams' Portrayed in the painting is the surf of one of the exotic islands in the Pacific. Next, with the impressive Sydney Harbour Bridge looming over the narrowstreets of The Rocks, he envisions sultry Pacific beaches. Suddenly a theme he once composed about the lakes in Japan comes to him. Is it the Asian influences present in cosmopolitan Sydney that bring this theme to mind? Or perhaps the waters aroundSydney, over which he could sail to Tahiti? He is uncertain. Could this same theme be used to create a new composition about his feelings for the metropolis Sydney? How then to work his Pacific Dreams into the mix? Miguel is certainly no fan ofHawaiian music. Mayby he could use the vocabularies of islands like Hawaii and Tahiti, their beautiful vowel combinations being sung ad libitum by a mixed choir. With these ideas and his newly purchased print of 'Pacific Dreams', he boards the Metroat Circular Quay. He has a final glimpse of the harbour and the Sydney Opera House as the train races into the ground. On to the hotel! To work! He must compose!Maestoso : Miguel is impressed as he gazes upon the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And yet, hewants to go away from this city. Away, to an exotic island in the Pacific. Steady Rock : In the Rocks, musicians are playing at a square. Miguel basks in the atmosphere but at the same time he is fantasizing about Hawaii and Tahiti. Andante Lamentoso :In his hotel room, Miguel is feeling sad and lonely in this big city. He takes comfort in his 'Pacific Dreams'. Allegro : Miguel boards the boat that takes him from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay. In his mind he is traveling on to Hawaii. Or is ithome, where the bolero is playing? He is pulled back to reality by the skyline of Sydney. / Niveau : 3 / Répertoire / SATB

Composer arranger and Pianist Bizet might have become the most renowned opera composer in France had he not died aged 36 just one month after the premiere of Carmen. He was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire in 1848 and excelled under the tutelage of Zimmerman Halévy and Gounod as well as winning major prizes including the Prix de Rome in 1857. After travels in Italy he settled back in Paris and while struggling to secure commissions for his operas worked as a rehearsal pianist and an arranger of works for piano. His first staged work Les pêcheurs de perles was premiered at the Théâtre Lyrique in 1863 and met with a hostile press but itimpressed Berlioz and the director of the theatre Léon Carvalho would become a firm supporter. More successful were La jolie fille de Perth (1866) his suite from the incidental music to L’Arlésienne (1872) and his Jeux d’enfants for piano duet. In Carmen the scandalous story and Bizet’s depiction of the tragic heroine both outraged and intrigued and the opera ran for 47 performances in its first year and soon spread internationally. The music was a fulfilment of his genius for characterisation that had been seen in glimpses in his earliest works and the abundance of memorable tunes and fine orchestration continues to inspire generations of singers and musicians. Based upon the 1875 published version of the opera—with revisions and restorations by Jean-Claude Hartemann and further editorial overview by David Lloyd-Jones— the edition includes both the original spoken text as well as recitatives by Ernest Guiraud and the following sections: •Scène et pantomime N° 2 (Attention! Chut! Taisons-nous!) •Original Mélodrame after Marche et Choeur des gamins N° 3 (Il y a une jolie fille) •Original version of Carmen’s entrance aria N° 5 (L’Amour est enfant de Bohême) •Original version of N° 6 Scène (Carmen! sur tes pas nous nous pressons tous!) •Chanson et mélodrame N° 9 (Tra la la la … Ce ne sont pas des chansons que je te demande) •Original version of N° 17 Duo

In their travels the King's Singers have amassed a wonderful collection of songs from countries around the world that they regularly visit. Featured on their album Postcards here are several of their favourites. Bon voyage! This album includes: Arirang (Korea) Pokarekare Ana (New Zealand) The Oak and the Ash (England) Botany Bay (Australia) Es dunkelt schon in der Heide (Germany) O My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose (Scotland) El Vito (Andalusia) Little David Play on Your Harp (America).

The lonely train whistle and the traveler far from home are highlighted in this folk classic recorded by Ramblin' Jack Elliot Odetta and other greats. Add guitar bass and drums for an authentic '50s feel. Available separately:SATB SAB 2-Part ShowTrax CD. Rhythm parts (ac gtr b dm) available as a digital download. Duration: ca. 2:35.

This song by the popular group Point of Grace tells the story of the Magi as they travel to see the tiny King who holds the hope of the world. Incorporates God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.Available separately: SATB SAB andSSA. Instrumental ePak includes score and parts for Flute Oboe Bb Clarinet F Horn Tambourine Harp Violin 1 2 Viola Cello and Contrabass. ChoirTrax CD also available. Performance Time: Approx. 3:35

Craig McLeish writes of The Negro Speaks of Rivers - Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was the first black American to earn his living from writing. He was an innovator of jazz poetry, becoming part of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s. He wrote plays, short stories, novels, and his poetry was widely read. He was also a journalist, columnist and lecturer. The Negro Speaks of Rivers was perhaps his earliest published work, written when only 17 and while travelling by train to Mexico to visit his father. As the train crossed the Mississippi he suddenly began thinking about how rivers had impacted on Negro history, particularly in the fight against slavery. The four rivers mentioned in the poem lent themselves to using musical influences from those particular regions. However, I have tried to keep these links fairly tenuous to avoid overt pastiche. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to work with Congolese musicians. These sessions led to the intricate rhythms in The Congo . The Mississippi mentions New Orleans, so a jazz fugue seemed the most appropriate compositional device to weave into the texture. The spirit of The Nile was gauged from many hours listening avidly to Egyptian music. Craig McLeish began his musical life as a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral. As a bass guitarist, conductor, musical arranger and composer, he has worked with a wide variety of groups in several genres, and scored a hit with the cult pop band 'Fat and Frantic'. He is musical director of Young Voices UK, and conducts several youth and community choirs in and around Milton Keynes. / Choeur SATB

Polynesian Folk Song-Here's a traditional canoe song from Polynesia that sounds quite impressive with a cappella voices handclaps and percussion instruments. The call-and-response format of Greg's well-designed arrangement suggest people communicating from canoe to canoe as they travel between islands.

A Musical Adaptation of the Mark Twain Classic. Travel to the past when the Mississippi Delta was Queen and life was as simple as straw hats and bib overalls. This 55-minute musical of the adventures of Tom Sawyer is ideal for upper elementary or middle school students capable of performing a full length musical. The Teacher's Manual includes the accompanied songs full script and staging guide while the Singer's Edition includes the script and vocal lines only. The ShowTrax CD features the full performance and accompaniment-only versions of the musical numbers (no dialog recorded) great for rehearsal and performance! Available: Teacher's Manual Singer's Edition Preview CD(full performance) and ShowTrax CD (full performance and accompaniment only). Performance Time: 55 minutes. For Gr. 5-8.

This Canadian folksong is reminiscent of an Irish jig and composer Debra Scoggins makes it soar. The charming love story unravels delightfully to the perfect ending and the dancing violin part adds great appeal to the piece. Forhigh school college and community choirs.

Philip Lawson spent most of his days travelling the world and singing with the famous King's Singers. Fortunately he was able to find time to apply his compositional skills between concerts. The Psalm 100 text is elevated with a series of enthusiastic meter changes and engaging harmonic confrontations.

Amongst her dozens of famous Jewish-themed hits Debbie Friedman seems to have a penchant for penning the anthemic. Friedman's English interpretation of the Traveler's Prayer has become a classic and Werstch's fluid arrangement does the job just right. The absolutely perfect piece for a farewell graduation or other commemoration of a culmination of any sort.