This outstanding series is an encouragement to beginning singers in preparing a vocal solo. Songs have been carefully chosen for each voice type after consulting many official state contest repertoire lists. All the songs for instance are on the Texas list. The series will be useful to any novice singer not just limited to those preparing an actual contest solo. Each volume contains 10 songs: 5 art songs in English an African-American spiritual 2 songs in Italian a song in German and a song in Spanish. There are new editions and engravings of all songs. Biographical information is included on each composer. Interpretive suggestions are given for each song and the prefaceon Learning a Song is especially instructive. Each companion CD includes beautiful performances of all the songs by a professional singer and excellent accompaniments by pianist Laura Ward. Also on the CD are pronunciation guides in Italian German and Spanish. Baritone/Bass Book Contents: Adela · All Through the Night · Alma del core · Beautiful Dreamer · Du bist wie eine Blume · Give a Man a Horse He Can Ride · O cessate di piagrami · The Sea · The Slighted Swain · Swing Low Sweet Chariot.

This song was written for the NMC Songbook and recorded by Omar Ebrahim.'Raju Raghuvanshi is unmarried; he's forty five; his parents are dead; no siblings. He's had to move to Bamni nearby. For here in Katra where helived they rush into their houses locking all the doors locking all the windows crying 'Ghost! Ghost! Ghost! Ghost! Ghost!' at the sight of him. He was in prison you see where he was hospitalised. Rumours were rife: he'sfallen ill; he's been moved to another town; he's dead; cremated. Ganeshi his cousin's wife performed the last rites so his spirit could rest. 'Imagine our surprise when he turned up alive ' she said 'We thought he was dead.'Poor Raju. Poor Raju Raju Raghuvanshi; he's technically a ghost. 'Now I have to prove I'm alive. N.V. Vayangankar Chief of Police will help me. I have property you see a few acres of land. I know their game. They shall notbeat me. I say to them: 'But can't you see that my feet are the right way round? If I was a spirit or a ghost they'd turn backwards'. I was not gone long now I don’t exist.''