SKU: PR.114419850

ISBN 9781491135808. UPC: 680160681044. 9 x 12 inches.

Both a spectacular concerto for saxophone, and a dramatic tone poem on Roman mythology, QUICKSILVER is a 23-minute concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble by one of the sax literature’s most commissioned and admired composers.Through worded captions as well as gorgeously expressive tone painting, Movement 1 depicts the birth and childhood pranks of Mercury, Movement 2 shows him escorting souls to the gates of the Underworld, and Movement 3 is a phantasmagoric finale portraying Mercury as messenger amid the conflicts of other mythological figures. There are many YouTube performances available, both in the original version with Wind Ensemble, and with Piano.
In addition to being another name for the element mercury, “quicksilver” is used to describe something that changes quickly or is difficult to contain. My concerto of the same name was inspired by the Roman god Mercury, as well as the mercurial nature of the saxophone: unpredictable, very lively, and volatile. Mercury (known as Hermes in Greek mythology) is best known for his winged shoes, which allowed him to fly swiftly as the messenger of his fellow Olympians. Mercury had other duties too, including serving as the god of merchants, travelers, and tricksters; he also ushered souls of the departed to the Underworld.Quicksilver tells three tales of the Roman god. The first movement (Antics of a Newborn God) opens with the birth of Mercury; after he takes his first steps, he toddles around, gleefully looking for mischief. He stumbles across a herd of cows that belong to his brother Apollo; Mercury slyly lets the cows out of their pen before toddling onward with his mischief-making.In the second movement (Guiding Souls to the Underworld), Pluto, god of the Underworld, bids Mercury to bring him fresh souls. The movement begins with death-knells tolling for humans who are about to die; Mercury picks up these souls and leads them down to the gates of the Underworld.The third and final movement (Messenger of Olympus) depicts Mercury as he is busily running errands for various gods and goddesses. We first encounter him mid-flight as he dashes to earth to find Aeneas, a Trojan lieutenant who had been run out of Troy by the invading Greeks. Aeneas is on a quest to find land on which to establish a new city that would eventually become Rome. While traveling, he is distracted from his quest when he meets the beautiful queen Dido. They live together for many years before Mercury intervenes; he chastises Aeneas for giving up on his quest and persuades him to pick it up again. As Aeneas mournfully resumes his journey, we hear Dido perish of a broken heart. Mercury then takes to the skies to seek out Perseus, who is preparing to kill Medusa, the hideous gorgon who has snakes for hair and a gaze that turns those who catch her glance into stone. Mercury advises Perseus on how to slay Medusa and lends Perseus his sword to do the deed. We hear Perseus victorious in the beheading of Medusa, after which Mercury takes to the skies once more to fly home to Olympus.

SKU: BA.BA07414

ISBN 9790006559183. 27 x 19 cm inches. Text Language: Latin.

Based on the well-known bible text “Sing unto the Lord a new song” (Psalm 96:1-3), this upbeat composition with strong dynamics and flowing block chords alternating with fast-paced polyphony brings across this joyful message and enthuses singers.

Originally conceived for male choir, women’s voices have now been added so that this version for mixed choir presents a further dimension of colour. This version also makes it possible to divide the choir into two groups, one for women and another for men, and to have them sing either together or as separate units.

The version for mixed choir was premiered in Uppsala Cathedral (Sweden) on 26 October 2013, with the Uppsala Cathedral Singers conducted by Ulric Andersson.

“My music is my own and I have never tried to be original. That has always been my motto and I have only tried to use music to express all the feelings which life has to offer. This has led people to describe my music as ‘so sad that it sounds like birds who have lost their wings‘ but also as ‘the happiest classical music that we have ever heard’.
My compositions are almost all sacred. They express not only my own faith but also my appreciation and respect for the timeless texts that have been used for centuries and centuries.”

Mårten Jansson (b. 1965), elected member of the Föreningen svenska tonsättare (the Society of Swedish Composers), graduated from the Royal College of Music, Stockholm (KHM) with an MFA degree in Music Education, Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Voice. For more than ten years he was the music director and conductor of “Carmen”, one of the most prominent womens’ vocal ensembles in Sweden. He currently teaches choral conducting and music theory as well as giving vocal tuition at the Bolandgymnasiet and Musikskolan in his home town of Uppsala.

Please find a recording of Cantate Domino performed by the Riga Recording Studio Singers (Latvia) by clicking on Multimedia.

SKU: BT.MUSAM1011626

ISBN 9781785582554. English.

This updated Kids  edition of the bestselling Uke'n Play Ukulele  series will get young beginners strumming, singing and playing easy songs that only feature 3 chords. Written by professional player and educator Mike Jackson , the book features his unique instant play method, some simple songs that are familiar to all children, together with downloadable play-along audio. The book opens with how to tune up, before detailing Jackson 's innovative instant play method, which kids are guaranteed to love. Once they've mastered this, Uke'n Play Ukulele For Kids  teaches 25 simple songs that are instantly-recognisable and well-known. The first few songs use justone chord, before introducing two more. Each features chord diagrams, lyrics and chord symbols, helping children learn to play the Ukulele by practising strumming the chords and getting used to finger positions, while also playing fun tunes. Songs include Row, Row, Row Your Boat, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Jingle Bells , and many more. The accompanying audio downloads will help you tune up, get familiar with the songs, then play along with a full backing band. Some songs also feature Mike 's handy hints so learning the Uke goes as smoothly as possible. Uke'n Play Supa Easy Ukulele  is a fantastic resource for the classroom, or other groups of young beginners. Featuring valuable advice for introducing children to music through the Ukulele, the book will enable them to start making music straight away. With well-known songs like  My Darling Clementine  and Michael Finnegan , this is a beginner's instant play method for kids that truly does work. Mike Jackson  is a professional Ukulele player and multi-instrumentalist who has sold over 250,000 albums and performed extensively across Australia and the rest of the world.