SKU: MN.50-9109

Text: Fanny Crosby.

American folk melody/ spiritual and Fanny Crosby text. Captures spirit of singing this treasured hymn by Nebraska farmers during the Great Depression years. Handbells add harmonic color. Handbells (2 octaves -7 bells).

SKU: PR.312416820

UPC: 680160050376. 8.5 x 11 inches.

Chen Yi’s most performed and most beloved choral music is a series of 10 Chinese folk songs adapted for S.A.T.B. Chorus (published in 3 volumes: 312-41731, 312-41732, 312-41733). This special version is a setting of the familiar collection, adapted for children’s chorus and strings.
Remembering when I studied composition in the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, I learned to sing hundreds of Chinese folk songs collected from more than twenty provinces and fifty ethnic groups, and went to countryside to collect original folk music every year.  I got to know that the folk songs are a mirror of people’s daily lives, their thoughts and sentiments, local customs and manners.  They are sung in regional dialects and use the idioms of everyday speech with their particular intonations, accents and cadences.  This correlation between speech and music distinguishes folk songs of one region from another.  I learned all songs by heart and sang them back in the exams every week.  They melted in my blood and became my natural music language.  The more I walk into the music life,the more I treasure the rich culture I have learned from my homeland. When I became the Composer-in-Residence of Chanticleer and was invited to write the first work for its concert program, as well as another version for its Singing-In-The-Schools program, I decided to introduce A Set of Chinese Folk Songs to my American audiences, and add a new flavor to Chanticleer’srich repertoire.  The work includes ten folk songs, taken from eight provinces (Anhui, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Shanxi, Taiwan, Sinkiang, Jiangsu and Guizhou) and five ethnic groups (Han, Hasake, Uighur, Miao and Yi).  I arranged them for choirs (men’s or children’s chorus) with various combinations in voices, to be sung mostly in Chinese, some in English.   From the mysterious mountain songs originally sung in the open air with high and long notes that can carry over great distances, the sweet and delicate melodies of young love compared with nature, the humorous antiphony by little children, and the lively dancing tune by villagers, you may get an idea of various music styles in Chinese folk songs according to geographic, ethnic and linguistic differences, and appreciate the beauty of the Chinese folk music.  The pure choir sound and the sophisticated singing by Chanticleer, in terms of pitches, language and musical expressions, really attract and inspire me to create some more new works in the years to come.  In thisedition of A Set of Chinese Folk Songs for standard SATB mixed choir (with piano rehearsal score), I divided these ten songs into three volumes.  They are Fengyang Song, The Flowing Stream, Guessing, Thinking of My Darling, Mayila, Jasmine Flower, Riding on a Mule, Awariguli, Diu Diu Deng, andMountain Song and Dancing Tune.—Chen Yi.

SKU: LO.99-3258L

UPC: 000308137699.

This treasured nineteenth-century American folk hymn is presented in a relaxed yet rhythmic arrangement with effective vocal counterpoint that is accessible to choirs of all sizes.

SKU: AP.48369

UPC: 038081551920. English.

Originally written for Kiss Me Kate, this Cole Porter tune has become a treasured part of the Great American Songbook. A sultry bass line and finger snaps command attention right from the first sizzling measure. Clean jazz writing makes the harmonies jump right off the page. Add the optional SoundPax or SoundTrax to bring the sound of classic Broadway to your stage!

About Alfred Pop Choral Series

The Alfred Pop Series features outstanding arrangements of songs from the popular music genre. These publications provide exciting, contemporary, and educationally-sound arrangements for singers of all ages, from elementary through high school, to college and adult choirs.

SKU: HL.370175

ISBN 9781705146446. UPC: 840126993486. 6.75x10.5x0.025 inches.

Mark Hayes is one of our finest arrangers and now he has used his expertise in vocal arranging on this Irving Berlin treasure from the American Song Book. A cappella voices richly present the well-known lyric, capturing its emotional patriotism. Beautiful and dynamic musical interpretation weaves throughout the piece, building to a glorious final home sweet home. For game day performances, the piece can be shortened by simply beginning at meas. 24. No matter the event or concert, this is a fantastic selection to be sung all year long!

SKU: HL.44007393

UPC: 884088251611. 9x12 inches.

Intriguing modes, authentic rhythms and vivid orchestrational contrasts are hallmarks of James Curnow's masterfully-crafted Appalachian Dances. The enchanting authentic Appalachian fiddle melodies are a musical treasure well worth reviving and bringing to the concert band stage. Snap rhythms recall the early heritage of hill country music in the first movement, which is followed by a richly harmonized air. The piece concludes with a rollicking third movement. In addition to being a memorable addition to your concert program, Appalachian Dances is just plain FUN to play. American musical heritage on display!