SKU: MN.56-0075
UPC: 688670220784. Latin.
This mass setting was commissioned by the Friends of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and first performed on Ascension Sunday, 1994. Suitable for both church and concert use, the music is both lyrical and dramatic. The ââ¬ÅSanctusââ¬Â begins quietly, with divided sopranos trading off on a major second in a mysterious and meditative way. Parts add and build until the basses enter with a cantus firmus of sorts. The major second continues to figure prominently in the ensuing material. The movement ends with a simple melody repeated in unison (ââ¬ÅHosanna in excelsisââ¬Â) fading away into the distance. Duration 3:55.
SKU: HL.277282
UPC: 840126915006. 6.75x10.5 inches.
Program note:Looking Up is a piece for large chorus and orchestra, and is in three sections, played without pause. In the 16th century, a variety of psalters in meter were printed in England, with the idea of making psalm-singing something that could happen easily at home, with the rhyming meter being an aid to memorization. These translations are wonderful exercises in brevity and sometimes clumsy rhymemaking, and were usually prefaced by a lengthy explanation as to their merits; the title of one of the first such volumes in English is: The Psalter of Dauid newely translated into Englysh metre in such sort that it maye the more decently, and wyth more delyte of the mynde, be reade and songe of al men. I thought it would be appropriate to set one of these introductions, and the first section of Looking Up sets the preface to Thomas Ravenscroft's psalter (1621), in which he writes: “The singing of Psalmes (assay the Doctors) comforteth the sorrowfull, pacifieth the angry, strengtheneth the weake, humbleth the proud, gladdeth the humble, stirres up the slow, reconcileth enemies, lifteth up the heart to heavenly things, and uniteth the Creature to his Creator.”It begins meditatively, but eventually grows agitated and fervent, with a vision of the “quire of Angels and Saints” “redoubling anddescanting” - an ecstatic and terrifying vision of the skies opening up. Ravenscroft then encourages the use of instrumental musicfor worship, at which point, a long, acrobatic orchestral interlude with jagged edges antagonizes the choir, who sing a kind of private, anxious meditation on two pitches.One of the most delicious biblical texts is an Apocryphal prayer known as the Benedicite or the Prayer of the Three Children (the same who were rescued by an angel after King Nebuchadnezzar tried to have them burnt in an oven for not bowing to his image). The text is repetitive, obsessive, and a gift to composers - each line is an invocation of an element of the natural world, followed by the phrase, “blesse ye the Lord, praise him & magnify him for ever.” In Looking Up, the setting begins with three solo voices, and then grows to include the whole choir, itemizing the whole of creation. The idea that these boys are spared from the furnace and then five minutes later are saying, “O ye the fire and warming heate, blesse ye the Lord...” has always felt very loaded to me, and the orchestra plays with this conflict between joyful praise and a more terrible (in the 16th-century sense) awefor the divine.The text for the third, and shortest, section is taken from Christopher Smart's (1722-1771) A Song to David, purportedly written during his confinement in a mental asylum. This ode to King David points out how David, as the author of some of the Psalms, observes the whole world from the “clustering spheres” to the “nosegay in the vale.&rdquo.
SKU: AP.48393
UPC: 038081552163. English.
Recorded and performed by more than fifty artists in the fifty-plus years since its initial release, this Joni Mitchell song has become an enduring meditation on the shifting perspective that comes with time. The melody passes generously from part to part across a shimmering palette of choral harmonies. John Leavitt provides a piano accompaniment that adds texture and color while fully supporting the voices.
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.48024856
ISBN 9781784545598. UPC: 840126910803. 7.5x10.25x0.03 inches.
From one of the UK's bright, emerging choral composers, Rhiannon Randle, is this sublime setting of the familiar Latin text. O nata lux is a personal reflection on the compelling and timeless choral atmosphere depicted by the famous Thomas Tallis setting of these words. Dedicated to the memory of Randle's late grandmother, the work balances a sense of intimate prayer and meditation with a spiritual declamation of the “light born of light.†To see hope and new life in despair and death - for in the darkness we have seena great light - chimes as much with the season of Advent as it does with personal loss. The lilting homophony of the opening is characterised by light tenuti, intended to provide a sense of gentle ebb and flow, almost as if to accentuate the natural emphases of speech. This then broadens into a polyphonic cascade, which hints at Bruckner as much as paying homage to Tallis's own setting. O nata lux is an exciting addition to the Contemporary Choral Series, suitable for intermediate to advanced choirs looking to support and program new music by outstanding young composers.
SKU: HL.49046367
ISBN 9781540083876. UPC: 840126906288. 7.0x10.5x0.14 inches. English - Latin.
This cycle of five contrasting songs takes its title from the poem of Robert Frost. The various texts in the piece reference both inner space and outer space, both within oneself and in interstellar space. The first song speaks of places of emptiness and fear, but also of home. The second song, with a text by Sappho, references the lovely moon and stars. The third song, with a text by Whitman taken from 'On the Beach at Night Alone', uses the repeated word 'all' to present a sense of the infinite. The fourth song, with a text by William Cullen Bryant, is a fast thrill ride beginning with the words, 'Away, away!'. The cycle ends with a meditation on the words 'Lux Aeterna'. Pierre Jalbert.
SKU: LP.DC-9211
UPC: 765762010826.
Heartwarming and toe-tapping compilation of gospel songs for choir. Professional quality recording useful as an aid to choir members learning the music from choral book, or for personal enjoyment and meditation times. (Performance demo - NOT an accompanim.
SKU: PL.1972M
Using the famous text from the Gospel of John, Barton's simple prayer makes a lovely introit or meditation.
SKU: WD.080689683237
UPC: 080689683237.
Made popular by People & Songs, arranged by David Wise and orchestrated by David Shipps is this new, captivating anthem, perfect for any moment of meditation or reflection. From beginning to end, this beautiful ballad, called Amen, will bring its listeners to their knees in pure worship while pouring out blessing, honor, glory, and power to Jesus.
SKU: HL.346876
UPC: 840126925852. 6.75x10.5x0.045 inches.
The lyrics for this work are by composer Frank Tichelli. In the opening liner notes he tells us that “the poem for the work is a meditation on time's ceaseless flow, elusiveness, ravages, and gifts.†Scored for mixed divisi chorus with piano or strings, “the musical setting divides roughly into three parts, moving from a sense of mystery and wonder, to chaos, and finally folding into prayer before fading away to complete silence.†Try it with your advanced ensemble.
SKU: XC.HRMG2373
UPC: 785147110354.
This expressive meditation is a cappella writing at its finest. This elegant work is an English setting of the prayer O Lord, lettest thy servant depart in peace. Thoughtfully-prepared suspensions and close harmonies that stay on the staff make this piece easy to learn and enjoyable to sing. (ca. 3.5 minutes).
SKU: LP.765762102521
UPC: 765762102521.
This deeply moving and compelling musical is a beautiful response to God's loving, sacrificial and powerful act of redemption. Sacred and cherished hymns, popular worship songs, and new, expressive compositions combine in arrangements that are both poignant and moving, while retaining a level of difficulty that even the smallest choir can master. The emotive narrations are derived directly from the scriptures and perfectly frame the musical settings. In addition, the work includes several solo and congregational opportunities for participation. Echoing the song of heaven's eternity, this 47-minute presentation is assembled in 4 main sections: I. Worthy of Praise II. Worthy of Our Love III. A Worthy Sacrifice IV. Worthy of Exaltation
SKU: HL.48025378
UPC: 196288194392.
Commissioned by the Choir of Pembroke College, Cambridge, for the first ever BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong broadcast from the college,this introit or short motet was written to commemorate the occasion of Candlemas. Echoing the text, rich in light imagery, the recurring motif, first heard at the opening of the piece, unfolds from a single pitch into glowing harmonic colours. After a luminous climax where the texture reaches its widest span, with a soaring soprano solo, the piece ends by returning cyclically to the meditative state of the opening, fading to a single note once more. As a versatile introit or as a concert piece, this gentle and reflective setting of the archaic text would suit confident choral groups.
© 2000 - 2024 Home - New realises - Composers Legal notice - Full version