SKU: CF.CM9704

ISBN 9781491160114. UPC: 680160918713. Key: F# minor. English. Sir Rabindranath Tagore.

Richard Hageman (1881-1966) was a born into a family of musicians. As a pianist, he performed concerts from the age of six, and his mastery of this instrument is evident in the intricate accompaniment of this piece. After coming to America, (originally as accompanist to touring French singer Yvette Guilbert), he worked for a period of years as a conductor and pianist for the Metropolitan Opera in New York. It was during this period of time that he composed Do Not Go, My Love for solo voice, originally dedicating it to the operatic tenor, George Hamlin. Hageman's later career included work in Hollywood, first as a conductor, but later as a film-score composer and actor. Do Not Go, My Love is well-known among classical soloists, and many recordings exist. The SSA version of this American standard brings a vocal classic to younger singers who might not yet possess the dexterity to perform the original solo. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was an Indian polymath; someone who possesses deep knowledge and understanding of many disparate subjects. Tagore's expertise included the visual arts, music, and poetry. Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, contributing to his receiving knighthood from King George V in 1915, but Tagore renounced his knighthood after the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. There are five Tagore museums in Bangladesh and three in India; at least three universities bear his name. Do Not Go, My Love is taken from The Gardener, a collection of poems translated from Bengali by Tagore and published in 1915. Number 34 in the collection, and taken by itself, the poem might be interpreted as someone watching over the deathbed of a lover or child; however, the larger narrative woven through The Gardener suggests a romantic relationship being clung to by the speaker.  .
Richard Hageman (1881–1966) was a born into a family of musicians. As a pianist, he performed concerts from the age of six, and his mastery of this instrument is evident in the intricate accompaniment of this piece. After coming to America, (originally as accompanist to touring French singer Yvette Guilbert), he worked for a period of years as a conductor and pianist for the Metropolitan Opera in New York. It was during this period of time  that he composed Do Not Go, My Love for solo voice, originally dedicating it to the operatic tenor, George Hamlin. Hageman’s later career included work in Hollywood, first as a conductor, but later as a film-score composer and actor. Do Not Go, My Love is well-known among classical soloists, and many recordings exist. The SSA version of this American standard brings a vocal “classic” to younger singers who might not yet possess the dexterity to perform the original solo.Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) was an Indian polymath; someone who possesses deep knowledge and understanding of many disparate subjects. Tagore’s expertise included the visual arts, music, and poetry. Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, contributing to his receiving knighthood from King George V in 1915, but Tagore renounced his knighthood after the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. There are five Tagore museums in Bangladesh and three in India; at least three universities bear his name.Do Not Go, My Love is taken from The Gardener, a collection of poems translated from Bengali by Tagore and published in 1915. Number 34 in the collection, and taken by itself, the poem might be interpreted as someone watching over the deathbed of a lover or child; however, the larger narrative woven through The Gardener suggests a romantic relationship being clung to by the speaker. .

SKU: CF.CM9773

ISBN 9781491164440. UPC: 680160923342. Key: C# minor. English. Christina Rossetti.

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,                                                       Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;                                                               Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,                                                             In the bleak midwinter, long ago.What can I give Him, poor as I am?                                                                                        If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;                                                                         If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;                                                                        Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.The text from this beloved poem of Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) was originally published in an 1872 issue of Scribner’s Monthly, under the title A Christmas Carol. In the first of its five stanzas, the speaker describes in great detail a bitingly cold winter scene, void of both warmth and light. By the final stanza, the speaker's thoughts turn inward, asking what gift they may offer the infant Jesus, meek though they believe themselves to be.The poem was later set by English composer Gustav Holst (1874–1934) as a contribution to the English Hymnal in 1906 and remains the most popular setting today.London-born Rossetti came to be regarded not only as one of the greatest female poets of her time, but as an outspoken advocate on several societal issues, including slavery and cruelty towards animals.In this setting, word painting is of the utmost importance. Careful attention to word stress throughout the course of the piece will make the performance all the more captivating. Descriptive lines such as “frosty wind made moan” should be conveyed with swelling crescendos, like frigid gusts of frozen air.While this piece features an original tune, the beloved Holst melody is also featured briefly, beginning in m. 28. Take care to bring this out.There are plenty of other allusions to wintry scenes scattered throughout the choral parts as well as the accompaniment. I encourage you to put your sleuthing “hats” on and find them all. It will make the learning experience much more memorable and fun.

SKU: MN.56-0040

UPC: 688670220456. English.

This George Herbert text is set for SSA voices and piano. The text is a veiled description of Herbert’s relationship to God as paramount and beyond price. The pearl is a symbol for something sought but not easily found. The poet describes key pursuits in life (learning, honor, pleasure) and concludes “Yet I love thee.” Again and again the comparison is made between earthly and heavenly things, and the author concludes that the ultimate goal is “to climbe to thee.” There are various solo and small group opportunities marked in the music as well as “tutti choirs” and “massed voices.” Yet the music is not complex and is suitable for a variety of situations and ensembles.

SKU: HL.1118225

ISBN 9781705180945. UPC: 196288106906. 6.75x10.5x0.029 inches.

Bruce Tippette's setting of the Johnson poem is gentle and graceful, capturing the music-themed text. The piano accompaniment is supportive yet has an orchestral quality that moves with the dynamic vocal contrasts and melodic phrases. “No nights are dark, no days are long, while in my heart there dwells a song I softly sing.”.