SKU: PR.312419020
ISBN 9781491131862. UPC: 680160680474. 6.875 x 10.5 inches. English.
Commissioned by the San Francisco Choral Society and the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, Terra Nostra is a 70-minute oratorio on the relationship between our planet and humankind, how this relationship has shifted over time, and how we can re-establish a harmonious balance. Part I: Creation of the World explores various creation myths from different cultures, culminating in a joyous celebration of the beauty of our planet. Part II: The Rise of Humanity examines human achievements, particularly since the dawn of our Industrial Age, and how these achievements have impacted the planet. Part III: Searching for Balance questions how to create more awareness for our planet’s plight, re-establish a deeper connection to it, and find a balance for living within our planet’s resources. In addition to the complete oratorio, stand-alone movements for mixed chorus, and for solo voice with piano, are also available separately.Terra Nostra focuses on the relationship between our planet and mankind, how this relationship has shifted over time, and how we can re-establish a harmonious balance. The oratorio is divided into three parts:Part I: Creation of the World celebrates the birth and beauty of our planet. The oratorio begins with creation myths from India, North America, and Egypt that are integrated into the opening lines of Genesis from the Old Testament. The music surges forth from these creation stories into “God’s World†by Edna St. Vincent Millay, which describes the world in exuberant and vivid detail. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “On thine own child†praises Mother Earth for her role bringing forth all life, while Walt Whitman sings a love song to the planet in “Smile O voluptuous cool-breathed earth!†Part I ends with “A Blade of Grass†in which Whitman muses how our planet has been spinning in the heavens for a very long time.Part II: The Rise of Humanity examines the achievements of mankind, particularly since the dawn of the Industrial Age. Lord Alfred Tennyson’s “Locksley Hall†sets an auspicious tone that mankind is on the verge of great discoveries. This is followed in short order by Charles Mackay’s “Railways 1846,†William Ernest Henley’s “A Song of Speed,†and John Gillespie Magee, Jr.’s “High Flight,†each of which celebrates a new milestone in technological achievement. In “Binsey Poplars,†Gerard Manley Hopkins takes note of the effect that these advances are having on the planet, with trees being brought down and landscapes forever changed. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “A Dirge†concludes Part II with a warning that the planet is beginning to sound a grave alarm.Part III: Searching for Balance questions how we can create more awareness for our planet’s plight, re-establish a deeper connection to it, and find a balance for living within our planet’s resources. Three texts continue the earth’s plea that ended the previous section: Lord Byron’s “Darkness†speaks of a natural disaster (a volcano) that has blotted out the sun from humanity and the panic that ensues; contemporary poet Esther Iverem’s “Earth Screaming†gives voice to the modern issues of our changing climate; and William Wordsworth’s “The World Is Too Much With Us†warns us that we are almost out of time to change our course. Contemporary/agrarian poet Wendell Berry’s “The Want of Peace†speaks to us at the climax of the oratorio, reminding us that we can find harmony with the planet if we choose to live more simply, and to recall that we ourselves came from the earth. Two Walt Whitman texts (“A Child said, What is the grass?†and “There was a child went forth every dayâ€) echo Berry’s thoughts, reminding us that we are of the earth, as is everything that we see on our planet. The oratorio concludes with a reprise of Whitman’s “A Blade of Grass†from Part I, this time interspersed with an additional Whitman text that sublimely states, “I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love…â€My hope in writing this oratorio is to invite audience members to consider how we interact with our planet, and what we can each personally do to keep the planet going for future generations. We are the only stewards Earth has; what can we each do to leave her in better shape than we found her?
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: CF.CM9740
ISBN 9781491161203. UPC: 680160919789. Key: Bb major. English. Siegfried Sasson.
Everyone suddenly burst out singing; And I was filled with such delight As prisoned birds must find in freedom... These opening lines to Everyone Sang by the British war poet Siegfried Sassoon feel as relevant today as they did when the poem was first published in 1919. It was after the end of World War I and these words capture so much of the collective exhilaration, relief, and pure joy about the Great War finally coming to an end. And yet Sassoon himself felt none of that when he wrote this poem. In his own words, he was feeling dull-minded and depressed. Perhaps his time in the trenches was still too recent. One of the reasons the creative arts are so powerful is that a poet like Sassoon (or a painter like Van Gogh or a composer like Mahler) can take their own feelings of deep sadness or pain and transform them into something beautiful, even uplifting. Everyone Sang is a celebration of the promise that things can get better, that there are things worth looking forward to. The poem itself has so much rhythm and musicality. The appearance of suddenly in the first line of each verse gives those verses a rush of energy. Attention to the crescendo in measure 7, and again in measure 37, from mf to f will help the listener experience that rush. There are expressive opportunities with so many of the poet's bold choices of action words - burst, winging, and shaken. Then there's alliteration - a poetic device that can be overdone, but Sassoon strikes a wonderful balance. Suddenly/singing (measures 6-7 and 10-11) Find/freedom (measure 21-22) Winging/wildly (measure 23) Setting/sun (measures 47-49) Was/wordless (measures 65-75) Give these alliterations just a hint of emphasis (without overdoing) to bring out the natural rhythm of the text. And just as O is set apart in the poem by punctuation, I wanted the musical setting - in measure 57 - to honor that feeling of wonder - ...O, but Everyone Was a bird; and the song was wordless; the singing will Never be done. Friends, there is so much good ahead, so much to be excited about. May the singing never be done.Everyone suddenly burst out singingAnd I was filled with such delightAs prisoned birds must find in freedom…These opening lines to Everyone Sang by the British war poet Siegfried Sassoon feel as relevant today as they did when the poem was first published in 1919. It was after the end of World War I and these words capture so much of the collective exhilaration, relief, and pure joy about the “Great War†finally coming to an end. And yet Sassoon himself felt none of that when he wrote this poem. In his own words, he “was feeling dull-minded and depressed.†Perhaps his time in the trenches was still too recent.One of the reasons the creative arts are so powerful is that a poet like Sassoon (or a painter like Van Gogh or a composer like Mahler) can take their own feelings of deep sadness or pain and transform them into something beautiful, even uplifting. Everyone Sang is a celebration of the promise that things can get better, that there are things worth looking forward to. The poem itself has so much rhythm and musicality.The appearance of “suddenly†in the first line of each verse gives those verses a rush of energy. Attention to the crescendo in measure 7, and again in measure 37, from mf to f will help the listener experience that rush.There are expressive opportunities with so many of the poet’s bold choices of action words – burst, winging, and shaken.Then there’s alliteration - a poetic device that can be overdone, but Sassoon strikes a wonderful balance.Suddenly/singing (measures 6-7 and 10-11)Find/freedom (measure 21-22)Winging/wildly (measure 23)Setting/sun (measures 47-49)Was/wordless (measures 65-75)Give these alliterations just a hint of emphasis (without overdoing) to bring out the natural rhythm of the text. And just as “O†is set apart in the poem by punctuation, I wanted the musical setting – in measure 57 - to honor that feeling of wonder –…O, but EveryoneWas a bird; and the song was wordless; the singing willNever be done. Friends, there is so much good ahead, so much to be excited about.May the singing never be done.
SKU: WD.080689496776
UPC: 080689496776.
Holding On to Christmas is something we love to do wrapping our arms around cherished memories; re-living the moments of Christmas that come to life in our hearts and minds year after year; being reminded of how much we are loved and how much we love in return; holding close those who make our lives special; expressing our love and thankfulness through cards and gifts, hugs and kisses, joy and laughter; sharing our love for one another around a cup of hot chocolate with Mom's homemade Christmas cookies; and hearing Dad, once again, read the Christmas story from the family Bible.Shared memories and more are at the center of the new Christmas musical, Holding On to Christmas, from beloved arranger Marty Parks. This delightfully charming, comfort-the-soul musical is a warm invitation to come sit by the fireside, wrap up in your favorite Christmas blanket, and reminisce about Christmas as, together, we celebrate family and friends, and most importantly, the Savior who was born so long ago on that first Christmas night in Bethlehem.Holding On to Christmas is a very special slice of Christmas-goodness that you will be excited to present to your congregation and community...a wonderful celebration of all we hold dear at this most special time of year!Song Titles: Christmastime * Holding On to Christmas * Sing a Song of Christmas (Carol Medley) includes Sing a Song of Christmas; Angels, from the Realms of Glory; Angels We Have Heard on High; and O Come, All Ye Faithful * In the Bleak Midwinter * The Birthday of a King * The Shepherds (Glory to God) * Behold that Star * Only God * Finale (Christmastime and Holding On to Christmas).
SKU: WD.080689498770
UPC: 080689498770.
From the creative team that brought you the best-selling musical, Joy, Unspeakable Joy!... Kenna Turner West, Dale Mathews and Steve W. Mauldin...comes another uplifting, worshipful and inspiring seasonal musical for your Christmas choir. O Night Divine compels the listener to celebrate the joyful, glorious birth of our Lord and Savior. It encourages us to offer our highest praise to the One known by such magnificent names as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Everlasting Father. And it invites us to come to the manger, bow down, and worship the King of Kings. All of the songs are woven together with threads of a rich narration and the colorful, many-faceted arrangements and orchestrations of Steve W. Mauldin. O Night Divine, the perfect musical for your choir this Christmas!O Night Divine features inspired, new Christmas songs from Kenna West, threaded together by three powerful, well-known songs, such asA Christmas Alleluia, made popular by Chris Tomlin; Ring the Bells, made popular by artists Travis Cottrell and Big Daddy Weave; and Hope Was Born This Night, popularized by Sidewalk Prophets. All of the songs are woven together with threads of a rich narration and the colorful, many-faceted arrangements and orchestrations of Steve W. Mauldin. O Night Divine, the perfect musical for your choir this Christmas!Song Titles: Ring the Bells * Gloria (Emmanuel has Come) * Carol Hymn Medley (Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus with O Come, O Come, Emmanuel) * The Time has Come * Have You Heard the News * A Christmas Alleluia * O Night Divine with A Christmas Alleluia * Finale with Hope Was Born This Night and Ring the Bells (Reprise).
SKU: WD.080689504778
UPC: 080689504778.
For many of us, Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, a time to be spent with family and friends...a festive, happy time. But for others, the same holiday season only serves to underscore the loneliness,pain, and hopelessness of their own lives.In our story, Susanna King's bright spirit and love for life overrides her circumstances; you see, Susanna has been recently diagnosed with cancer. But in spite of bad news and challenging times, she lives with the joy of Christmas in her heart.This is an emotion-filled story, rich with heart. It comes alive with great new songs that are sometimes powerful, sometimes celebratory, sometimes poignant; sometimes happy, sometimes sad; songs that propel the story along while speaking to our hearts with the love language of God's Christmas story...the birth of our Savior, Jesus.Designed to bring your music and drama ministries together, Shepherds and Kings proclaims a strong, vibrant message about the power of love--our love for one another, our love for God, and most importantly, God's desire that ALL would come to know of His great love for us. Share the hope and good news of Christmas with your church and community this year, through your presentation of Shepherds and Kings.Song Titles: Christmas All Over the World (Opener) * Underscore 1 (Susanna Arrives) * Underscore 2 (Mattiello's) * We All Need Christmas * Hopes and Fears (Duet) * Mercy for Me * Everlasting Light * Underscore 3 (Accusations) * Prince of Peace * Underscore 4 (Realization) * Winter White * Shepherds and Kings * Christmas Makes Us One (with We All Need Christmas; Christmas Makes Us One; O Come, All Ye Faithful and Shepherds and Kings).
SKU: CA.3110813
ISBN 9790007047979. Key: A major / b minor. Language: German/English. Text: von Ziegler, Christiane Mariane. Text: Christiane Mariane von Ziegler.
The cantata Es ist euch gut, dass ich hingehe [It is well that I go forth] BWV 108 for Cantate Sunday is one of the cantatas composed on texts by the Leipzig poetess Christiane Mariane von Ziegler with which Bach concluded his second annual cycle of cantatas after he had abandoned the annual cycle of chorale cantatas at Easter 1725. The text contains two sayings by Jesus which are taken directly from the Sunday gospel reading (John 16:5-15). The quotation opening the cantata was set by Bach as a bass aria with solo oboe d'amore; it breathes tranquility and assurance. The second quotation, however, is set as an extended choral fugue in three sections; it forms the center of the cantata. The free text surrounding the biblical quotations is divided into two arias in which the emphasis is on melodic lines; there is only one single recitative, the original text of which was substantially abridged by Bach. A four-part chorale concludes the cantata. Score and part available separately - see item CA.3110800.
SKU: HL.14043700
ISBN 9781783058617. UPC: 888680736491. 9.0x12.0x0.125 inches. English.
Sing Pop A Cappella is a collection of a cappella arrangements of fantastic pop songs old and new, by renowned teacher, singer and director Gitika Partington . Her arrangements are used by choirs across the UK, and she emphasises that being able to read music is not necessary. Rewarding and enjoyable, Book Three continues her project to bring people together through the power of song. What's great about Gitika Partington 's Sing Pop A Cappella series is how she understands that to make great music or to sing a great song, it's not necessary to be able to sight-read. It may be useful, but she has learned that there are other ways to communicate music, namely through ear training,repetition and gesture. Her arrangements, five of which appear in this book, have enabled youth and community choirs to spring up across the country, making singing truly and universally accessible. Included in this book are wonderfully rich a cappella arrangements of Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers, Black Is The Colour Of My True Love's Hair, Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up, Adele's Rolling In The Deep and a huge favourite, Sway (Quien Sera) . Vocal scores for these innovative and enjoyable arrangements are included in standard notation, although Partington recommends learning by ear as something equally beneficial. To aid with this, the accompanying download card includes five tracks of audio for each song. One features a full performance demonstration while the other four each focus on either soprano, alto, tenor or bass. The easy download of these tracks makes learning efficient and fun, as you are able to listen wherever you are. The great thing about a cappella singing is that it can be done anywhere, with limited resources, with members who don't necessarily have any musical training. Partington has created a book that can be used by a cappella choirs who love pop music that sounds great and will thrill audiences. Sing Pop A Cappella is not just a songbook, though, it also includes an extensive.
SKU: WD.080689850721
UPC: 080689850721.
SKU: CA.3110211
ISBN 9790007047405. Key: G minor / c minor. Language: German/English.
In 1726 Johann Sebastian Bach performed a series of cantatas by his Meiningen cousin Johann Ludwig, then continued this series with his own works, but remained faithful to the textual models used his cousin: a Meiningen cycle of texts by an unknown author from the early 18th century. All these texts share the characteristic of including two quotations from the bible: one from the Old Testament at the beginning, and another from the New Testament in the middle. These cantatas include Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben BWV 102. The opening chorus in several sections is one of Bach's masterpieces of choral composition. The cantata is also one of those works on which Bach's later reputation was based: performances are documented from 1776 in Hamburg and in Berlin by Zelter's Sing-Akademie from 1813 onwards. In 1830 it was one of the very first cantatas by Bach to appear in print. Score and part available separately - see item CA.3110200.
SKU: CA.3110212
ISBN 9790007047412. Key: G minor / c minor. Language: German/English.
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