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 day”) 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…”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: BT.HU-4349-250

9x12 inches. German.

The poetry on which this composition is based is the Ballad of External Life (the Ballade des äußeren Lebens) from the pen of Viennese author Hugo von Hofmansthal (1874-1929). He is known for, amongst other things, his libretti for the works of Richard Strauss (Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos, Elektra) and as founder of the Salzburg Festival. Von Hofmansthal was one of the last of the German Symbolists. Central to this literary movement was the unification of the internal and external worlds. The search for meaning was a cornerstone of this fin-de-siècle movement.In the Ballade des äußeren Lebens (Ballad of External Life), the meaninglessness ofexistence is expressed in restricting, oppressive metaphors—an ambience that is reflected in the music. Ultimately, man is capable of establishing order from seeming chaos. The poet expresses this powerfully in a non-rhyming line of poetry: ‘And yet, he who says “evening” says much, A word, from which profundity and sorrow flow’.This composition follows the overall structure of the ballad, which is written in terza rima—interlocking three-line rhymes.The choral work can be performed by a chamber choir, but also by a much larger ensemble. The parts are mainly in four voices (SATB), although there are also six parts (SAATBB). One chord is arranged for eight voices.The composer conducted this work at its première, to open the 2013 International Choir Biennial in Aachen. The choir was comprised of four chamber choirs: Aachen Youth Choir, Carmina Mundi, Aachen Chamber Choir and Aachen Madrigal Choir.

Het dichtwerk waarop deze compositie is gebaseerd, de Ballade des äußeren Lebens (Ballade van het uiterlijke leven), is geschreven door de in Wenen geboren schrijver Hugo von Hoffmansthal (1874-1929), die onder meer bekend is als librettist van Richard Strauss (Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos, Elektra) en medeoprichter was van de Salzburger Festspiele. Von Hoffmansthal behoorde tot de laatste vertegenwoordigers van het Duitse symbolisme. Deze stroming stelde zich ten doel de innerlijke en uiterlijke wereld met elkaar te verenigen. Zingeving vormde een van de hoofdthematieken binnen deze fin de siècle-cultuur.In de Ballade des äußeren Lebens wordt dezinloosheid van het bestaan verwoord in beklemmende metaforen - een atmosfeer die in de muziek wordt weerspiegeld. Uiteindelijk blijkt de mens toch in staat te zijn orde te scheppen in de schijnbare willekeur. De dichter benadrukt dit in zijn enige versregel zonder rijm: Und dennoch sagt der viel, der “Abend” sagt. De compositie volgt in hoofdlijnen de structuur van de ballade, die in terzinen is opgebouwd.Het werk kan worden uitgevoerd door kamerkoor, maar ook door een veel grotere bezetting. De zetting is voornamelijk vierstemmig (SATB), maar er zijn tevens zesstemmige delen (SAATBB). Een enkel akkoord is zelfs achtstemmig.Het werk ging onder leiding van de componist tijdens de Internationale Chorbiennale Aachen 2013 als openingswerk in première. Het koor was samengesteld uit vier kamerkoren: Der Junge Chor Aachen, Carmina Mundi, Aachener Kammerchor en Der Madrigalchor Aachen.

Die Dichtung, auf welcher diese Komposition basiert, ist die Ballade des äußeren Lebens aus der Feder des gebürtigen Wiener Schriftstellers Hugo von Hoffmansthal (1874-1929), der unter anderem als Librettist von Richard Strauss (Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos, Elektra) und Mitbegründer der Salzburger Festspiele bekannt ist. Von Hoffmansthal gehörte zu den letzten Vertretern des Deutschen Symbolismus. Diese literarische Richtung machte sich zur Aufgabe, die innere und die äußere Welt miteinander zu vereinen. Sinngebung bildete eine der Hauptthematiken innerhalb dieser Fin-de-Siècle-Strömung.In der Ballade des äußeren Lebens wird die Sinnlosigkeitdes Daseins in beklemmenden Metaphern formuliert - eine Atmosphäre, die sich in der Musik widerspiegelt. Letztendlich scheint der Mensch doch imstande zu sein, Ordnung in der scheinbaren Willkür zu schaffen. Der Dichter betont dies nachdrücklich in der einzigen Verszeile ohne Reim: Und dennoch sagt der viel, der Abend“ sagt. Die Komposition folgt in ihren Hauptzügen der Struktur der Ballade, die in Terzinen geschrieben ist.Das Chorwerk kann von einem Kammerchor, aber auch von einem viel größeren Ensemble aufgeführt werden. Der Satz ist hauptsächlich vierstimmig (SATB), aber es gibt auch sechsstimmige Teile (SAATBB). Ein einzelner Akkord ist gar achtstimmig.Das Werk ging unter der Leitung des Komponisten während der Internationalen Chorbiennale Aachen 2013 als Eröffnungswerk in Premiere. Der Chor setzte sich aus vier Kammerchören zusammen: Der Junge Chor Aachen, Carmina Mundi, der Aachener Kammerchor und der Madrigalchor Aachen.

SKU: CA.928200

ISBN 9790007300869. Key: C minor / c major. French. Text: Baudelaire, Charles.

Sounds, colors and scents can conjure up places of longing. During the Romantic period, the desire to travel and see other places was seen as an expression of some inner state of mind. In L'invitation au voyage, the boundaries between what is real and imaginary seem to dissolve in the lyrical perception of a journey to the inner self: There we find nothing but order and beauty, splendor, peace, and delight”. This is unattainable perfection as a place of longing, where we are freed from all earthly cares. A never-ending sixteenth-note figure in the piano accompaniment flickers like a shimmering veil over these words, which in their poetry seem to remove us far from our earthly existence. “The world falls asleep in a warm light!

This art song was originally composed not for chamber choir, but for solo voice and piano. Denis Rouger has carefully adapted it to suit the requirements and expressive possibilities offered by a larger ensemble, without losing any of the qualities of the original. Each part in the choir has a melodic line drawn from the harmonic and rhythmic framework. In the process, the variety and refinement of the choral language combines with an enormous flexibility in form and expression, as French melodies or German art songs demand from a soloist and pianist.

The songs have been recorded by the figure humaine chamber choir on the CD ... wo die Zitronen blühn (Carus 83.514).

SKU: OU.9780193954144

ISBN 9780193954144. 10 x 7 inches.

For unison/SATB choir and organ A skilful arrangement for SATB of Peter Tranchell's unison setting of Heber's well-known hymn; both are presented here. The harmonies display Tranchell's typical style and need some careful tuning.

SKU: HP.C5771C

UPC: 763628957711. Luke 2:10-14, 2 Corinthians 5:19, Revelation 15:4, Hebrews 1:6, Matthew 1:21-23, John 1:1 1 John 1:14, Philippians 2:7, Isaiah 9:6, Malachi 4:2, 1 Peter 1:3.

Medley of two familiar Christmas carols This exuberant medley of two cherished Christmas carols comes from Jay Althouse's Joy to the World: A Celebration of Carols, our top-selling Christmas musical in 2011. The effective use of rhythmic energy makes this a captivating setting for worship or concert! The Instrumental packet contains a Conductor's Score and parts for: Flute, B-flat Clarinet, 2 Trumpets, Trombone, Electric Bass and Snare Drum.

SKU: GI.G-527

Text by Noel Goemanne.

Conversational Solfege is a dynamic and captivating first-through-eighth grade general music program that enables students to become independent musical thinkers with the help of a rich variety of folk and classical music. It is organized around increasingly complex rhythmic and melodic content. Each new rhythmic or melodic element is discovered first in patterns and then reinforced with folk songs, rhymes, and classical examples. Central to the Conversational Solfege program is the use of music harvested from our rich and diverse American musical history. This variety of music serves as a common thread that spans and bonds generations. Each book contains varied song material so the teacher can select appropriate music for the lower grades or older beginners. This 12-step teaching method carefully brings students from readiness to, ultimately, creating music through inner hearing and then transferring their musical thoughts into notation—in other words, to compose music! This CD provides 14 classical selections referenced in Conversational Solfege Level 2. These examples provide reinforcement for emerging literacy skills, and they also enable students to listen to wonderful classical examples with greater attention. Listening to classical music can be challenging for elementary students. With nothing to hang onto, the many notes can be too much to comprehend and attention soon wanes. But with minimal literacy skills, students will have enough musical information to discover that classical music can be accessible and appealing. In the included booklet, timings are given for each selection and the portions of the music that are readable by the students are reproduced. Whether using this CD with Conversational Solfege instructional materials or simply as a resource of classical music with simple to read rhythmic and melodic material, both teachers and students will delight in discovering this wonderful music through literacy. This series is a complete, innovative approach to teaching music that will stay fresh year after year. CONTENTS Conversational Solfege Unit 5: 1. Antonin Dvorak • New World Theme Conversational Solfege Unit 6: 2. Franz Joseph Haydn • Theme from  the Surprise Symphony, 3. Camille Saint-Sans • Turtles from Carnival of the Animals, 4. Ludwig van Beethoven • Symphony No. 7, 2nd Movement, 5. Josef Strauss • Feuerfest (Fireproof) Polka, Op. 269 Conversational Solfege Unit 7: 6. Jacques Offenbach • Can-Can, 7. Dmitry Kabalevsky • Pantomime from the Comedians, 8. Edvard Grieg • In the Hall of the Mountain King Conversational Solfege Unit 9 and Unit 11: 9. Jacques Offenbach • Barcarolle Conversational Solfege Unit 10: 10. Edvard Grieg • Morning Conversational Solfege Unit 11: 11. Ottorino Respighi • Ground in G Conversational Solfege Unit 12: 12. Johann Sebastian Bach • Jesu, Joy of Men's Desiring, 13. Jean Sibelius • Finlandia Conversational Solfege Unit 13: 14. Ludwig Van Beethoven • Symphony No. 6, Movement 5  John M. Feierabend is Professor Emeritus and former Director of Music Education at The Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford, Connecticut.