SKU: WD.080689572364

UPC: 080689572364.

From the pages of Scripture to the words of our Founding Fathers, our nation has always been urged to pray for guidance and strength. Prayer for America answers this call in an inspiring 20-minute musical that features four accessible choral arrangements of traditional and contemporary patriotic songs, enhanced by quotations from the Bible, the Declaration of Independence, and beloved American heroes. Veteran arranger Marty Parks has arranged this easy-sing musical for choirs of all sizes, making Prayer for America a perfect addition to any Independence Day, Memorial Day, President's Day or National Day of Prayer service.

SKU: RM.DARL00021-BA

ISBN 9790231000214.

SKU: WD.080689493171

UPC: 080689493171.

America is a nation that sings! And we are a people who have always shared our extraordinary story through song. This exhilarating musical heritage is beautifully celebrated in Word Music’s newest patriotic musical, It’s America! from the stellar creative team of Russell Mauldin and Deborah Craig-Claar. Brimming with patriotic exuberance and nostalgic charm, It’s America! includes a stirring George M. Cohan tribute, a rich medley of traditional folk songs, and a uniquely moving vocal setting of “Taps” to honor our fallen heroes. At a rehearsal-friendly 30 minutes in length, Russell Mauldin’s signature vocal arrangements and orchestrations and Deborah Craig-Claar’s well-crafted, historically flavored narrations make the musical accessible for choirs of any size. A spectacular DVD Accompaniment Track is the crowning touch, making this down-home, up-lifting slice of Americana the perfect choice for both community and church presentations.

SKU: IS.PN7495EM

ISBN 9790365074952.

Louis Anthony deLise is an American composer, pianist, and percussionist. The compositions in A Gift of Moments are typical of deLise’s composing style that often features the juxtaposition of disparate musical elements like serial technique, frequently changing meters, the urgency and drive of rock and roll, and the lush harmonies of 1960’s West Coast Jazz. Dr. deLise was Adjunct Lecturer of Theory and Composition at the Boyer College of Music and Dance (in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). He is the author of The Professional Songwriter, a textbook on songwriting. The title, A Gift of Moments, comes from something a friend wrote about her deceased husband. She described their too-short time together as, a gift of moments. (Time with someone you love is always too short, isn’t it?) Since February 2020, (since I’ve been locked down at home with my patient and loving wife, Theresa), like the rest of us, I’ve been reminded each day of just how delicate life is. My friend’s comment about her lost love has gradually revealed itself as a worthy title for the collection of music I was creating during this time of lockdown. All of the pieces in this collection are in some way about love: of a mate, of family, our way of life, and those beliefs we consider particular to us. The compositions are varied in style as they encompass musical gestures reflective of the many disparate musical traditions alive in my soul. With this unapologetically sensitive, perhaps even nostalgic, music of mine I intend to blur the arbitrary boundaries of genre classification, like classical or pop; ambient or orchestral. Special thanks to Vivian Barton Dozor, a wonderfully talented cellist who provided insight into bowing and phrasing for the cello parts.

SKU: AP.48316

UPC: 038081551395. English.

Originally published in The Social Harp in 1855, this revivalist song has become deeply woven into the American folk music tradition. A powerful and insistent rhythmic foundation is laid by the low voices, as the agile melody darts over top. A slower middle section offers some warm homophonic harmony in a setting that is largely polyphonic. The dance returns and builds to a dazzling and multitextured finish. Exquisite!

SKU: ST.Y296

ISBN 9790220223525.

Nature and landscape have been the dominant themes of much of Rhian Samuel's vocal music of the last ten years, projected chiefly through the poetry of Anne Stevenson, and in her most recent song-settings, the writings of the Pakistan-born Texas-based poet Zulfikar Ghose. His poem 'Conspiracy of the Clouds' describes how, the clouds having chosen to become invisible, 'Even the astronauts on the space shuttle / looked down on a cloudless America' as hurricanes ravage Louisiana and storms engulf Nebraska. An intriguing conceit in the tradition of magic realism, the text is presented as a scena lasting around 16 minutes, with interpolations from 'Haze' by the nineteenth-century New England transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. Thus modern fable and romantic nature-description are juxtaposed, and their interaction becomes the source of musical contrasts too. Thoreau's words are assigned predominantly to the vocalist's highest register, those of Ghose to her lower tessitura; and the suggestive and dramatic accompaniment builds tension steadily to the final ironic response of an incredulous American public: not one of awe and wonder, but the question 'Why weren't we told about it?

SKU: MN.CH-1221

Commissioned by Dale Jergenson for Cantori Domino in Los Angeles, California, Tune My Soul! is a jazz treatment of lyrics conceived in the traditions of early American gospel and southern harmony. But, instead of following a pure gospel treatment, the composer has allowed the song to evolve into a jazzier, more contemporary style. Tune My Soul! is written (both words and music) from a musician's perspective, specifically that of a choral singer.