SKU: HL.49032219

ISBN 9790001072403. UPC: 884088055837. 8.25x11.75x0.76 inches. German - English.

Voice, Piano and Guitar.

SKU: PR.144407380

ISBN 9781491133903. UPC: 680160683475. 9 x 12 inches.

In her powerful Foreword to the music, violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins has written: “There are great works which give voice to important moments for generations, and this is one of them.” The tragedy of Elijah McClain’s murder has moved us all, and for many musicians the image of this gentle young man playing his violin for kittens at an animal shelter has added a poignant extra layer. Zwilich was a professional violinist before turning exclusively to composing, and A LITTLE VIOLIN MUSIC is a memorial from the heart of one violinist to another.
[THESE NOTES MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLICATION; OK TO QUOTE A BIT AND GIVE AUTHOR CREDIT]We often research important pieces of music to gain some glimpse into the mind of the composer by understanding the times in which a piece was written. The times that brought this piece into being, 2020, has been a year like no other in our lifetimes.With the suffering of a once in a century pandemic raging in ever higher waves, and millions of people around the world confined to their homes with a shared attention span for the first time in generations, we watched in horror the 8 minute 46 second killing of George Floyd, a man previously unknown to us, but now unwillingly joining a long list of names of unarmed African Americans killed by police. The anguished backlash of citizens around the world, from Japan to New Zealand to Germany to the United States, of every age, color, and creed, has rallied for weeks and months on end to demand enough and that “Black Lives Matter.”And yet, in the midst of it all is an America starkly divided against itself with some defiantly pushing back, emboldened by authoritarian-style government actions against its own citizens occurring all over the country. It is against this backdrop that we ever had a chance to know of Elijah McClain. Here in quarantine I sometimes practice my scales in front of the news. And one day the mirror image looking back at me from the screen was a slight young man, warm, affable brown eyes, and also a violin under his chin. The newsreel-style camera pan so familiar now, I knew the only reason we were gazing upon his unfamous face was that he too had been killed by police nearly a year before. But the revelation of it in the broadcast hit me particularly hard.Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, who is not only one of the great composers of our time, is also a dear friend, and called me the next day, also deeply saddened by the news. It was from Ellen that I learned that Elijah used to play for the kittens at the local animal shelter so they wouldn’t be lonely. This kind, gentle soul was aggressively taken into police custody while saying, “I am an introvert. Please respect the boundaries that I am speaking... I’m going home.” He was never seen alive again.Ellen and I spoke of the sadness and the injustice of this several times. She felt a powerful calling to contribute something in a statement and the result is the piece you now hold in your hands. I am deeply honored to be the dedicatee of the piece, to have worked together with Ellen on some of the final details, and to pen this score note. As an invited alumna of the Eastman School of Music, I premiered the work for their virtual event on Diversity and Inclusion. Each time I play it, there is a persistent lump in my throat because Ellen has captured something poignant and powerful here.There are great works which give voice to important moments for generations, and this is one of them. We humbly offer this piece in memory of Elijah McClain.Foreword © 2021 by Kelly Hall-Tompkins. Used by permission.

SKU: GI.G-10451

ISBN 9781622775934.

Featuring: George Lynn • George Eugene Umberson • Donald Neuen • Paris Rutherford • Peter Bagley • Charlene Archibeque • Eph Ehly • Joseph Flummerfelt • Joan Conlon • Ann Howard Jones • Simon Carrington • Earl Rivers • Henry Leck • Hilary Apfelstadt • André Thomas • Maria Guinand Choral conductors shoulder a great responsibility as custodians of their craft. And there is perhaps no better source of inspiration and guidance for today’s conductors than the experiences and insights of choral giants who have blazed the trail we now tread. In Search of Inspiration is a collection of in-depth interviews with fifteen highly respected choral conductors from around the world. Each answers a series of fundamental questions about how they shaped their achievements: How do they balance their time making music and fulfilling teaching schedules and concert schedules? How do they motivate students, manage outside professional commitments in the educational setting, and satisfy administrators? Each conductor generously shares their wisdom and expertise, discussing memorable educational moments on the podium and in the classroom, recounting stirring experiences in the concert hall, and sharing stories about their work with historic figures in music. They also offer insights on programming repertoire and explain how they have successfully navigated a career in music. These interviews document the through lines within the choral art—elements of performance and mentorship stemming from such luminaries as Julius Herford and Robert Shaw that connect so many of the great conductors. A fascinating and relevant read for any choral educator, In Search of Inspiration explores the choral art through extraordinary 20th- and 21st-century voices whose artistry and influence will be felt for generations to come. Gregory Gentry is director of choral studies and the Lynn Whitten Choral Music Faculty Fellow at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is editor of the Gregory Gentry Choral Series (Fred Bock Publishers), past president of Arizona ACDA, and former chorus master with the Phoenix Symphony and Colorado Music Festival. Gentry states that he felt it was time to revitalize and update the book In Quest of Answers: Interviews with American Choral Conductors (Howard Swan and Carole Glenn). Contributors: Emilie Bertram, Corie Brown, Galen Darrough, Stephen Futrell, Anna Wheeler Gentry, Gregory Gentry, Sharon A. Hansen, Aaron Harp, Vernon Huff, David Kates, Dee Romines, Kira Zeeman Rugen, Paul Thompson, Betsy Cook Weber, Adam Zrust.

SKU: HL.14020997

ISBN 9780711959910. UPC: 884088440558. 12.0x9.0x0.25 inches.

This Christmas cantata is an uncanny recapture by Maxwell Davies of a relatively simple modal style: luminous, sometimes plaintive, sometimes rapturous. A linked series of George Mackay Brown settings designed to give pleasure (if sometimes strenuous pleasure) to a non-professional choir. A spiritual mystery is glimpsed in an Orcadian setting. Commissioned by the London Symphony Chorus to commemorate its 30th anniversary, with additional funds from the Arts Council of Great Britain.The first performance was given in October 1995 by the London Symphony Chorus and the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard Hickox. Vocal score.

SKU: HL.14021036

ISBN 9780711997998. UPC: 884088440220. 8.25x11.75x0.103 inches.

This work was commissioned by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The first performance was given on 3rd December 1998 at Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, by Lisa Tyrrell (Soprano), Margaret McDonald (Mezzo), Neil Mackie (Tenor) and David Wilson-Johnson (Baritone), the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus and Orchestra. Text: George Mackay Brown.