SKU: BR.CHB-5380-00

ISBN 9790004413814. 7.5 x 10.5 inches. German / Latin.

As director of the Bavarian Radio Choir, Howard Arman has been actively engaged with international Christmas carols through various Christmas-related CD productions in the past years. This has resulted in a number of original arrangements for four- to eight-part mixed choir a cappella, shedding new light on well-known classics such as O du frohliche [O, you joyful], Stille Nacht [Silent Night] and Lasst uns froh und munter sein [Let us be happy and cheerful]. The first volume includes five Christmas carols from the German-speaking regions. They range from simple but harmonically intriguing settings such as Lieb Nachtigall, wach auf [Dear nightingale, wake up] to eight-part sound paintings with bell-like chimes as in O du frohliche and classical double choir settings such as Resonet in laudibus. The second volume includes five Christmas spirituals with English texts, forming a contrast to the solemn and festive character of the first. The choir can prove its swing and jazz qualities here; the stirring arrangements are a gain for classical Christmas concerts, too. Following the tradition of the spiritual, some settings also require soloists, which can, however, also be recruited from the choir if adequate singers are available. The first piece combines the spirituals It's a Birthday and Wasn't That a Mighty Day to form a medley, Ain't That a Rockin' gives a moment of tranquility before the likewise rousing spirituals Mary Had a Baby and Little David conclude the volume. In both volumes, Howard Arman provides a short preface in German and English, explaining the background of each piece and giving advice on performance.

SKU: HL.48024961

UPC: 840126950366.

Composer's note: My approach to arranging this carol, as well as the other carols in Nordic Christmas, was to look at the text (originally in Danish by Nikolai Grundtvig, 1783-1872) and its background to see if there are new meanings hidden in the material. Perhaps there are circumstances around its creation or messages the original authors were trying to say that somehow get lost in the way they are interpreted today. Lovely is the dark blue sky is usually performed as a lustrous up-tempo carol, but thinking of Grundtvig's story and life, writing this text between episodes of severe mental illness, and his vision of a child looking at the dark blue sky at night, I made the atmosphere of this arrangement more dreamy, still and full of wonder. I still wanted to keep it childlike, with the choir singing tenderly and the soprano solo is ideally sung by a child. The melody was written 'by an old man who had never before composed any music', as stated in the 1853 hymnbook in which this melody first appeared. It is the only known composition of its writer, the Norwegian-Danish Jacob Gerhard Meidell (1778-1857), who was a captain in the Danish Army and later a customs inspector in Copenhagen. The text was written by one of the great Danish hymn writers, N F S Grundtvig in 1810. It was written between a manic and a depressive episode. During a time of being well, he wanted to write about Christmas through the eyes of a child. The message is simple, as a children's song with storybook elements.

SKU: OU.9780193395077

ISBN 9780193395077. 12 x 8 inches.

For SATB unaccompanied Out of your sleep is a fresh-sounding Advent carol rich in rhythmic variation and subtle detail. Written for the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, the carol provides opportunities for the choir to shine, with bell-like vocal syncopations and a joyful text celebrating the transformative powers of Christmas Eve.

SKU: BR.CHB-5380

ISBN 9790004413814. 7.5 x 10.5 inches. German / Latin.

As director of the Bavarian Radio Choir, Howard Arman has been actively engaged with international Christmas carols through various Christmas-related CD productions in the past years. This has resulted in a number of original arrangements for four- to eight-part mixed choir a cappella, shedding new light on well-known classics such as O du frohliche [O, you joyful], Stille Nacht [Silent Night] and Lasst uns froh und munter sein [Let us be happy and cheerful]. The first volume includes five Christmas carols from the German-speaking regions. They range from simple but harmonically intriguing settings such as Lieb Nachtigall, wach auf [Dear nightingale, wake up] to eight-part sound paintings with bell-like chimes as in O du frohliche and classical double choir settings such as Resonet in laudibus. The second volume includes five Christmas spirituals with English texts, forming a contrast to the solemn and festive character of the first. The choir can prove its swing and jazz qualities here; the stirring arrangements are a gain for classical Christmas concerts, too. Following the tradition of the spiritual, some settings also require soloists, which can, however, also be recruited from the choir if adequate singers are available. The first piece combines the spirituals It's a Birthday and Wasn't That a Mighty Day to form a medley, Ain't That a Rockin' gives a moment of tranquility before the likewise rousing spirituals Mary Had a Baby and Little David conclude the volume. In both volumes, Howard Arman provides a short preface in German and English, explaining the background of each piece and giving advice on performance.

SKU: GI.G-8864

UPC: 785147886433. English.

New from Rory Cooney comes a glorious collection of music for the Advent and Christmas seasons. Many of the selections in this collection use tunes gathered from the traditions of various European cultures. Rory arranges these beautiful melodies and adds his own evocative texts, creating nostalgic yet new expres- sions of the Christmas story. The jewel in this Christmas crown is surely Rory’s SAB arrangement of “In the Bleak Midwinter.” It begins gently, quoting the first stanza of the Christina R ossetti text, then branches out into Rory’s own moving exploration of Christ’s incarnation. The “Christmas Gloria”— based on the familiar French carol “Angels We Have Heard on High”—employs the text from the 2010 R evised Order of Mass. In this arrangement the third stanza of the prayer soars above the final refrain as an exhilarating soprano descant. Much of the newer music in this collection can be done a cappella. To enhance the texture, include the piano accompaniment, strings, and flute. Perfect for any choir large or small, the songs in Like No God We Had Imagined will add sparkle to your holiday liturgies. Contents: Friends in Christ, Rejoice, My Soul Gives Glory, The Advent Herald, Sing We Maranatha, In the Bleak Midwinter, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, Still, Still, Still, In the Stillness of the Night, Christmas Gloria, Psalm 96: Christmas Midnight, Song at the Manger, Carol of the Stranger, Lullaby, Little One, Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow, I Saw Three Ships, Light in the Darkness.

SKU: CF.CM9634

ISBN 9781491157060. UPC: 680160915620. 6.875 x 10.5 inches. Key: G major. English, English. Traditional Christmas Spiritual.

Berg's fantastic setting of this beloved American Christmas spiritual for advanced tenor-bass choirs tells a story of hope and meaning. The various textures throughout the a cappella arrangement with solos add much variety and musical interest. A holiday programming must!.
This beloved American Christmas Spiritual, like all spirituals and/or folk songs, tells a story. This is a story of hope and meaning. The introductory solo call and response (mm. 1-7) is hymnic in nature, just to get us started. (Think of it as an effective head fake!) The entrance at m. 8 from the upper three voices (we'll call them the trio part henceforth) is pivotal. They set the stage for the conversation between the singers and the soloist for the rest of the song. From this point, the song is basically a Jazz Trio in vocal form. The bass singers take on the role of the cool dude in the back wearing dark glasses and a beret playing the string bass. They provide the driving force for the forward movement of the entire song. The trio part, basically tenors 1 & 2 and baritones, take on the role of the keyboard providing chordal structure and syncopation. Their job is to fill the listener's ear with sound and rhythm. The soloist tells the story using the known melody and text with appropriate improv opportunities to keep the listeners focused on the message of the song. There is enough repetition to make for easy learning, but this also means that the chords need to snap into position cleanly every time. The Verses are easily identified (there are three) and presented with some small variations in Verse 3 (see mm. 56-58...this only happens once). The Refrain (mm. 30-37) is the part of the song where the singers switch from the Jazz Trio role and actually become a Men's Choral Ensemble. This Refrain is repeated after Verse 3 at mm. 66-71. Between verses 2 & 3, there is not a refrain. Instead, there is a bridge repeated from the introductory material, but used this time to move us into a new key signature. This can be a very exciting moment for the singers as well as the listeners! Measures 72-75 is known in the business as a vamp. It can be repeated once and then move on, OR it can be repeated multiple times, depending on the comfort level of the soloist and the response of the audience. It is important that there be a clear signal from the conductor as to how to end the vamp and move effectively to the actual coda of the song. The ending should be sung with tight control that only looks like reckless abandon! Faces bright; words clean; melody clear; rhythms precise! Enjoy.
This beloved American Christmas Spiritual, like all spirituals and/or folk songs, tells a story. This is a story of hope and meaning. The introductory solo call and response (mm. 1-7) is hymnic in nature, just to get us started. (Think of it as an effective head fake!)The entrance at m. 8 from the upper three voices (we’ll call them the “trio part” henceforth) is pivotal. They set the stage for the conversation between the singers and the soloist for the rest of the song. From this point, the song is basically a Jazz Trio in vocal form. The bass singers take on the role of the cool dude in the back wearing dark glasses and a beret playing the string bass. They provide the driving force for the forward movement of the entire song.The “trio part”, basically tenors 1 & 2 and baritones, take on the role of the keyboard providing chordal structure and syncopation. Their job is to fill the listener’s ear with sound and rhythm.The soloist tells the story using the known melody and text with appropriate improv opportunities to keep the listeners focused on the message of the song.There is enough repetition to make for easy learning, but this also means that the chords need to “snap into position” cleanly every time. The Verses are easily identified (there are three) and presented with some small variations in Verse 3 (see mm. 56-58…this only happens once).The Refrain (mm. 30-37) is the part of the song where the singers switch from the “Jazz Trio” role and actually become a “Men’s Choral Ensemble”. This Refrain is repeated after Verse 3 at mm. 66-71. Between verses 2 & 3, there is not a refrain. Instead, there is a bridge repeated from the introductory material, but used this time to move us into a new key signature. This can be a very exciting moment for the singers as well as the listeners!Measures 72-75 is known in the business as a “vamp”. It can be repeated once and then move on, OR it can be repeated multiple times, depending on the comfort level of the soloist and the response of the audience.It is important that there be a clear signal from the conductor as to how to end the “vamp” and move effectively to the actual coda of the song. The ending should be sung with tight control that only looks like reckless abandon!Faces bright; words clean; melody clear; rhythms precise! Enjoy.

SKU: AP.45555

UPC: 038081512945. English. Traditional Carol.

You know this Christmas carol, but you've never heard it like this before! Alan Billingsley's contemporary interpretation brings the traditional tune up to date. The SATB voicing sounds great a cappella, while a funky accompaniment works well to support the SAB and SSA. Bass and drums on the optional SoundTrax CD pump up the R&B groove, or add your own vocal percussion.

About Alfred Choral Designs

The Alfred Choral Designs Series provides student and adult choirs with a variety of secular choral music that is useful, practical, educationally appropriate, and a pleasure to sing. To that end, the Choral Designs series features original works, folk song settings, spiritual arrangements, choral masterworks, and holiday selections suitable for use in concerts, festivals, and contests.