SKU: CF.CM9714

ISBN 9781491160329. UPC: 680160918904. Key: F major. English. Robert Frost.

About the work ... Few American poems are as well known as The Road Not Taken. Robert Frost, the author, is an international icon, not unlike Pablo Picasso, Winston Churchill or Mark Twain in their own disciplines.The poem is full of contradictions and quirks of form and structure. Perhaps that illusiveness is part of the poem's intrigue. But beyond all of the literary devices that only a few scholars may fully appreciate, this poem has taken on a sort of fanfare for the common person credo - a challenge to individualism, stepping out on one's own, and breaking the mold out of sheer determination if nothing else. Frost connects to the core of the human spirit in just a few stanzas using the analogy of a fork in a road. The message super cedes geography, culture, race or creed. Rather, it is part of the DNA of most every person on the planet - the inner desire to feel empowered to create one's own destiny, to forge a road not taken, and ultimately in doing so, to make a difference. Rehearsal notes ... Research strongly suggests that there is a direct connection between the first rehearsal and the performance. First impressions last. I find it helpful to immediately lock three concepts into place - mechanics (notes/rhythms), text/phrasing (intent and motivation) and color (timbre). Performers need to think musically from the first reading forward (first impression). The cello is very much a collaborative instrument in this work, and should be located in front of the ensemble (not to side). Lastly, let the text speak. The simplest melodic lines are often the most exposed. Keep the voices clear and transparent, floating over the top in softer passages, and singing with vibrancy and forward focus throughout. Z. Randall Stroope A definitive recording was made by the New American Voices, with Randall conducting. This can be found on Spotify, YouTube, his website (www.zrstroope), and other social media. About the composer ... Z. Randall Stroope is an American composer and conductor. His composition teachers were Normand Lockwood and Cecil Effinger, both students of the Nadia Boulanger, the famous French teacher (and student of Gabriel Faure). He is the artistic director of two international summer music festivals, is an Honorary Member of the National Association of Italian Choral Directors, and has conducted in 25 countries. He has directed over 40 times at Carnegie Hall, and is a frequent conductor at other prestigious concert venues. Randall has 190 published works, and his music can be heard on Spotify, YouTube and other platforms, including his website (www.zrstroope.com).
About the work ...Few American poems are as well known as The Road Not Taken. Robert Frost, the author, is an international icon, not unlike Pablo Picasso, Winston Churchill or Mark Twain in their own disciplines.The poem is full of contradictions and quirks of form and structure. Perhaps that illusiveness is part of the poem's intrigue. But beyond all of the literary devices that only a few scholars may fully appreciate, this poem has taken on a sort of fanfare for the common person credo - a challenge to individualism, stepping out on one's own, and breaking the mold out of sheer determination if nothing else. Frost connects to the core of the human spirit in just a few stanzas using the analogy of a fork in a road. The message super cedes geography, culture, race or creed. Rather, it is part of the DNA of most every person on the planet - the inner desire to feel empowered to create one's own destiny, to forge a road not taken, and ultimately in doing so, to make a difference.Rehearsal notes ...Research strongly suggests that there is a direct connection between the first rehearsal and the performance. First impressions last. I find it helpful to immediately lock three concepts into place - mechanics (notes/rhythms), text/phrasing (intent and motivation) and color (timbre). Performers need to think musically from the first reading forward (first impression). The cello is very much a collaborative instrument in this work, and should be located in front of the ensemble (not to side). Lastly, let the text speak. The simplest melodic lines are often the most exposed. Keep the voices clear and transparent, floating over the top in softer passages, and singing with vibrancy and forward focus throughout.Z. Randall StroopeA definitive recording was made by the New American Voices, with Randall conducting. This can be found on Spotify, YouTube, his website (www.zrstroope), and other social media.About the composer ...Z. Randall Stroope is an American composer and conductor. His composition teachers were Normand Lockwood and Cecil Effinger, both students of the Nadia Boulanger, the famous French teacher (and student of Gabriel Fauré). He is the artistic director of two international summer music festivals, is an Honorary Member of the National Association of Italian Choral Directors, and has conducted in 25 countries. He has directed over 40 times at Carnegie Hall, and is a frequent conductor at other prestigious concert venues. Randall has 190 published works, and his music can be heard on Spotify, YouTube and other platforms, including his website (www.zrstroope.com).

SKU: HL.148619

ISBN 9781495029684. UPC: 888680078515. 9.0x12.0x0.492 inches. With a Foreword by Thomas Riis.

Late in his life, composer J. Rosamond Johnson (Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing) submitted to his longtime publisher, E.B. Marks, a list of songs that would comprise a volume of his best early popular songs written with his pre-1910 partner Bob Cole and his brother, James Weldon Johnson (Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man). That list was never put into print...until now. Featuring an introductionby Dr. Thomas Riis (Just Before Jazz) and several rare photos, this new compilation is the latest legacy offering from the Marks archive, which contains a rich heritage of turn-of-the-century African-American, and thus distinctly American, pre-jazz-era popular song. Includes: Ain't Dat Scan'lous * Big Indian Chief * The Big Red Shawl * The Bleeding Moon * Congo Love Song * The Countess of Alagazam * Fishing * I Don't Want to Be No Actor Man No Mo' * I'll Always Love Old Dixie * I'll Keep a Warm Spot in My Heart for You * I've Got Troubles of My Own * The Katy-Did, the Cricket and the Frog * Lazy Moon * Lit'l Gal * Louisiana Lize * Lovely Daughter of Allah * Ma Mississippi Belle * The Maiden with the Dreamy Eyes * Mudder Knows * My Heart's Desiah is Miss Mariah * My Castle on the Nile * Nobody's Lookin' but de Owl an' de Moon * Oh, Didn't He Ramble * The Old Flag Never Touched the Ground * On the Road to Monterey * The Pathway of Love * Roll Them Cotton Bales * Save It for Me! * The Spirit of the Banjo! * Sugar Babe * Two Eyes * Under the Bamboo Tree * When de Jack O'Lantern Starts to Walk About * When It's All Goin' Out, and Nothin' Comin' In * Who Do You Love?

SKU: PR.11641373S

UPC: 680160680344.

The concerto has always seemed an especially attractive medium to me, not necessarily because of its expectations of virtuosity (although flaunting it when you've got it certainly has its place), and emphatically not because of the perception of a concerto as a contest, but because so much of what I write feels song-like; I'm very much at home with the age-old texture of melody and accompaniment. I hope, before I move on, to have the opportunity to write concertos for all the major instruments, and perhaps some of the rarer ones as well. The oboe is not only one of the major instruments, it is one of my favorite instruments. I've always loved its sound, but since moving to New York I have gotten to hear and, in some cases, know some extremely fine oboists who broadened my appreciation of the instrument's possibilities. I especially remember a concert, probably in the late 1960's, in which Humbert Lucarelli played a Handel concerto, filling out large melodic leaps with cascading scale passages in a way that raised the hair on the back of your neck, somewhat in the way that John Coltrane's sheets of sound did. The sweeping scales in the second movement of my concerto were definitely inspired by Bert Lucarelli's performance. The first, third and fifth movements of the Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra are song-like, whereas the second and fourth have strong scherzo and dance qualities, including a couple of sections that sound like out-and-out pirate dances to me. The hymn-like tune at the beginning of the middle movement was originally begun as a vocal piece to be sung by my wife, son and daughter at my brother's wedding, but I couldn't come up with good works for it, so it ended up as an instrumental chant. The opening and closing of the concerto make use of the oboe's uniquely soulful singing. I had not heard Pamela Woods Pecha's solo playing in person when she approached me about writing a concerto, but I had heard her fine recording of chamber music for oboe and strings by the three B's (English, that is: Bliss, Bax and Britten) with the Audubon Quartet. I actually already had some oboe concerto ideas in my sketchbooks; although I didn't end up using any of those earlier ideas, it's interesting that most of them tended to share the general feeling and tonality of the eventual opening of the concerto. The work was completed on October 13, 1994. I hate the compromises involved in making piano reductions -- perhaps I would feel differently if I were a more accomplished pianist -- so I often decide to make piano reductions for four hands rather than two. My good friend Jon Kimura Parker is a terrific sight-reader, and I roped him into coming over to my place on February 17, 1995, to help me accompany Pamela on the first read-through of the piece. The first performance of the work took place on July 21, 1995, at the American Music Festival in Duncan, Oklahoma, with Mark Parker conducting the Festival Orchestra.

SKU: PR.416413710

ISBN 9781598068214. UPC: 680160587162. 9x12 inches.

Needham's original intent with Chamber Symphony was to encapsulate the 2008 presidential election, from the Democratic primaries to the historic general election campaign and win of Barack Obama. But, says Needham, In the midst of the general election circus, I decided to broaden my inspiration and have the work's overall goal focus on the larger ideas of hope and transformation. Chamber Symphony was commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra with generous support of Paul Underwood. Additional support was from the National Endowment for the Arts.
I originally envisioned a work inspired by the political landscape of the 2008 presidential election, focusing primarily on the hard-fought Democratic Primary race. I was fascinated by the historic and hopeful spirit that both the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns embodied. Sometime later, in the midst of the general election circus, I decided to broaden my inspiration and have the work’s overall goal focus on the larger ideas of hope and transformation. Chamber Symphony is constructed in three movements (played without pause): I. Hammering Out, II. Open-ended Echoes, and III. Radiant Nation. The titles suggest a general atmosphere that each movement attempts to express. The outer movements, both quick in tempo, act as the antithesis of each other in terms of mood. “Hammering Out” employs an aggressive, relentless, pounding beat that frequently shifts, often emphasized with metallic sounds. “Radiant Nation” is much lighter and more optimistic in tone, and uses an up-beat groove throughout the movement. The middle movement, “Open-ended Echoes,” is the proverbial calm after the storm. Unlike the outer movements, “Open-ended Echoes” is almost void of any strong sense of pulse. The movement attempts to create a peaceful, contemplative mood that transforms the volatile nature of the first movement tothe radiant spirit of the last. Chamber Symphony was commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra for its Orchestra Underground Series with the generous support of Paul Underwood. Additional support for the ACO’s Emerging Composers Program comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.— November 5, 2008.

SKU: PR.11641963SP

UPC: 680160684496.

The violin concerto is commissioned by Friends of Dresden Music Foundation for American soloist Mira Wang and the New York Philharmonic and Staatskapelle Dresden as an American commemoration of the reconstruction of the Dresden Frauenkirche, 60 years after its destruction in World War II by American and British Forces. The world premiere is given at the Semperoper in Dresden, Germany, on October 9, 10 & 11, 2005, conducted by Ivan Fischer. Full of excitement and inner power, the musical image is vivid, energetic, sometimes lyrical and sometimes dramatic. The major angular thematic material (a three note motive) consists of big leaps in interval (a perfect fourth downward and then a minor seventh upward, first introduced by the violin solo in measures 27-29). Except for the cadenzas which stand at the middle (Rehearsal E, measure 127) and the two ends of the piece as a frame, the virtuosic violin solo line is always accompanied by the ever moving and growing textures in the background. The rests between long and short phrases symbolize the space in Chinese paintings. The Beijing Opera reciting tune, and the fingerings to produce sliding tones in the performance of the Chinese fiddle erhu are also borrowed in the writing and the performing of the western instruments. The musical imagination of the violin concerto came from an ancient Chinese poem with the same title, written by Du Fu (712-770) in Tang Dynasty. Happy Rain on a Spring Night by Du Fu (712-770 in Tang Dynasty) Happy rain comes in time, When spring is in its prime. With night breeze it will fall, And quietly moisten all. Clouds darken wild roads, Light brightens a little boat. Saturated at dawn, With flowers blooming the town. (English translation by Chen Yi from the original poem in Chinese) The following is the poem in its original Chinese form, and the detailed introduction on the structural plan of the violin concerto Spring in Dresden. It's like the welcome rain on a quiet spring night that nurtures the budding seeds, our new society is pushing us forward to the new future. The music reflects the scenes and the expression according to the meaning of the poem when it's being unfolded line by line. Although the tempo is set 63 quarter notes per minute throughout (played vividly, never slow down), the tension is being built up from the quiet background in the beginning, to the sustained climax towards the end. The musical image in Rehearsal A and B (measures 39-80) represents the first four lines of the poem. The wind instruments response to the rustling of fast moving notes on muted string triplets, decorated by occasional strokes produced by metallic string sound and high woodwind gestures. The music in Rehearsal C and D (measures 81-126) represents the next two lines of the poem. It's so dark, a little light in the boat is shimmering on the lake... The breathy sound and key slaps on the flutes create a mysterious atmosphere, in a dialogue with other instruments. The cello glissandi recite the poem in the tone of Mandarin, echoed by the string harmonics. The music in Rehearsal F, G and H (m 129-202) is a toccata, starting in the orchestra (led by the marimba), which builds up a big shape, to reach the climax in m. 157 (Rehearsal G, the location of the Golden Section, according to the length of the music without cadenzas), and keeps the vivid scene towards the coda (from Rehearsal I, m. 203), which stands on the energetic peak until the clear cutoff on measure 239, followed by the short, yet powerful solo conclusion with the lingering echo produced by the high string harmonics. On the top, there is a recall of the three note motive in the sound of wonderland, touched by the motor-on vibraphone meaningfully. The music is written for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (in Bb), 2 bassoons, 4 French horns (in F), 2 trumpets (in Bb), 3 trombones, tuba, harp, 3 percussion players (Perc. 1: xylophone; Perc. 2: suspended cymbal, Japanese high woodblock, snare drum, bass drum and vibraphone; Perc. 3: marimba and tam-tam), solo violin, and strings. Duration is about 20 minutes.
The violin concerto is commissioned by Friends of Dresden Music Foundation for American soloist Mira Wang and the New York Philharmonic and Staatskapelle Dresden as an American commemoration of the reconstruction of the Dresden Frauenkirche, 60 years after its destruction in World War II by American and British Forces. The world premiere is given at the Semperoper in Dresden, Germany, on October 9, 10 & 11, 2005, conducted by Ivan Fischer.Full of excitement and inner power, the musical image is vivid, energetic, sometimeslyrical and sometimes dramatic. The major angular thematic material (a three notemotive) consists of big leaps in interval (a perfect fourth downward and then a minorseventh upward, first introduced by the violin solo in measures 27-29). Except for thecadenzas which stand at the middle (Rehearsal E, measure 127) and the two ends of the piece as a frame, the virtuosic violin solo line is always accompanied by the ever moving and growing textures in the background. The rests between long and short phrases symbolize the space in Chinese paintings. The Beijing Opera reciting tune, and the fingerings to produce sliding tones in the performance of the Chinese fiddle erhu are also borrowed in the writing and the performing of the western instruments.The musical imagination of the violin concerto came from an ancient Chinese poem with the same title, written by Du Fu (712-770) in Tang Dynasty.Happy Rain on a Spring Nightby Du Fu (712-770 in Tang Dynasty)Happy rain comes in time,When spring is in its prime.With night breeze it will fall,And quietly moisten all.Clouds darken wild roads,Light brightens a little boat.Saturated at dawn,With flowers blooming the town.(English translation by Chen Yi from the original poem in Chinese)The following is the poem in its original Chinese form, and the detailed introduction onthe structural plan of the violin concerto Spring in Dresden.It’s like the welcome rain on a quiet spring night that nurtures the budding seeds, our newsociety is pushing us forward to the new future. The music reflects the scenes and theexpression according to the meaning of the poem when it’s being unfolded line by line.Although the tempo is set 63 quarter notes per minute throughout (played vividly, neverslow down), the tension is being built up from the quiet background in the beginning, tothe sustained climax towards the end. The musical image in Rehearsal A and B (measures39-80) represents the first four lines of the poem. The wind instruments response to therustling of fast moving notes on muted string triplets, decorated by occasional strokesproduced by metallic string sound and high woodwind gestures. The music in RehearsalC and D (measures 81-126) represents the next two lines of the poem. It's so dark, a littlelight in the boat is shimmering on the lake... The breathy sound and key slaps on theflutes create a mysterious atmosphere, in a dialogue with other instruments. The celloglissandi recite the poem in the tone of Mandarin, echoed by the string harmonics. Themusic in Rehearsal F, G and H (m 129-202) is a toccata, starting in the orchestra (led bythe marimba), which builds up a big shape, to reach the climax in m. 157 (Rehearsal G,the location of the Golden Section, according to the length of the music withoutcadenzas), and keeps the vivid scene towards the coda (from Rehearsal I, m. 203), whichstands on the energetic peak until the clear cutoff on measure 239, followed by the short,yet powerful solo conclusion with the lingering echo produced by the high stringharmonics. On the top, there is a recall of the three note motive in the sound ofwonderland, touched by the motor-on vibraphone meaningfully.The music is written for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (in Bb), 2 bassoons, 4 French horns (in F), 2 trumpets (in Bb), 3 trombones, tuba, harp, 3 percussion players (Perc. 1:xylophone; Perc. 2: suspended cymbal, Japanese high woodblock, snare drum, bass drum and vibraphone; Perc. 3: marimba and tam-tam), solo violin, and strings.Duration is about 20 minutes.

SKU: GI.G-7400

ISBN 9781579999698.

Intended especially for the growing number of multicultural, bilingual (Latino/Anglo) parishes and communities in the United States, Oramos Cantando / We Pray in Song is a hymnal and service book that is comprehensive enough to satisfy the liturgical needs of such communities, when they are worshipping in Spanish, in English, or bilingually. Bilingual from the first page to the last. Organized to reflect the liturgical life of the Church: morning, evening and night prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, the sacramental rites of Christian initiation of adults, baptism of children, holy communion outside Mass, eucharistic exposition and benediction, reconciliation of penitents, anointing of the sick, marriage, and funerals, the Order of Mass, service music, hymns and songs, lectionary responsorial psalms. All ritual texts are from the English- and Spanish-language liturgical books approved for use in the dioceses of the United States of America Seventy settings of psalms and biblical canticles in a variety of styles, for use in the Liturgy of the Hours, at Mass, and in other liturgical rites. Many employ Gelineau, Guimont, or Conception Abbey tones. Standards from the “Celebration-style” repertoire by Haugen, Joncas, Haas, and others. All with Spanish and English texts ICEL chants for the Order of Mass, accompanied by the complementary plainsong chants in Spanish. Five bilingual settings of the ordinary of the Mass, along with one Latin and two English-only Mass settings, plus a number of additional service music items to serve the liturgical needs of Anglo/Latino parishes for many years to come A broad and stylistically diverse collection of nearly 550 hymns, psalms, and inspired songs, containing the best and most beloved traditional and contemporary music of Latino and Anglo communities, with more than 300 items newly translated according to guidelines for preserving meaning, rhyme, and meter Music from around the world, encompassing plainsong chants, classical hymnody, contemporary scripture-based songs, Taizé chants, and world music from Asia and Africa. Settings originally with Spanish texts are from the United States, Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean Lectionary psalms with USCCB-approved refrains in both English and Spanish and verses from The Revised Grail Psalms and the salterio of Spain’s Conferencia Episcopal Española (CEE). These bilingual lectionary psalms have been included in the Sacred Song missalette program of The Liturgical Press since 2005 Eleven indexes: liturgical, topical, psalms and canticles, service music, scripture references in hymns, hymn tunes, tune meters, musical settings using languages other than Spanish and English, psalm refrains set to music, common titles and first lines, and hymnal contributors (composers, authors, translators, sources) A hymnal which not only addresses the liturgical experience of today, but also opens the door to new possibilities in the future. Fulfilling the statement of the American bishops: Liturgical music today must reflect the multicultural diversity and intercultural relationships of the members of the gathered liturgical assembly. The varied use of musical forms such as ostinato refrains, call and response, song translations, and bilingual or multilingual repertoire can assist in weaving the diverse languages and ethnicities of the liturgical assembly into a tapestry of sung praise. Sing to the Lord, 60 Destinado especialmente para el creciente número de parroquias y comunidades multiculturales, bilingües (Latinas/Anglas) en los Estados Unidos, Oramos Cantando / We Pray in Song es un himnario y ceremonial lo suficientemente completo para satisfacer las necesidades litúrgicas de tales comunidades, cuando oran en español, en inglés, o de una manera bilingüe. Bilingüe desde la primera página hasta la última. Organizado para reflejar la vida litúrgica de la Iglesia: oración matutina, vespertina y nocturna tomada de la Liturgia de las Horas, los ritos sacramentales de la iniciación cristiana de adultos, del bautismo de niños, para la sagrada comunión fuera de la Misa, para la exposición y bendición eucarística, para la reconciliación de varios penitentes, para la unción de los enfermos, el matrimonio, y las exequias, el Ordinario de la Misa, música para las ceremonias, himnos y cantos, salmos responsoriales del leccionario. Todos los textos de los ritos están tomados de los libros litúrgicos en inglés y en español aprobados para su uso en las diócesis de los Estados Unidos de América. Setenta arreglos de salmos y cánticos en una variedad de estilos, para usarlos en la Liturgia de las Horas, en la Misa, y en otros ritos litúrgicos. Muchos emplean los tonos de Gelineau, Guimont, o Conception Abbey. Normas del repertorio del “estilo-de-celebración” por Haugen, Joncas, Haas, y otros. Todos con el texto en español y en inglés. Cantos de ICEL para el Ordinario de la Misa, acompañados por los cantos llanos complementarios en español. Cinco arreglos bilingües para el ordinario de la Misa, junto con uno en latín y dos arreglos para la Misa sólo en inglés, además de un número de cantos adicionales para responder a las necesidades litúrgicas de las parroquias anglas/latinas por muchos años en el futuro Una colección amplia y de diversos estilos de casi 550 himnos, salmos y cantos inspirados, que contienen lo mejor y lo más apreciado de la música tradicional y contemporánea de las comunidades latinas y anglas, con más de 300 composiciones recientemente traducidas según las normas para la preservación del significado, del ritmo, y del metro Música de todo el mundo, incluyendo cantos llanos, himnos clásicos, cantos contemporáneos basados en la biblia, cantos de Taizé, y música mundial de Asia y África. Arreglos originales con textos en español que vienen de los Estados Unidos, de España, de México, de Centro y Sud América, y del Caribe. Salmos del Leccionario con estribillos aprobados por la Conferencia Episcopal de Estados Unidos (USCCB) tanto en inglés como en español y versos del salterio: The Revised Grail Psalms y del salterio de la Conferencia Episcopal Española (CEE) de España. Estos salmos bilingües del leccionario se han incluido en el programa del misalito Sacred Song de la editorial: The Liturgical Press desde 2005 Once índices: litúrgico, temático, salmos y cánticos, música para celebraciones, referencias bíblicas en himnos, tonadas de himnos, metros de himnos, arreglos con idiomas además de español e inglés, antífonas musicalizadas para los salmos, títulos comunes y primeras frases, y contribuyentes al himnario (compositores, autores, traductores, fuentes) Un himnario que no sólo responde a la experiencia litúrgica de hoy, sino también abre la puerta a nuevas posibilidades en el futuro. Cumple la declaración de los obispos americanos: “La música litúrgica de hoy debe reflejar la diversidad multicultural y las relaciones interculturales de los miembros de la asamblea litúrgica reunida. El uso variado de formas musicales como estribillos en ostinato, llamado y respuesta, traducción de cantos, y el repertorio bilingüe o multilingüe puede ayudar a entretejer los diferentes idiomas y etnias de la asamblea litúrgica en un tapiz de alabanza cantada.” Cantemos al Señor, 60 There is no doubt that the goal of singing each other's liturgical music as an expression of the catholicity of our faith embodied in this volume, does in fact allow bilingual and multicultural parishes through the United States—and beyond—to respond to the liturgical needs of today while opening the door to new possibilities. — Becca Whitla The Hymn Society Journal. Volume 66, No. 4.