Chamber Music Cello, Piano, Violin

SKU: PR.114423360

Composed by Stacy Garrop. Set of Score and Parts. 24+12+12 pages. Duration 8:30. Theodore Presser Company #114-42336. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.114423360).

UPC: 680160686285.

When the Newport Music Festival commissioned me for a piano trio in honor of their 2021 season, I looked for a topic that would celebrate an aspect of the Newport community. While researching the area, I was struck by the nine lighthouses situated around the island. The dual nature of lighthouses was particularly appealing to me: not only do they serve a vital role in the navigation of ships around rocks and land, but they are also a beautiful sight, particularly at night when their blinking beacons are clearly visible to the eye. It occurred to me that lighthouses link the past with the present, and will endure long into the future, with their beacons serving the same purpose for every generation.I became fascinated with the lighthouse on the property of Castle Hill Inn, located at the opening of the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay. This squat thirty-four foot granite structure was erected in 1890 on a very picturesque spot, right at the water’s edge. Its “characteristic,” the nautical term for each lighthouse’s unique light sequence that allows ships to identify the lighthouse, is to alternate on for three seconds, then off for three seconds. The lighthouse has also served as the starting and finish line for numerous high profile yacht races, as well as survived a massive hurricane in 1938, though the lighthouse keeper’s nearby residence wasn’t so lucky. American novelist Thornton Wilder wrote much of his 1973 novel Theophilus North while staying at the Castle Hill Inn; a passage from the book perfectly captures the dual nature of lighthouses:“At a later visit I was able to engage the pentagonal room in a turret above the house; from that magical room I could see at night the beacons of six lighthouses and hear the booming and chiming of as many sea buoys.”In Beacon of the Bay, we first hear the lighthouse’s characteristic as its ruby light blinks on and off. This is followed by a simple theme that represents the lighthouse performing its solitary duty. As the piece progresses, we hear waves playfully lapping around its base, then yachts gracefully floating by; this is followed by a violent storm that churns the waves with so much force that they crash against the lighthouse’s granite body. But the steadfast lighthouse holds firm to the rocks, grandly blinking its ruby light. The music quiets back down to its simple theme, with yachts sailing by once more as the piece concludes.

Opera, Lyrics Only

SKU: HL.14020975

Composed by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Music Sales America. Opera or Operetta. Book [Softcover]. Composed 1999. 24 pages. Chester Music #CH55304. Published by Chester Music (HL.14020975).

UPC: 884088860066. 8.75x8.25 inches.

Chamber opera in a prologue and one act. A ghost story telling of the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in the Hebrides. This is a mystery story in the form of a chamber opera. The prologue is set as a court of enquiry into the unexplained disappearance of the three keepers from a lighthouse. Questions are posed by a solo horn, which may sound from among the audience, and three officers give answer. Gradually, they move from straight testimony into fantastical imaginings of evil during a 'flashback' to the lighthouse; but then we snap back to the courtroom. In the main act the three singers become the vanished keepers. They have been together for months, long enough to be fully aware of each other's weaknesses; petty bickerings suggest a relationship which is stable, but liable to become highly unstable at any moment. They sing songs to reduce the tension, Blazes beginning with a rough ballad of street violence, accompanied by violin and banjo. Sandy's song, with cello and out-of-tune upright piano, is a thinly disguised description of sexual bliss, and Arthur's with brass and clarinet, is a tub-thumping hymn. But the songs serve only to resurrect in their minds ghosts from the past, and as the fog descends each of the keepers becomes convinced that he is being claimed by the Beast. They prepare to meet its dazzling eyes, which become the lights of the relief vessel, and the three men reappear as officers, met at the lighthouse only by an infestation of rats. They leave, and at the end the last hours of Blazes, Sandy and Arthur begin to play over again. Libretto only. Duration c. 1h 25mins.

Arranged by Peter Blood, Annie Patterson. Vocal. Size 7.5x10.5 inches. 283 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

By Various. Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook. Christmas. Softcover. 128 pages. Published by Hal Leonard

Band Bass Clarinet, Bass Drum, Bassoon, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Claves, Congas, Cowbell, Euphonium, Euphonium T.C., Flute, Horn 1, Horn 2, Mallet Percussion 1, Mallet Percussion 2, Marimba, Oboe, Percussion 1, Percussion 2, Percussion 3, Piano and more. - Grade 4

SKU: CF.SPS98

Composed by Megan Vinther. Set of Score and Parts. Duration 4 minutes, 31 seconds. Carl Fischer Music #SPS98. Published by Carl Fischer Music (CF.SPS98).

ISBN 9781491166673. UPC: 680160925728. Key: C minor.

Farallones is inspired by the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) off the Northern California coast, spanning 3,295 square miles north and west of San Francisco. The Farallones (Spanish for cliffs) are a set of islands that are sometimes referred to as The Devil’s Teeth by mariners, citing the many dangerous underwater shoals and shipwrecks. The first recorded observation of these islands was in 1579 by Sir Frances Drake, with the first reference to the outcroppings as “farallones” written by Spanish Friar Antonio de la Ascension in 1603. The location of the islands and their rugged and ominous appearance likely were responsible for the relatively late discovery by explorers of San Francisco Bay, which didn’t happen until 1769, nearly 200 years after Sir Frances Drake’s expedition. The islands and their natural resources and habitat have been used and exploited in many different ways over the centuries, from the seal fur trade in the early 1800s to a nuclear waste dumping ground in the 1940s–1960s. The islands have been hosts to hunting camps, weather stations, rum runners during prohibition, lighthouse keepers, and even a U.S. Naval station during World War II. The first protections for the area were established in 1981 and expanded over the following decades. Over time, species and habitats have been restored. The Farallones is now home to a beautiful and diverse marine ecosystem that supports many endangered and threatened species. This piece began as a chamber work for a septet that included piano and string bass. When I reworked it for wind ensemble, I left the piano and string bass in the orchestration as a nod to my original (unfinished) chamber piece. The opening section in 7/4 depicts the rugged environment and unpredictability of the swirling currents around the islands. Descending scalar motifs and trills emphasize the fluidity of the seascape. The exploitation of the islands and conflict surrounding the use of natural resources drive the accented passages throughout the piece. The 12/8 section is a development into the resilience and dangerous beauty of the area. Recalled themes and motifs from the first section in an even rather than uneven meter depict the solid future of the ecosystem.

By Lawrance. For Brass (Treble Clef) unaccompanied. Solo Brass. Very easy-easy. Collection. Published by Brass Wind Publications

By Lawrance. For Trombone. Solo Brass. Very easy-easy. Book and CD. Published by Brass Wind Publications

By Lawrance. For Trombone unaccompanied. Solo Brass. Very easy-easy. Collection. Published by Brass Wind Publications