These well-known words seem endlessly fruitful for the composer and conjure up such lovely images which strike each of us in our own way. For me it was the beauty of the language with its flower imagery which made me want to set the words with richly warm harmony and to temper that with gently imitative refrains. The important element in approaching the performance of this carol is the blend and b…

Björk Guðmundsdóttir is one of the key recording artists of the 21st century. Moving effortlessly between disciplines and genres so fluidly it would shame David Bowie, Björk has tackled neo-classical, showtunes, house, pop, indie as well as acting (winning best actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her turn in Dancer In The Dark) and creating a visual template for her work that is staggeringly r…

No genre reflects Skrjabin?s artistic evolution more vividly than his piano sonatas. Sonatas Nos. 6, 7 and 8 which are presented in this edition were written between 1911 and 1913, at times contemporaneously with the late Sonatas Nos. 9 and 10. All autographs and printed sources including Skrjabin?s sketches and drafts have been thoroughly evaluated. The edition presents a meticulously edited musi…

The Bluesier Side of Jazz for Alto Saxophone and Eb instruments by Andrew D. Gordon and Frank Villafranca was inspired by the piano students Andrew teaches at Shepherd University School of Music in Los Angeles and is dedicated to those students: Jungwon, Yumiko, Yoko, Eunice, Sooji, Hae Ji and Ok Kyu. As with many students that come from a classical background it is a difficult transition to learn…

Par RAVEL MAURICE. Ravel’s plans for a piano concerto can be traced back to 1906, but it was only in early 1929 that the composer seriously started work on one. He later stated that he wrote it “in the spirit of the concertos by Mozart and Saint-Saëns”, the music being “cheerful and brilliant” and not “aiming for profundity or dramatic effects”. The outer movements are characterised by rhythmic dr…

A dynamic trio of familiar Latin texts composed expressly for school choirs by Jerry Estes. It's intended to be performed as a group, but each piece can be performed alone, so it's an economical choice for choirs on a tight budget. The 3-Part Mixed edition has a limited men's range and is ideal for middle school and junior high choirs. / Choeur Mixte (SATB)

Tango Guitar Duets. Par GARDEL CARLOS. Gardel's tangos remain classics, which no performer who aspires to be taken seriously can ignore. For this album Argentinian Tango specialist Diego selected some of Gardel's most popular tangos and arranged them for two guitars. The timbre of this instrument is exceptionally well suited to evoking in sound the musical riches of an impoverished community of im…

The 'Missa brevis in E flat minor? for mixed choir a cappella has been composed in the tradition of the short Mass (without Credo) and can be easily managed by most choirs. Thanks to its conciseness, it is suitable for use in church services, while its delightful harmonic layout and consciously simple melodies (with clear allusions to folk music) also make it perfect for concert performance.'My mu…

Par FAGAN GARY. Heroes Among Us by Gary Fagan is an original overture-style work for string orchestra that was inspired by the many people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure many school children who could not go to school received at least two hot meals each day throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. School bus drivers and cafeteria workers put in long hours to prepare meals and deliv…

Par KLEEB JEAN. Ludwig van Beethoven had the ability to create an entire musical universe from the most unassuming and minuscule motif. No classical composer worked more consciously with rhythm than Beethoven: his unmistakable 'drive' can be felt in every bar! Here familiar Beethoven themes are merged, liberated, shuffled, filtered and recombined with jazz harmonies, standard styles and rhythms. …

Five Early Piano Pieces. Par EOTVOS PETER. Peter Eötvös completed his early neo-classical Hungarian piano pieces at the age of 17. Now published in one volume, they were created when he studied composition at the Budapest Music Academy between 1959 and 1961, shortly before taking up a scholarship to study conducting in Cologne. A highlight is the witty three-movement Hommage à Haydn in which he hu…

Dvorák's 'Requiem?, for soloists, choir and orchestra, is one of the highlights within the international choral repertoire. Now Bärenreiter is presenting this work in an arrangement by Joachim Linckelmann with chamber orchestra based on the full score from the 'Complete Edition of the Works by Antonín Dvorák?.The arrangement dispenses with all the brass instruments except for a single horn- all th…

Par HARRIS PAUL. A workbook for examinations including over 100 practice tests for Associated Board exams, supporting the new syllabus requirements from 2012. The ability to sight-read fluently is a vital skill, enabling you to learn new pieces more quickly and play with other musicians. The best-selling Improve your sight-reading! series, by renowned educationalist Paul Harris, is designed to hel…

Par HOSAY JAMES L.. If you seek truly dramatic music, look to opera. Opera has been enormously influential on Classical, Popular, and Film and Television music over the years. James L. Hosay’s new intermediate level piece, OPERATICA, incorporates the important elements of Opera and Classical music to bring exhilarating drama to the concert band stage. Style and technical considerations make this a…

Par HOSAY JAMES L.. If you seek truly dramatic music, look to opera. Opera has been enormously influential on Classical, Popular, and Film and Television music over the years. James L. Hosay’s new intermediate level piece, Operatica, incorporates the important elements of Opera and Classical music to bring exhilarating drama to the concert band stage. Style and technical considerations make this a…