High voice and piano - Moderately Difficult - Digital Download SKU: MQ.8454-2E Composed by David Conte. Secular, 21st century. Instrument part. 6 pages. E. C. Schirmer Music Company - Digital #8454-2E. Published by E. C. Schirmer Music Company - Digital (MQ.8454-2E). English.American Death Ballads was composed especially for tenor Brian Thorsett. We have been frequent collaborators since 2011, when he premiered the complete set of my Three Settings of W. B. Yeats for string quartet and tenor. At his urging, I transcribed and published my Three Poems of Christina Rossetti (originally for medium voice) for high voice, which he premiered at the San Francisco Conservatory in 2014. American Death Ballads was premiered by him at the San Francisco Conservatory, November 1, 2015, with pianist John Churchwell, and at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Conference in Chicago, July 10, 2016, with pianist Warren Jones.The choice of texts for my American Death Ballads was inspired partly by Copland’s Old American Songs, which I deeply admire, but more by my dear friend and colleague the late Conrad Susa’s Two Murder Ballads. The ingenuity of Susa’s accompaniments for his ballads in imagining anew the original source material owes a great deal to Copland’s accompaniment for his songs. Though the content of my songs is completely original and not based on preexisting melodies, I have tried to expand on this further, as the texts are much longer, and go through many different moods and characters. The four texts I chose include stories about murder, death, and dying. Though two of the texts were written in England, they traveled to the colonies almost immediately. The subjects of the texts had spent time in America, and their stories were well known to Americans.Wicked Polly is a cautionary tale. Polly has lived a dissolute and immoral life, saying, 'I'll turn to God when I grow old.' Suddenly taken ill, she realizes that it is too late to repent. She dies in agony and is presumably sent to hell; young people are advised to heed. My musical setting is stately and preacherly in character for the narrator; for Polly it becomes pleading and remorseful. The Unquiet Grave was brought to the attention of Alan Lomax, the great American field collector of folk music, by English folk singer Shirley Collins. The text is taken from an English folk song dating from 1400. In The Unquiet Grave, a young man mourns his dead lover too fervently and prevents her from obtaining peace. The dead woman complains that his weeping is keeping her from peaceful rest. He begs a kiss; she tells him it would kill him. When he persists, wanting to join her in death, she explains that once they were both dead their hearts would simply decay, and that he should enjoy life while he has it. My setting is in a flowing Andante with a rocking accompaniment. Three voices are delineated here: the narrator, the mournful lover, and the dead lover speaking from the grave. The Dying Californian first appeared in the New England Diadem in 1854. Its lyrics are based on a letter from a New Englander’s sailor to his brother who is dying at sea while on the way to California to seek his fortune in the California gold fields. He implores his brother to impart his message to his father, mother, wife, and children. My setting opens with the singer alone in a moderate dirge tempo, then, joined by the piano, moves through many tonalities and moods before ending with supreme confidence as the speaker 'gained a port called Heaven/Where the gold will never rust.'Captain Kidd was a Scottish sailor who was tried and executed for piracy and murder in 1701. The American connection to this ballad is that Kidd escaped to America and for a time lived in New York and Boston, though he was a wanted criminal by the British authorities and was extradited to Britain, where he was hung at 'Executioner’s Dock.' The lyric was printed in Britain in 1701, traveling to the colonies almost immediately. Though the didactic tone of the text is similar to Wicked Polly, it expresses no regret until the final lines: 'Take warning now by me, and shun bad company, / Lest you come to hell with me, for I must die.' My setting is fast and spirited, expressing the confidence of a man who lived life as he wanted. -David Conte.

High voice and piano - Medium - Digital Download SKU: MQ.8318-4E Composed by Gwyneth W. Walker. Secular, 21st century. 9 pages. E. C. Schirmer Music Company - Digital #8318-4E. Published by E. C. Schirmer Music Company - Digital (MQ.8318-4E). The five letters which provide the lyrics for the songs (adapted by the composer) were selected for their range of topics and sentiments. Some portray the wildlife in the mountains (“Glacier Birds...�). Others extol the beauty of the Sierra (“Mountain Glory,� “Yosemite Falls�). One expresses the whimsical/temperamental personality of the author (“Ice!�). And the final letter (“Sequoia�) speaks reverently of the great trees, in a language both naturalistic and sacred. They are the “greatest light in the woods, the greatest light in the world.� The musical settings, especially in the piano accompaniment, are quite programmatic. Glacier birds scamper up and down the keyboard in tone clusters. “Icy� glissandi float off. The great trees take root in large, block chords, and waterfalls cascade down in scales.There is personality in the letters. The bond between John Muir and Mrs. Carr (whom he addresses formally) is one of great kinship- a blending of the souls, a “spiritual romance.� As he marvels at the beauty of the wilderness, he writes ardently, “I wish that you could see this...� When he learns that Mrs. Carr, a botanist (whose plants suffer from the frost), dislikes ice, he chides her, and creates a “mock argument� over the value of glacial ice.The songs begin with an ascent into the mountains. They close with the return to the coast, to the magnificent Sequoia trees, where John Muir camps for the night, in the company of a squirrel. Charmingly, he writes “therefore, my Carr, goodnight.�.

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1141419 Composed by Todd Marchand. Christian,Christmas,Religious,Sacred. 5 pages. Con Spirito Music #741745. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.1141419). William Blake (1757-1827), a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age, published the lyric poem The Lamb in his collection, Songs of Innocence, in 1789.The Lamb is presented as from the viewpoint of, and in the voice of, a child. In the first stanza, the child asks the lamb if it knows its Creator; in the second, it tells the creature, by means of metaphor, that its Creator is the Lord Jesus Christ, who like the lamb took on the flesh of a created being, “little,� “meek,� and “mild.� The child declares that he/she shares with the creature the name of the One who is, in Christian belief, both the sacrificial Lamb and the Shepherd of his flock. Finally, the child pronounces a benediction: “Little lamb, God bless thee!�This new setting of The Lamb for voice and keyboard accompaniment is intended to evoke the simplicity of the text, and therefore should be performed simply yet expressively, with subtle rubato (flexibility in tempo) to give emphasis to the text.Little lamb, who made thee? / Dost thou know who made thee,Gave thee life, and bid thee feed / By the stream and o'er the mead;Gave thee clothing of delight, / Softest clothing, woolly, bright;Gave thee such a tender voice, / Making all the vales rejoice?Little lamb, who made thee? / Dost thou know who made thee?Little lamb, I'll tell thee; / Little lamb, I'll tell thee:He is called by thy name, / For He calls Himself a Lamb.He is meek, and He is mild, / He became a little child.I a child, and thou a lamb, / We are called by His name.Little lamb, God bless thee! / Little lamb, God bless thee!Soprano range C4-G5; Tenor range C3-G4©Copyright 2022 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Visit www.conspiritomusic.com

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.829054 Composed by Traditional African-American Spiritual. Arranged by David Neff. Christian,Sacred,Spiritual. 3 pages. David Neff #6475227. Published by David Neff (A0.829054). Here is a fresh arrangement for solo voice and piano of Listen to the Lambs, one of the most hauntingly beautiful spirituals in the African-American heritage. The song is best known in a choral arrangement by Nathaniel Dett, but it cries out for solo treatment as well. This is a high-voice arrangement. Medium-voice and high-voice arrangements will also be available.

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Digital Download SKU: A0.952696 Composed by Joel Eric Suben. 20th Century,Folk,Praise & Worship,Sacred,Traditional. 23 pages. American Composers Alliance Inc. #4614247. Published by American Composers Alliance Inc. (A0.952696). An arrangement of the orchestral song cycle, reduced for high voice and piano. Includes: I've Been in the Storm So Long; Goin' to Set Down an' Rest Awhile; I'm Just Agoin' Over Jordan; Mah Brudder's Died An' Gone to Hebben; Lord, I Want to Be a Christian.

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.989240 Composed by Mary Ann Joyce. 20th Century,Concert,Contemporary. 7 pages. Mary Ann Joyce-Walter #6232433. Published by Mary Ann Joyce-Walter (A0.989240). The Caged Skylark by G.M. Hopkins is a poem that compares the sadness of a caged skylark to that of a human beingwho is bound from being free (his bones are as the bars in the cage as is the bird-in-captivity..  But, in the end, man's spirit will be unencumbered.....

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.835449 Composed by Stuart Brown. 20th Century,Contemporary,Spiritual. 37 pages. Stuart Brown Music #4285583. Published by Stuart Brown Music (A0.835449). If you are looking for a genuinely beautiful and rewarding work for solo voice and piano, to fill a 20-minute time slot, then Idylls is for you. It provides an opportunity for both singer and pianist to demonstrate an ability to communicate a wide range of emotions. It is particularly satisfying for the pianist, whose part is anything but subservient to the vocal line and provides an opportunity to shine. At notated tempo the work lasts just under 18 minutes; the concert première performance (in January 2019) lasted just short of 20 minutes because of the slower tempo at which the performers chose to take the fourth song.While intended primarily for the concert platform, Idylls contains some profoundly Christian themes that may make it suitable also for church use in an appropriate context.Although intended for professional use, Idylls may be within the technical capability of advanced high school students, noting that the third song ('Of old sat Freedom on the heights') has a piano part that was described as 'challenging' by the professional pianist who first performed it in public (Jonathan Ellis, January 12th, 2019).As noted above, Idylls can work for church services in various contexts, although not all of the songs are necessarily appropriate to the same context. The lyrics themselves provide the best guidance in this respect.From observing the rehearsal sessions of the two professionals who first performed the work (Chen Wang and Jonathan Ellis), the composer suggests that none of the songs - however apparently straightforward - should be taken for granted. There are nuances in all of them that require careful attention to timing and pitch. The vocal entries in the opening song require careful attention to pitch. In the second song concentrate on the timing and making it sound as light and dance-like as possible. The third song requires the singer to keep an E-flat in mind at all times (in order to pitch entries) and to sing to strict meter regardless of what the pianist is playing. The fourth song requires both grace and intensity. Pitch is the main issue, particularly some of the B-natural entries; pay special attention to timing in the first verse. The fifth and final song is melodically straightforward; pay attention to timing in the second verse.Stuart Brown composed Idylls in early 2015 specifically for the London-based Chinese soprano Chen Wang. She performed it in public for the first time, accompanied by Manchester-based pianist Jonathan Ellis, at a concert in the southwest of England in January 2019.Performing rights are handled in the UK by PRS for Music, in Canada by SOCAN, in the USA by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. The full list of arrangements can be found at www.prsformusic.com/our-global-network/partnersAll contact and other information (including lyrics) can be found on the composer's website at https://stuartbrownmusic.com/discover-11.html

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1327769 Composed by Richard Strauss. Arranged by Nicole Elyse DiPaolo. 19th Century,Classical,Romantic Period. 3 pages. Nicole Elyse DiPaolo #915810. Published by Nicole Elyse DiPaolo (A0.1327769). The first of its kind, and the first entry in the Accessible Accompaniments library’s collection of small-hand-optimized song literature publications, this is Richard Strauss’s beloved “Zueignung,� from Acht Gedichte, op. 10 (1885), optimized (but not simplified) for the needs of collaborative pianists with small hands. “Small� is generally understood to be just an octave in span, with limited capacity to grab chord tones within a blocked octave aside from the occasional inner fifth.This edition was inspired by Boosey’s excellent small-hand edition of Frank Bridge’s “Love Went A-Riding� (erroneously labeled “simplified� on the front matter), which thins the large chords that would be problematic or impossible for a barely-an-8ve-reach collaborative pianist to play without adding musically inappropriate rolls or breaks, but also preserves the musical content and grammatically accurate voice-leading. Given that Strauss’s op. 10 collection is much more widespread on today’s concert programs than the Bridge, and given that average conservatory pianist heights and hand sizes have dropped significantly in the 20th and 21st centuries, the need for a similar adaptation in at least some of the op. 10 songs is obvious. Additionally, Strauss’s songs are often so orchestral in spirit—much more so than the Bridge—that the instinct to treat them as orchestral reductions to be adapted by each individual player should be as self-evident and considered as musically appropriate as it would be for any of Strauss’s beloved horn concerti. Performers should feel free to insert their own adaptations, additions, and omissions to this score as needed.The primary source material for this edition is Henle’s edition of the Acht Gedichte. However, any proprietary material that is not public domain (like their fingerings, front matter, and critical notes) is left out of this edition, leaving only what is public domain and edited by Ms. DiPaolo. Unreasonably large chords and arpeggio figures that would require being reachable by a larger hand have been condensed into figures more appropriate for the just-an-octave hand without sacrificing technique and excitement. This edition makes minor improvements to the engraving, like removing syllabic beaming in the voice and adding octave lines when appropriate. This edition also uses Accessible Accompaniments’ distinctive house style, marked by its visual beauty and ease of reading.While this song will be published in low, middle, and high keys for your convenience, please feel free to request another transposition if you are purchasing from a site that does not offer automatic transposition or you don’t see the key that you need. As the name says, Accessible Accompaniments is committed to accessibility—and that goes for singers, too!

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1329064 Composed by Richard Strauss. Arranged by Nicole Elyse DiPaolo. 19th Century,Classical,Romantic Period. 3 pages. Nicole Elyse DiPaolo #917034. Published by Nicole Elyse DiPaolo (A0.1329064). The first of its kind, and the first entry in the Accessible Accompaniments library’s collection of small-hand-optimized song literature publications, this is Richard Strauss’s beloved “Zueignung,� from Acht Gedichte, op. 10 (1885), optimized (but not simplified) for the needs of collaborative pianists with small hands. “Small� is generally understood to be just an octave in span, with limited capacity to grab chord tones within a blocked octave aside from the occasional inner fifth.This edition was inspired by Boosey’s excellent small-hand edition of Frank Bridge’s “Love Went A-Riding� (erroneously labeled “simplified� on the front matter), which thins the large chords that would be problematic or impossible for a barely-an-8ve-reach collaborative pianist to play without adding musically inappropriate rolls or breaks, but also preserves the musical content and grammatically accurate voice-leading. Given that Strauss’s op. 10 collection is much more widespread on today’s concert programs than the Bridge, and given that average conservatory pianist heights and hand sizes have dropped significantly in the 20th and 21st centuries, the need for a similar adaptation in at least some of the op. 10 songs is obvious. Additionally, Strauss’s songs are often so orchestral in spirit—much more so than the Bridge—that the instinct to treat them as orchestral reductions to be adapted by each individual player should be as self-evident and considered as musically appropriate as it would be for any of Strauss’s beloved horn concerti. Performers should feel free to insert their own adaptations, additions, and omissions to this score as needed.The primary source material for this edition is Henle’s edition of the Acht Gedichte. However, any proprietary material that is not public domain (like their fingerings, front matter, and critical notes) is left out of this edition, leaving only what is public domain and edited by Ms. DiPaolo. Unreasonably large chords and arpeggio figures that would require being reachable by a larger hand have been condensed into figures more appropriate for the just-an-octave hand without sacrificing technique and excitement. This edition makes minor improvements to the engraving, like removing syllabic beaming in the voice and adding octave lines when appropriate. This edition also uses Accessible Accompaniments’ distinctive house style, marked by its visual beauty and ease of reading.While this song will be published in low, middle, and high keys for your convenience, please feel free to request another transposition if you are purchasing from a site that does not offer automatic transposition or you don’t see the key that you need. As the name says, Accessible Accompaniments is committed to accessibility—and that goes for singers, too!

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.896322 Composed by Music by Franz Gruber, Words by Joseph Mohr (v. 4 by Doug Howell). Arranged by Doug Howell. Christmas,Pop,Sacred,Spiritual. 8 pages. Creative Measures #4992825. Published by Creative Measures (A0.896322). For me-like many of you, I’m sure-this is my very favorite Christmas carol. And under normal circumstances it is probably the one that I’d least want to meddle with, as it is so simply sacred, just as it is. But for me this project began to mean a lot more than just meddling. I lay awake several nights in a row, imagining the holy scene, and myself standing there. What would I have felt, and done? What was my response to the babe in the manger? What could I possibly have to say? What does his birth mean for me?

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1074551 By Daniel Carter. By William Walker. Arranged by Daniel Carter. Classical,Folk,Praise & Worship,Sacred,Spiritual. 9 pages. Daniel Carter #678826. Published by Daniel Carter (A0.1074551). John Newton penned the words to “Amazing Grace� around 1764 after he survived a near-death experience on a slave-trading ship that nearly capsized, after which he became a priest. His words were set to music by William Walker who composed the hymn tune NEW BRITAIN, first published in “Southern Harmony in 1847. The hymn is extremely influential in religious and folk music, crossing over successfully into secular music. One of the most recognizable and beloved songs in history, Daniel Carter’s setting has a traditional southern folk song feel. Arranged for solo voice, fiddle obbligato, and piano and is suitable for worship, devotionals, concert settings, and music recitals. The fiddle part is included on the last page of the score. Available for both high-range and medium-range vocal solo, fiddle, and piano at danielcartermusic.com.

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1140878 By Rod Stewart. By Curtis Mayfield. Arranged by David Neff. Christian,Religious,Sacred,Spiritual. 6 pages. David Neff #741130. Published by David Neff (A0.1140878). Curtis Mayfield’s gospel-influenced R&B hit, People Get Ready was named by Rolling Stone magazine as the 24th greatest song of all time, and it was dubbed by Martin Luther King, Jr, the unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. The song has been covered by top-tier singers from Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, and the Staple Singers, to Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart. I decided to use it in a church context during the season of Advent, a time of expectation and getting ready. Here is the high-voice version of the arrangement I performed in December 2022. This sheet music is also available on this site for low voice and piano.

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.829020 Composed by David Neff. Sacred,Spiritual,Traditional. 5 pages. David Neff #3575379. Published by David Neff (A0.829020). The anonymous song Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel is one of many African-American spirituals that borrow biblical imagery to talk about hope for freedom from oppression. The classic arrangement of this spiritual by H. T. Burleigh will no doubt remain a standard, but I hope the rhythmic variety, jazz harmonies, and big finish of this version will add spice to your church and recital repertoire.  This arrangement (which tops out at a high G#) will also be available in medium-high, medium- and low-voice editions.

High Voice,Vocal Solo - Digital Download SKU: A0.962913 Composed by Sonny Rios. Christian,Gospel,Praise & Worship,Sacred,Spiritual. 6 pages. Sonny Rios #4278099. Published by Sonny Rios (A0.962913). PEACE: A contemporary Christian song written and composed by Sonny Rios. It deals with how one can obtain lasting peace in a troublesome world through Jesus Christ. It’s for solo Medium High Voice and is in English. It has a range of D4-F5. The song may be sung in Christian services and religious concerts. The song has been registered with the US Copyright Office and ASCAP.  An MP3 of the piano accompaniment (with or without lead example) is available for purchase at tenor@sonnyrios.com. If you wish to record the song, please obtain a license by emailing: tenor@sonnyrios.com.