Chamber Orchestra - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.876665 Composed by Dosia McKay. 20th Century,Contemporary,Renaissance. Score and parts. 81 pages. Gavia Music #57229. Published by Gavia Music (A0.876665). Three Laments of Heloise were inspired by the Letters of Abelard and Heloise, especially the character of Heloise, her crushing loss, self-denial, sacrifice, and forced conformity to the standards of medieval society. The first movement entitled Queens Envied Me My Joys is Heloise’s recollection of early days with Abelard. Every wife, every young girl desired you in absence and was on fire in your presence, writes Heloise. The pleasures of lovers which we shared have been too sweet… They are always there before my eyes, bringing with them awakened longings… The second movement If Not With You, My Heart Is Nowhere, expresses Heloise’s sense of abandonment by her lover. She writes to him: My heart was not in me but with you, and now, even more, if it is not with you it is nowhere; truly, without you I cannot exist. The third movement, My Most Wretched Soul, gives voice to Heloise’s continued struggle with her loss and the reality of the convent life. She does not see herself as a servant of God, but rather a hypocrite who remains pious on the outside and rages inwardly. Of all wretched women I am the most wretched, and amongst the unhappy I am unhappiest. How can it be called repentance for sins, however great the mortification of the flesh, if the mind still retains the will to sin and is on fire with its old desires? Modal scales and dance sequences give the Laments a Renaissance feel. Music theory students might appreciate the fact that the unifying element of the three movements is the interval of the 7th which appears very frequently in melodic and harmonic gestures and creates a feeling of ambiguity and of a lack of resolution. For chamber orchestra: Flute (or Piccolo), Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Strings (Quintet, or 4,4,3,2,1, or larger), 2 Percussion: Frame Drum, Tambourine. Total duration 8:00. Possible transcriptions for period Renaissance instruments - please contact the composer. Composed in 2009. Copyright 2009 Dosia McKay / Gavia Music (ASCAP).

Chamber Orchestra - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.976713 Composed by Isaac Watts / Lowell Mason. Arranged by Robert Myers. Christian,Holiday,Love,Sacred. Score and parts. 49 pages. WheatMyer Music #4775721. Published by WheatMyer Music (A0.976713). When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, written by the Father of English Hymnody, Isaac Watts, in 1707 and later matched with Lowell Mason’s 1824 tune, HAMBURG, has long stood at the forefront of English hymnody.This arrangement, taken from my Passion Week cantata, Wounded, Bleeding, Still Proceeding, allows the full talent-spectrum of the Body of Christ to contemplate His sacrifice and offer their devotion.The first two stanzas feature an alto/soprano duet, set in a minor key with frequent diminished and augmented chords to reflect the despair and loss of a witness to the crucifixion. The entire third stanza, set for SATB chorus, never really moves off the F minor tonic until the end. That, and the relentless pounding of the bass line, ponders the witnesses' anguish and our vicarious experience of it through Scripture. So, sing these stanzas sadly – they are sad! When the choir enters, be sure to observe the swelling crescendos/diminuendos as the sorrow and love mingle together.The fourth stanza offers optional congregational participation and may be used to provide a responsorial to the Word of God or a preparation for the Table. The choir sings this stanza in four part harmony as the congregation joins on the melody. It stays in a major key and closely follows the traditional consonances used in Lowell Mason’s harmonization; thus, the choral parts will feel familiar and the congregational melody will flow naturally. Take the text literally (Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.) and sing it firmly, enthusiastically, passionately, but never triumphantly. Sing it as a song of personal devotion to commit all that you have, all that you are, and all that you will ever be, to the one who humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil 2:8b) so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor 5:21)The music is well within the grasp of any ensemble competent with traditional SATB anthems. The instrumental accompaniments are straightforward yet very colorful, suitable for high school or higher level players. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross is an unapologetic Christian worship anthem suitable for sacred services, yet it does not compromise on artistic expression.This is the orchestral accompaniment for the choral octavo version sold separately. This version includes full score and all instrumental parts.