SKU: A0.808672

Brahms composed Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift, his longest composition, during the period, 1865-1868. For the libretto, he eschewed the Latin text of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, using instead verses he chose from the German-language Luther Bible. Thus, it was A German Requiem. The Roman Church’s Requiem Mass begins with prayers for the dead; Brahms, on the other hand, chose to console the living and framed his first movement around the second of the Beatitudes, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.  The first movement is, indeed, comforting, filled with warmth and beauty. This arrangement retains Brahms’ original choral parts and translates the orchestral accompaniment to the five quietly playing brass instruments. The audio sample was digitally created, so the choral part of the arrangement can be heard but without words.

This arrangement was completed in 2017 and runs about 10 minutes, 32 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, can be reached at lessmith61@bellsouth.net. For more arrangements by Les, enter Sweetwater Brass Press (without the quotation marks) in the search box. (Also, purchase of this piece entitles you to your choice of another of his arrangements at no charge; send a copy of your purchase receipt directly to him at lessmith61@bellsouth.net.)

SKU: A0.808673

    Brahms composed Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift, his longest composition, during the period, 1865-1868. For the libretto, he eschewed the Latin text of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, using instead verses he chose from the German-language Luther Bible. Thus, it was A German Requiem. The Roman Church’s Requiem Mass begins with prayers for the dead; Brahms, on the other hand, chose to console the living and framed his first movement around the second of the Beatitudes, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. The first movement is, indeed, comforting, filled with warmth and beauty. This arrangement translates Brahms’ choral parts and orchestral accompaniment into a warm and appealing five-brass-instruments version.
     This arrangement was completed in 2017, and performance time runs about 10 minutes, 32 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge; contact him directly at lessmith61@bellsouth.net. For more arrangements by Les, enter Sweetwater Brass Press (without the quotation marks) in the search box. (Also, purchase of this piece entitles you to your choice of another of his arrangements at no charge; send a copy of your purchase receipt directly to him at lessmith61@bellsouth.net.)

SKU: A0.1489498

Rounding out the “American Trails” with the fifth composition in the collection, “Trail of Tears” is in reference to the heart-wrenching dark history of over 60,000 American Indians being expelled from their lands.  During the period between 1830 and 1850, natives from five tribes were forcibly displaced from their homelands in what later became known as the American Deep South.  These “Five Civilized Tribes” included the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole nations.  Under the leadership of President Andrew Jackson, Congress passed the “Indian Removal Act” in 1830 which revoked all land ownership from all Native Americans in the Southeast.  Although Jackson was not the originator of the movement to remove the Indians, it was his top legislative priority upon taking office.  In his mind, they were a primary obstacle for the fulfillment of the Manifest Destiny and American national success.  There were many opponents to the violent legislation, such as David Crockett of Tennessee and Catherine Beecher.

The most brutal year of the Trail of Tears occurred in 1838 among the Cherokee who had resisted the Treaty of New Echota of 1836 through petitions and pleas to the US government.  Despite their efforts, the expulsive treaty was ratified and the resistant Cherokee were compelled by militia to vacate all lands east of the Mississippi River.  The heaviest death tolls occurred in the summer and winter months of 1838 after the deadline to depart had passed in May.  Disease, exposure, starvation, and harassment by frontiersman compounded the physical exertion of the “death marches” that killed many.

This composition extensively borrows the four-note motif from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.  That symphony was composed in the early 1800s in Europe at the same time as the growth of the anti-Indian sentiment across the American frontier.  Rather than primary thematic material, “Trail of Tears” uses the motif as a morose, plodding accompanimental pattern that adds depth of sorrow to the musical homage.

SKU: A0.1262362

On the morning of 2 March 2020, I finished writing the first draft of this song. It was the same morning that the New South Wales Rural Fire Service announced that for the first time since July 2019, the state was free of active bush and grass fires.

At the time it felt quite euphoric. We’d been through a lot. Little did we know what was coming just a few days from then, when the Covid19 global pandemic reached our shores. It’s a virus that would kill millions across the world, and disable millions more, long term. It forced us, globally, into a kind of reckoning the like of which we had never experienced before. Non pharmaceutical controls like lockdowns, mask mandates, social distancing and ventilation standards were employed to keep us safe from this airborne virus, whilst scientists worked round clock to develop vaccines and treatments.

Technically, the declaration of a pandemic is still active, but governments and people have somehow decided for themselves that it is all over. No one takes any precautions any more. Governments have stopped reporting statistics. People who know they are infected are going about their business with no thought for others. Meanwhile, many of the immune-compromised, the disabled, the vulnerable, are unable to safely leave their homes and engage in activities out in the world. I know this, because I am a carer for a vulnerable person.

What this whole exercise has taught me is that people in the world are actually much less kind than I thought they were. Humans do not really care for each other. People attack me for wearing a mask, tell me that I’m virtue signalling and that I look ridiculous (as if I care how I look). I’ve asked questions about workplace Covid safety and been informed that it’s “a bit rich� that I’m asking at all, when everything is now safe. A friend’s diagnosed Long Covid symptoms were cruelly minimised or completely dismissed “Oh, it’s not Covid. How old are you? In your forties? It’s your hormones, it’s the menopause.� The fatal combination of sheer selfishness, rampant misinformation and DISinformation continues, whilst people waltz around spreading a deadly virus with no thought for the grief that will undoubtedly ensue.

It boils down to this: if we want to continue as a species and to have a planet on which to reside, we have to stop with the Self Care and start with the Community Care. A choir is the perfect instrument for expressing these notions, through the unique power of the massed first person plural. My wish for this piece is that it spurs performer and listener alike into some kind of action. Please consider the effect your actions have on others, and on the planet, and make any changes necessary, however inconvenient or difficult they are. Otherwise, there’s really no point.

Sally Whitwell 11 July 2023.

SKU: OX.9780193531253

ISBN 9780193531253.

For SATB unaccompanied. The Scholar is a sensitive setting of Robert Southey's poem that explores a man's kinship with the dead. With Bednall's characteristic metrical fluidity and effective word setting, this piece will provide a moment of quiet reflection in a concert programme.

SKU: A0.741175

A bluesy arrangement for intermediate piano solo. This spiritual dates back to the American Civil War and was sung by former slaves on St. Helena Island along the coast of South Carolina. It’s believed that Michael refers to the Archangel Michael, who is viewed by Roman Catholics as a conductor of the souls of the dead. The River Jordan mentioned in the lyrics is where Jesus was baptized, and is a symbol for deliverance and salvation. 3 pages.

Also available as part of the Piano Remixes: Kid Songs Vol. 2 intermediate songbook: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/20756042

Advanced intermediate version also available as a medley with Row, Row, Row Your Boat, titled Michael Row, Row, Row Your Boat Ashore: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/19972371

Visit the publisher's website for contact info and some free sheet music downloads: https://annebrittmusic.com/

SKU: IZ.CMS181

9 x 12 in inches.

With tremors that started in May of 1883, the volcano on the Indonesian island of Krakatoa fully erupted on August 26th of that same year. The eruption continued until the late morning of August 27th, destroying over 70% of the island, the surrounding archipelago, and collapsed into a caldera.

This event is counted as one of the deadliest and most destructive events in recorded history. Over 36,000 deaths were the result of both the eruption and the tsunamis that were created. Weeks later, the eruptions on Krakatoa intensified, causing explosions on neighboring islands. Globally, these explosions had effects on Australia and as far away as South Africa.

The 1883 Krakatoa eruption also darkened the sky worldwide for years afterwards, caused by volcanic ash. Spectacular sunsets were created and they inspired artists to capture the effects. British artist William Ashcroft made numerous color sketches, attempting to capture the look of the red-tinged skies, and there is a theory that Edvard Munch's blood-red sky depicted in the painting, The Scream, was inspired from his observing the color of the sky over Norway at the time.

Of all the original compositions and arrangements that I have written, this is my first foray into program music. Program music can be a difficult genre; has the story really been conveyed? Does the orchestration fit the composition? Is it too short, or rather, way too long.

I decided to write this for woodwind choir, rather than woodwind quintet. The sound of a woodwind choir offers enough variety of sound to convey both the frenetic quality of panic, fear, and desperation of a volcanic eruption, and yet the calm, sadness of how people felt, not knowing when things were going to erupt again.

SKU: A0.794349

The Dead South - In Hell I'll Be In Good Company  Piano Cover 
Arranged by Piano Go Life .