Concert band & chorus - Grade 3 - Digital Download

SKU: IZ.CBS176

Composed by Arthur J. Michaels. Score and Parts. 123 pages. Imagine Music - Digital #CBS176. Published by Imagine Music - Digital (IZ.CBS176).

9 x 12 in inches.

We the People of the United States lets singers and instrumentalists sing and play their hearts out. It's an excellent choice for any program in which directors want to feature a chorus with a concert band. This inspiring piece also makes an excellent spring concert or festival closer, worthy of becoming a music festival's traditional final work with combined instrumental and choral groups.

This piece features three sections:

I. We the People of the United States

This first section is a dignified presentation of the Preamble to the Constitution.

II. Amendment I

The second section is the First Amendment to the Constitution. It begins playfully and festively, reflecting the joyful intent of enacting and living by the Constitution's First Amendment freedoms. The section becomes somber and contemplative, though, suggesting the struggles, pain and sacrifices we've endured, and are still enduring, as we continue to interpret this amendment and live by its words. The section's end recalls the joyful, pleasant aspects of living by the First Amendment.

III. The Gettysburg Address

The text of the first and second sections is the cornerstone of how we live and the values we profess. This third section, the first paragraph of Abraham Lincoln's stirring speech, reminds us of our hopes for our country and way of life.

Audiences will be standing and cheering at this work's moving finish. The enduring truths of the text, our reverence for these words, and our vigorous aspirations to interpret them make this stirring piece an everlasting program choice and a delight for performers and audiences.

This item does NOT contain the choral score.

Satb & piano - Grade 3 - Digital Download

SKU: IZ.CBS176V

Composed by Arthur J. Michaels. Score and Parts. 27 pages. Imagine Music - Digital #CBS176V. Published by Imagine Music - Digital (IZ.CBS176V).

9 x 12 in inches.

We the People of the United States lets singers and instrumentalists sing and play their hearts out. It's an excellent choice for any program in which directors want to feature a chorus with a concert band. This inspiring piece also makes an excellent spring concert or festival closer, worthy of becoming a music festival's traditional final work with combined instrumental and choral groups.

This piece features three sections:

I. We the People of the United States

This first section is a dignified presentation of the Preamble to the Constitution.

II. Amendment I

The second section is the First Amendment to the Constitution. It begins playfully and festively, reflecting the joyful intent of enacting and living by the Constitution's First Amendment freedoms. The section becomes somber and contemplative, though, suggesting the struggles, pain and sacrifices we've endured, and are still enduring, as we continue to interpret this amendment and live by its words. The section's end recalls the joyful, pleasant aspects of living by the First Amendment.

III. The Gettysburg Address

The text of the first and second sections is the cornerstone of how we live and the values we profess. This third section, the first paragraph of Abraham Lincoln's stirring speech, reminds us of our hopes for our country and way of life.

Audiences will be standing and cheering at this work's moving finish. The enduring truths of the text, our reverence for these words, and our vigorous aspirations to interpret them make this stirring piece an everlasting program choice and a delight for performers and audiences.

Choral Choir - Level 1 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1253675

Composed by Bernard Sexton. Celtic,Christian,Contemporary,Easter,Irish,Praise & Worship. Octavo. 6 pages. Trinity Music Press #847302. Published by Trinity Music Press (A0.1253675).

Where Two or Three are Gathered


Based on Matthew 18; 15-20 and Ubi Caritas for assembly/ unison or assembly+ SATB . There is also C instrument part. 
Use: Holy Thursday/ Mandatum/ Communion 


Where two three are gathered, gathered in my name
There am I among them, there am I with them

Where charity and love are, God is always there
In Christ’s name we gather, united by his love

We exult in God’s presence and in him we find great joy
Let us pay him homage, let us love the living God

Though united as one body, may we too be of one mind
May we turn from evil, may God be in our midst

May we see your face in glory, with the saints, O Christ, our God
Boundless is your goodness that endures from age to age 

Piano,Vocal,Voice - Level 5 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1255098

Composed by Ross Fiddes. 21st Century,Chamber,Classical,Contemporary. Score. 25 pages. Ross Fiddes #848692. Published by Ross Fiddes (A0.1255098).

It was in the aftermath of the 2020 summer bushfires in Australia that soprano Ayse Goknur Shanala rang me from Cyprus to suggest I compose a work about climate change, a subject of concern for me.  My research for lyrics did not elicit anything I considered suitable, so I turned to Derek Dowding, a local poet, singer, actor, raconteur, and a person vitally interested in the future of humanity and of the planet.

Derek and I had worked together before – he brilliantly performed the role of Abelard in the workshopping and concert performances of my hybrid opera “Abelard and Heloise�, which, in 1997, won the supreme CONDA (City of Newcastle Drama Award)  for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Newcastle Theatre’ against some 200 other stage productions in Newcastle’s bi-centenary year.

Derek worked long and late on the lyrics for the work, producing an emotional document covering history, cause and effect.  His words produced musical responses from me which I consider react appropriately to both his words and the subject matter. I hope our listeners will agree.

For the musical treatment I had to consider that the length of the work, through-sung, 20+ minutes, required a recurrent grounding to avoid too many thematic ideas getting in the way of the words.  To that end, I created a quasi-reflective section which appears, rondo-style, quite a few times during the length of the piece.  And, for further cohesion, I built an ABA (ternary) section early to address certain word structures.  Mostly, the various sections followed the stanza structure provided by Derek, with some combinations.  My musical style is essentially melodic, but with dramatic and other episodes, be they tonal, astringent, harmonically indecisive and so on.  In building the work I was principally influenced by the impact and flow of the words.

The work is quite mammoth for both the singer and the pianist.  I was absolutely delighted that Anna Fraser again premiered a work of mine – in 2015 she marvellously premiered another major composition of mine, reviewed here:  
http://soundslikesydney.com.au/reviews/concert-review-the-man-in-the-other-roomacacia-quartetanna-fraser/19830.html

We can only hope that the new work ultimately adds to the chorus of warnings and concern about the climactic future that awaits if we continue to ignore or postpone dramatic and urgent attention to addressing the causes of climate change.

A living orb cloaked white and blue and green
Revolving and evolving, tight-hugged in orbit flight
We ride her back; dependent, fragile offspring.
Suckling all the while …but have we bonded?

A world unlike any other world we’ve seen
Gifted with Water, Air, Earth and perfect Light.
The essentials of life. Freely, these gifts she brings.
Free for all but how have we responded?

                                                                     Poem© 2020 Derek Dowding
Ross Fiddes
January 2023.

Recorder Solo,Treble Recorder - Level 3 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1261477

Composed by Daniel de Moivre (1687-1731). Arranged by Socrates Arvanitakis. Baroque. Individual part. 88 pages. Socrates Arvanitakis #854554. Published by Socrates Arvanitakis (A0.1261477).

PREFACE

These eight suites for solo recorder are amongst the relatively fewcompositions by Daniel de Moivre that have survived for us through the centuries.
Not very much is known of the life of this composer, except that hewas a French Huguenot, the younger brother of the well-known French mathematician Abraham de Moivre, with whom he movedfrom France to England after their imprisonment in France for being protestants, and it is recorded that they both became denizens ofGreat Britain on 16/12/1687. It seems that both brothers earn their livings mostly by teaching in their respective subjects for the rest of their lives. Daniel de Moivre had early training in France in recorderand composition, and in England he was known as one of the bestrecorder players at the time, together with Paisible, Banister Loilet and others.
The solo suites that follow are of moderate technical difficulty andform a good basis for advancing the recorder technique to higher levels. But primarily are well made baroque dance tunes that can beused for both study and recreation.

All ornaments are marked as trills starting usually on the upper note,but some of them can be interpreted as mordents or inverted mordents.
There are quite a few baroque-rondeau movements withinthese suites, marked with double bar lines but without repeats.
Repeats are optional here, and it depends on personal aesthetics. I find the following scheme of playing baroque- rondeau movements quite satisfactory: AA-BB-A-CC-A
Legato marks and other slurs were not included in the original andare left to the performer’s decision.
All tempi are only editorial suggestions which can be ignored to a reasonable degree.

This volume has been created with decorated and undecorated pages and with individual front covers for each suite so that the user can add or omit pages at will and create his own book designs.
The mp3 sample contains various movements from all suites.

Socrates Arvanitakis
London 2021.

Large Ensemble,Strings Piano,Vocal,Voice - Level 3 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.739501

Composed by David Catherwood. Broadway,Children,Musical/Show. Score. 323 pages. Opus 3 Music #6051989. Published by Opus 3 Music (A0.739501).

A great story about one of the 20th century’s greatest storytellers. Carefully researched, yet full of fun, this entertaining musical tells the story of the early part of CS Lewis' life from the time of his mother's death in 1908 until his arrival as a student at Oxford in 1916. (Throughout his life CS Lewis was always known as Jack) This new work was premiered at the end of 2019 at the annual CS Lewis Festival held in Ireland. (CS Lewis’ birthplace) It proved to be a great success and was very enthusiastically received. Synopsis Jack’s Journey is a whimsical re-imagining of the childhood journeys of CS Lewis - each of the seven songs representing a stop along the way to his eventual career as the writer of the Narnia Chronicles. The story is told through music relating his memories and significant episodes from his schooldays up to his entry into Oxford. Living almost entirely in his imagination as a small boy, the seeds of the world of Narnia are already beginning to grow in his writing and drawings. Little Lea, his childhood home, provides the setting for the early scenes. Following the death of his mother the young Jack has his first experience of school and England. He endures with fortitude the harsh regime of boarding school and begins to recognise the value of friendship, mutual support and the courage that children can show in adversity. He returns to Ireland and to Campbell College – a much more positive experience. Illness brings his attendance at Campbell to an end. Returning to Little Lea, Jack imagines the world of fairies and dwarves, a world beyond our own. He returns to school in England and comes under the influence of a variety of teachers. Expelled from Malvern, Jack next falls under the influence of his great mentor, Professor Kirkpatrick – the model for the Professor of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Jack’s Journey concludes with the anticipated arrival of a great hero, the hero of the first of the Narnian Chronicles, Aslan, the lion. ‘Jack’s Journey’ gives opportunity for young actors, (supported if desired by adults, taking the parts of the grown-ups.) There are short dramatic scenes, plenty of chorus work, opportunity for choreography and many solo spots for vocalists in the songs which are milestones in the story. List of Songs (the sample pages and mp3 file gives a chance to see and hear the first page of most of the songs) 1 Soft through the window 2 Kingdom of Mourne 3 Little Lea 4 Campbell Days - Boy to the left, Boy to the right 5 The Dandy's song 6 The Scholar's song 7 Strength and honour As will be evident from the above, there is plenty of flexibility regarding the scale of the performance. ‘Jack’s Journey’ may be staged using relatively modest outlay – for example, the premiere did not have a set because the venue for the performance was an actual railway station! The piece certainly allows for imaginative approaches to design and staging. In terms of the additional challenges presented by 2020 the length of the musical at 40 minutes helps in delivering a shorter theatrical experience. Also, the fully digital download of all performing materials allows for distribution via email Indeed the whole show could be effectively recorded and presented online as well as in person.

Brass Quintet - Level 2 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1489486

Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. Chamber,Classical,Contest,Festival,Instructional. 45 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066349. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489486).

This collection of short compositions for brass quintet was conceived specifically to supplement a dearth of appropriate and artistic original compositions for the young aspiring brass quintet.  These pieces are most fitting for a good high school quintet or a beginning college ensemble that wants a conquerable challenge.  With a variety of keys, styles, and tempos, they lend themselves well for deep work on the core ensemble skills of rhythmic accuracy, intonation, and dynamic balance.  These brief works are also quite enjoyable for the professional quintet to perform for ever-popular school shows, or simply to read as a warmup with the focus of improving ensemble skills.  Performance time for all five pieces is approximately five minutes.

“Blackhawk” (duration 0:45) was originally composed in D-sharp minor as a melody to be used in Comprehensive Trumpet Skills, Book 9: Sightreading and Transposition (p. 39).  The quintet version is in concert D minor for more manageable execution.  This brisk four-four work is perhaps the most difficult in the collection, with demands of multiple tonguing for all the instruments as well as fairly advanced intervallic jumps.  

“Lamb of God” (duration 1:00) is one of many hymn tunes originally composed by Dr. Thrower for use in Comprehensive Trumpet Skills, Book 7: Ensemble Skills (p. 54), intended to be used to tune unisons and octaves.  As a tuning study it was published in the key of F major for B-flat trumpet, or concert E-flat major.  The quintet version retained the original key of concert E-flat.  The reverently subdued four-four tempo makes this the easiest piece in the collection, technically, though the three core ensemble skills listed in the introductory paragraph (rhythm, intonation, and balance) must still be extensively addressed.  The horn part is perhaps the most demanding in “Lamb of God,” with arpeggiated discant lines toward the end.

“Summer Solstice” (duration 1:10) was started on June 21, 2023, which was the summer solstice.  It is a bright, cheerful piece in concert F major with a lot of interest in all the parts.  One source of the title’s inspiration came from my family’s new situation living in Tokyo, Japan, where the dawn sky brightens around 4:00 AM on the longest days of the year, which obviously coincide with the summer solstice.  The 70-second piece was completed four days after conception while the long days started at their earliest.

“Triumph: Children’s March” (duration 1:00) was the catalyst for this collection.  It started as a cute little brass quintet piece in the key of concert B-flat major, to be performed for children, such as for school concerts.  The cut-time tempo is very brisk for a march, but animated little legs (or a more manageable audience activity of clapping hands) can easily handle the task.  Although the first trumpet part ends up on a high C, there is an alternate note for a more comfortable ending.

“Waltzing Puma” (duration 0:30) is an evocative title for an evocative piece.  Like “Blackhawk,” this melody was composed as a melody for Comprehensive Trumpet Skills, Book 9: Sightreading and Transposition (p. 36).  The melodies in that series took on titles of military aircraft, and this one was the helicopter “Puma.”  Since this tune is in a fast three-four, it became the “Waltzing Puma.”  The quintet version retains the original key of concert F minor.

Solo Guitar - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1167528

Composed by Larry Williams. Contemporary,Folk,Jazz. Individual part. 80 pages. Larry Andrew Williams #767908. Published by Larry Andrew Williams (A0.1167528).

A WORD FROM THE COMPOSER 

Is anyone interested in new reading material anymore? 

I know that when I was a kid in nineteen hundred and something, the quest for new musical pieces was always one of the funnest aspects of the whole musical journey. Of course I did learn that it would take a long time to  nd those few that would resonate with me for a lifetime, but it was always fun trying them all out. 

It still is, in fact. 

Well, times change and people change, but I’d still like to believe that same factor carries on. You know, the one about trying out all that music to get to the few you keep. And what about the few we do keep? For guitar players, was it always a classic from the usual suspects, like Albeniz, Sor, Tarrega,, Granados, Rodrigo, Brouwer, Barrios, Villa-Lobos, or anything by Bach?
Was it something our band director or private instructor, one of our friends, or our parents wrote? Or – Heaven forbid- something that maybe we ourselves wrote? 

Or some “unknown guy.� 

Consider this.
Just how often did some unknown composer's piece greatly affect us as we waded through a daunting pile of the familiar from the known masters? And since some, if not most of these classics are required reading, how often did we even get around to giving this unknown guy's piece a try?
And furthermore, was this unknown guy - shudder...alive? 

Let’s face it. In the composer arena, we the living, stand no chance against the deceased (God rest their souls) But by saying “they don’t write ‘em like that anymore,� are we denying ourselves new ground to be broken, doors to be opened, frontiers to be discovered? 

And isn’t that pioneering spirit just plain ol’ curiosity when it comes right down to it? 

Well I believe the key lies within the carrying out of these notions that curiosity places in us. It’s climbing the mountain simply because it is there. 

So, for right now, I’m that unknown guy and I would only urge you to break new ground every day. Lots of trends, ideas, and interests will come and go in your life, but always hang on to that curiosity. 

It’s what makes the world a smaller neighborhood. 

Larry Williams.