Archive for the 'Repertoire' Category

New Instrumental Play-Along Series for Young Musicians from Editions Marc Reift

Published September 17, 2020 General , Methods , New Releases , Repertoire Leave a Comment
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Editions Marc Reift, founded in 1983 by noted trombonist and conductor Marc Reift and offering a wide selection of music for bands, orchestras and solo instrumentalists, has two series of repertoire books with accompaniment CDs that are designed for young musicians.

Melodies for Beginners (Level 1)

The new Melodies for Beginners collection from Editions Marc Reift allows young beginners to build up a small repertoire of short, simple pieces. Arranged into several volumes for both solo instrumentalists and small ensembles, these Level 1 books are useful for small concerts or auditions.

Browse Melodies for Beginners by Instrument:

Alto Recorder • Alto Saxophone • Alto Trombone • Baritone Saxophone • Bass Clarinet • Bass Recorder • Bass Trombone • Bassoon • Bb Bass • Clarinet • Contrabass • Cornet • Eb Bass • Eb Cornet • Eb Horn • Euphonium • Flute • Horn • Oboe • Piccolo • Soprano Recorder • Soprano Saxophone • Tenor Recorder • Tenor Saxophone • Trombone • Tuba • Viola • Violin • Violoncello

My First Concertinos (Level 2)

The My First Concertinos collection from Editions Marc Reift allows young musicians to expand their repertoire with a selection of short, fairly easy concertinos, each containing a few separate movements. These solo pieces are not only ideal for performing in concerts or auditions, but also for supporting a learner’s progress on an instrument.

Browse My First Concertinos by Instrument:

Alto Recorder • Alto Saxophone • Alto Trombone • Baritone Saxophone • Bass Clarinet • Bass Recorder • Bass Trombone • Bassoon • Bb Bass • Clarinet • Contrabass • Cornet • Eb Bass • Eb Cornet • Eb Horn • Euphonium • Flute • Horn • Oboe • Piccolo • Soprano Recorder • Soprano Saxophone • Tenor Recorder • Tenor Saxophone • Trombone • Tuba • Viola • Violin • Violoncello

Let’s Begin to Ring Again! Hope Publishing Handbell Choir Selections: Fall 2020

Published September 11, 2020 General , Repertoire , Sacred Music Leave a Comment
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A message from Brenda E. Austin, Handbell Editor at Hope Publishing

Hello friends!

Brenda E. Austin

Have you noticed how grumpy many people are today? I sure have. I believe with all of my heart, that is in part because no one has been to the symphony, seen a broadway show, sang in their church choir or rang in a handbell festival in months and months. Our souls are crying out to be part of a musical experience again.

There are so many challenges facing us today. We need to keep the safety of our communities as our top priority. With that being said, I believe that we also need to consider our spiritual and emotional health as well. Where and when it is possible to do so safely, let’s begin to ring again. It may look different from what we “normally” do. But, what would it look like to ring today? Ringers wearing masks, each ringer at their own table or music stand at a safe distance from one another, no shared equipment. Perhaps ringing outside?? What are the possibilities?

Wishing you well!

Ring with 6: Year-Round

Arr. Martha Lynn Thompson

Martha Lynn Thompson adds another set of six settings to her highly successful series of Ring with 6 collections. Each arrangement uses 14-22 bells and is easily playable by six ringers. Three pieces have optional handchimes. A “Bells Used Chart” for each piece provides suggested assignments. No four-in-hand ringing is required but, because some ringers have more than two bells, it is necessary to have a table or a place to put the additional bells. Three of the hymns are suitable for general occasions, one is appropriate for either Palm Sunday or Advent, and rounding out the collection is Natalie Sleeth’s beautiful “Were You There on That Christmas Night?”

Continue reading ‘Let’s Begin to Ring Again! Hope Publishing Handbell Choir Selections: Fall 2020′

Helping Singers Learn at Home! Hope Publishing Choral Selections with Rehearsal Tracks: Fall 2020

Published September 11, 2020 General , New Releases , Repertoire , Sacred Music Leave a Comment
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A message from Joel Raney, Composer & Choral Editor at Hope Publishing

Joel Raney
Joel Raney

I know that these days many of us are searching for ways to keep our singers engaged without gathering. Here we feature several of our most popular titles that have part-dominant rehearsal tracks available for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, as well as stereo accompaniment tracks. Whether you’re doing a virtual choir or some sort of limited socially distant singing, these tools are a terrific way to help singers learn new music at home on their own.

Stay strong and safe!

In Christ Alone with Cornerstone

Arr. Joel Raney
SATB Octavo
Instrumental Parts
Performance/Accompaniment CD
Voice-Dominant CD

Listen & follow along with the score

Originally, this appeared in Joel Raney and Lloyd Larson’s best-selling Lenten cantata, Hope in the Shadows. This medley pairs the popular Keith Getty song with the praise chorus “Cornerstone” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

Continue reading ‘Helping Singers Learn at Home! Hope Publishing Choral Selections with Rehearsal Tracks: Fall 2020’

Publisher Focus: Jubilate Music Group

Published August 28, 2020 General , Publishing , Repertoire Leave a Comment
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Guest post by Morgan Roberts, Director of Production, Sales & Marketing for Jubilate Music Group

Jubilate Music Group is the culmination of many years of various developments in the lives of several individuals and the music print industry. These developments led to the consolidation of three separate and distinct music publishing catalogs, each with its own individual history: Alfred Sacred, Jubilate Music, and H.W. Gray. The result is Jubilate Music Group, an eclectic stylistic blend of sacred and secular choral, vocal, handbell, and instrumental publications for adults and children.

Alfred Sacred – Jubilate Music – H.W. Gray

As a result of the consolidation and acquisitions described in this blog, Jubilate Music Group also contains the sacred compositions from the historic Belwin-Mills and Gordon V. Thompson catalogs plus the entire Brodt Music Publications and Good Life Publications catalogs. From Handel, Hopson, and Hayes to Puccini, Penderecki, and Purifoy…Jubilate Music Group catalogs contain a combined 150+ years of rich music publishing history. When considered retrospectively, the changes and developments that came together to ultimately create Jubilate Music Group make its birth true to the meaning of its name:

“A song of joy and triumph”

Continue reading ‘Publisher Focus: Jubilate Music Group’

A Four-Part Journey through Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir

Published August 13, 2020 choral , Contemporary Composers , General , New Releases , Practice & Performance , Repertoire , Social Distancing , Tech Tips Leave a Comment
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Guest post by Curran Mahowald, a choral singer who participated in Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir 6 in May 2020

Eric Whitacre

In the spring of 2020, Eric Whitacre assembled his sixth global virtual choir to premiere his new piece, “Sing Gently.” Following a series of virtual rehearsals led by Whitacre himself, 17,572 singers from 129 countries submitted videos of themselves singing their individual lines.

From there, a team of film editors and audio engineers from 59 Productions and Floating Earth assembled the individual submissions into one final virtual performance:

Here is what it was like to contribute my voice to that video.

Continue reading ‘A Four-Part Journey through Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir’

Edition Peters: A Commitment to Bold New Sounds

Published August 7, 2020 Contemporary Composers , General , Publishing , Repertoire Leave a Comment
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EditionPetersLogo2020One of the most thrilling parts of working with music is discovering new works and budding composers who are changing not only the way we listen to music and perceive sound, but also how we conceive of the broader world around us and our place in it both today and into the future.

Edition Peters has consistently championed contemporary music throughout its storied history, and with its ever-expanding catalog, Peters continues to be one of the staunchest supporters of the artists who shape the future of our musical landscape. Here Kathryn Knight, President of C.F. Peters New York, illuminates the Peters commitment to new music:

Kathryn KnightPeters has been working with contemporary composers since its inception in Leipzig over two centuries ago, publishing new music by young and emerging composers such as Beethoven, Schumann, Mendelssohn and Grieg… Our commitment to bold new sounds has remained steadfast since that time, signing 20th-century iconoclasts such as John Cage and George Crumb. We know that some of today’s mavericks will be the composers of tomorrow’s classics.

– Kathryn Knight, President, C.F. Peters NY

A Short History of Edition Peters

Edition Peters was founded in 1800 in Leipzig, Germany, and quickly established itself as one of the 19th century’s leading German music publishing houses, building relationships with the most outstanding composers of the era. In the 20th century, Max and Walter Hinrichsen — surviving members of the German Jewish family that owned Edition Peters — fled the Nazi takeover of both their homeland and their family business and established new publishing houses in London and New York, respectively, that would carry on the Peters tradition.

Walter Hinrichsen Meeting With Beethoven Portrait

Walter Hinrichsen, founder of Peters NY, holding a staff meeting under the famous Beethoven portrait by Stieler, now housed at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn

Continue reading ‘Edition Peters: A Commitment to Bold New Sounds’

Prelude, Postlude and All That’s In Between: A Guide for the Church Pianist

Published July 31, 2020 General , New Releases , Repertoire , Sacred Music Leave a Comment
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Patti Drennan is an active composer and arranger with almost 700 piano books, piano/vocal books and choral octavos published with major publishers.

As a former 28-year high school choral director and then Director of Worship/Music Arts Director for almost 10 years, I have been seated at the piano creating music in so many venues. (Once a musician, always a musician, right?) In both the secular and sacred arenas, the pianist is often the glue that holds together a concert, worship service, wedding or memorial service. This is also the case when accompanying a soloist or small group. Because all music is not usually performed a cappella, a confident, quick-thinking accompanist must be ready to sense the soloist’s tempo and dynamics, phrasing and places for breathing, and the dreaded skipped-the-repeat-and-now-on-the-next-page moment! Fast thinking is a must for the church pianist and the goal is to play beautifully, giving not a hint of the soloist’s “mis-fire” to the congregation! When I was serving on staff, one of my duties as Director of Music was to create a meaningful worship service with inspiring scriptures, hymns, anthems (often two), prelude and postlude, and timing it all to when the pastor returned from a contemporary service a half-block away in another building. There were often times when he had yet to arrive and I needed to walk to the piano and extemporaneously play reflective music under a guided prayer time. For those who do not play by ear, this would be an important moment to have a secondary hymn or piano book in reach to provide that quiet music. Continue reading ‘Prelude, Postlude and All That’s In Between: A Guide for the Church Pianist’

Making Lemonade: Ringing in a Pandemic

Published July 20, 2020 General , Repertoire Leave a Comment
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Guest post by Sondra Tucker, Handbell Composer and Handbell Editor for Alfred Handbell, a division of Jubilate Music Group

If you’re reading this, you certainly don’t need me to tell you that 2020 has been a heartbreaking year. Amid the closing of Broadway and theaters around the country, church choirs on indefinite hiatus, community bands not meeting, summer conferences cancelled, school choirs, bands, and orchestras scrambling to find ways to teach, and all manner of music-making ground to a halt, one thing stands: the desire of musicians to make music.  We need it like we need air to breathe.

The ingenuity of those who have adapted online platforms to create virtual ensembles lifts my spirits, as do the rank and file people who have braved the technological hurdles to participate. It’s not quite the same as being in the same room, but it is fulfilling, nonetheless.

Handbells on table ready to perform

I am here to suggest that one way to keep your music-making alive is to take up handbell ringing, or resurrect it, or continue it, depending on your situation. The Handbell Industry Council, which includes manufacturers of handbells and peripheral equipment, publishers, and elite performing organizations, has guidelines for ringing safely on their web site:

https://handbellindustrycouncil.org/covid-19-information-2/

The benefits of ringing during the pandemic are: Continue reading ‘Making Lemonade: Ringing in a Pandemic’

Lorenz: Keeping Worship Fresh with New Music

Published July 10, 2020 General , Repertoire , Sacred Music Leave a Comment
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LorenzLogo2020Publishing over 1,000 new works every year, Lorenz offers an extensive catalog of choral, keyboard, and instrumental music to support the ministry of churches large and small. From traditional and liturgical to blended and contemporary, music for many styles of worship can be found across its imprints: Lorenz Publishing Company, Medallion Music, and The Sacred Music Press. Having been at the forefront of new church music for over a century, Lorenz is home to best-selling titles written by the most prominent names in church music today, and is committed to supporting the creative work of future generations of composers and arrangers.

O sing to the Lord a new song; for he has done marvelous things. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the Earth. (Psalm 98:1, 4 NRSV)

BryanSharpeLorenzThe Psalms tell us to sing new songs to the Lord. This biblical mandate inspires how we use our gifts. We compose, arrange, edit, and publish new music so that churches and individuals have the resources they need to praise the Lord with instruments and voices. As times change and fads come and go, and as one generation passes to the next, we will always need new music to keep our worship current and relevant.

Bryan Sharpe
Director of Church Choral Publications, Lorenz

Continue reading ‘Lorenz: Keeping Worship Fresh with New Music’

Transcribing Keith Jarrett’s “A Melody at Night, with You”

Published May 29, 2020 Composing and Arranging , General , New Releases , piano , Repertoire Leave a Comment
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KeithJarrett2

Keith Jarrett

The 1999 recording The Melody at Night, with You is one of Keith Jarrett’s most popular records. Originally created as a gift to his wife, his versions of songs from the Great American Songbook plus the traditional “Shenandoah” are permeated by a special atmosphere that makes the recording one of his most personal audio documents. Jarrett dispenses with the jazz soloist’s conventional emphasis on dexterity, the “clever” phrase and the virtuosic sleight-of-hand, and instead strips these songs to their melodic essence to gently lay bare their emotional core.

After many years of preparation, the sheet music for The Melody at Night, with You has now been published by Schott Music with Jarrett’s approval and the support of Jarrett’s label, ECM.

TheMelodyAtNightWithYou

Continue reading ‘Transcribing Keith Jarrett’s “A Melody at Night, with You”’

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