Winter 2004

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Winter 2004 NEW ISSUE,/h3>

SACRED CHORAL — Mixed Chorus & Organ

LEO NESTOR, arr. [b. 1948]: An American Triptych (total duration: c. 16:00)
1. How Firm a Foundation
SATB & Organ • #6062 • $2.50 • c. 5:40

2. How Can I Keep From Singing?
SATB & Organ • #6063 • $2.05 • c. 5:40

3. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
SATB & Organ • #6064 • $2.50 • c. 4:40
Commissioned for performance at the annual gathering of the national leadership of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), An American Triptych was composed in April-May of 2002 and received its première performance on Sunday,29 September 2002, Dr. Edward Alan Moore conducting the Sanctuary Choir of National City Christian Church, Marvin Mills, organist.

“The spectrum of Christian hymnody and sacred song, from temple chant and psalmodic origin, through elegant pathways of patristic depth, through Reformation vernaculars and rhythmic psalters in many tongues, through generations of national manifestations of perduring belief, is particularly cogent in the marriage of American tune and text. Dr. Moore and I chose the three hymns of this set with a mind to service, hymn festival and concert performance.” —Leo Nestor
USE: general, services, hymn festivals, concerts • moderately difficult • skilled church, college, community, professional choruses

DANIEL PINKHAM [b. 1923]: The Covenant Motets
SATB & Organ • #5885 • $3.65 • c. 12:00
Note: Because this is a large work, the sound files have been divided into six sections. For your convenience, the appropriate page is noted after the section title.

1. Rejoice in the Lord always (pg. 1)
2. The word of Christ (pg.
3. Pray without ceasing (pg. 14)
4. For we proclaim not ourselves (pg. 16)
5. At the word of command (pg.20)
6. Farewell (pg.23)

Completed in 2001, the texts for this set of motets are drawn from the Letters of Saint Paul: I. Phillipians 4:4-7 II, II. Colossians 3: 1,2,12,14,16, III. 1 Thessalonians 5:17, IV. 2 Corinthians 4:5 and 6, V. 1 Thessalonians 4:15 and 1 Corinthians 15:50 53, VI. 2 Corinthians 13:11,14.

The first performance of The Covenant Motets took place on October 20, 2002 at the Church of the Covenant (Presbyterian), Cleveland, OH. Guest conductor Daniel Pinkham directed the Covenant Choir in this work which was commissioned for this occasion. The organist was Lisa Johnson (Music Intern at the Church of the Covenant 2001–2003).
USE: general, services, hymn festivals, concerts • moderately difficult • skilled church, college, community, professional choruses

SACRED CHORAL — Mixed Chorus & Organ(s)

FRANK FERKO [b. 1950]: How Lovely Is Your Dwelling (Psalm 84) from Psalm-Cantata
Boy Soprano Solo (or female Soprano Solo or Mezzo-Soprano Solo), SATB Chorus & Organ • #5996 • $2.05 • 4:43
Psalm-Cantata was composed in 2001 in memory of Lloyd A. Johnson and commissioned by the House of Hope Presbyterian Church, Saint Paul, MN, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the church.
“In observing such an occasion as the 150th anniversary of a church we reflect back on the history of the congregation and its accomplishments, but we also must look to the future and to the continuation of the work of the Church. It was this bidirectional view which directed my search for texts for a choral work to celebrate this occasion. Thus, the texts chosen came from two sources: the ancient texts of the biblical psalms which speak of worship in the house of the Lord and praising God in his temple, and also present-day hymn texts which speak in a very direct language of the work of the Church and the presence of God who continues to bless his people.”

“The eight sections of the Psalm-Cantata include texts from seven psalms and from two hymns by the poet F. Pratt Green. These texts combine old and new ideas related to the involvement of the people of God with God’s work in the world. The performing forces are a mixed chorus, representing the past and present, a children’s chorus, representing the future, a solo voice, and the accompaniment of two organs. How Lovely Is Your Dwelling (Psalm 84) is the fifth section of Psalm-Cantata.” —Frank Ferko

Psalm-Cantata (duration: 35:42) is scored for the following performing forces:
SATB Chorus, Children’s Chorus, Boy Soprano (or female Soprano Solo and optional Mezzo-Soprano Solo), and one (or two) organs.
The following perfomance materials for Psalm-Cantata are available from the publisher:
Choral Score with one organ part: Catalog No. 5995
Full Score with two organ parts: Catalog No. 5993
USE: general, services, festivals, concerts • moderately difficult • skilled church, community, professional choruses

SACRED CHORAL — Unison Childrens Chorus & Keyboard

RONALD ARNATT [b. 1930]: All Things Bright and Beautiful
Unison Children’s Chorus, optional Descant & Keyboard • #5748 • $1.40 • c. 3:30
“This setting of a well-known text by Cecil Frances Alexander (1818–1895) is based on 3½ original tunes (one has a different beginning) all of which are very singable; the average children’s choir can sing the composition from memory after two rehearsals. A refrain after every verse binds the piece together, with an optional descant on the final statement. The accompaniment is effective on organ or piano and is easily accomplished by an average player.” —Ronald Arnatt
USE: general, services, concerts • easy • church, community, parochial school youth choruses

SACRED CHORAL
Mixed Chorus & optional Keyboard — Jewish Music

STANLEY M. HOFFMAN [b. 1959]: Yism’chu
Soprano Solo, SATB & optional Keyboard • #6225 • $1.40 • c. 1:40
“Yism’chu was completed on June 16, 2003. It is dedicated to Cantor Don Gurney and the Wilshire Boulevard Temple Choir, Los Angeles, CA, in appreciation for his efforts in presenting my music at a cantorial assembly earlier in the year. The music features a salient, easy refrain and easy choral accompaniments to the lyrical verse settings. The solo soprano melody in verses 2 and 3 feature slightly varied versions of the solo soprano melody from verse one.”

“The back page of the edition includes performance notes explaining how the piece can be performed with or without both keyboard and congregational participation. In addition, the back page features an English translation of the text made by the composer, the original text in Hebrew lettering, a guide to the Hebrew singing transliteration and an IPA guide to Hebrew pronunciation of this prayer.” —Stanley M. Hoffman
USE: Jewish Sabbath services, general (for churches who wish to include music from the Jewish tradition in their Sunday services), concerts • easy choral parts, moderately easy solo part • Temple, church, school, community, professional choruses

SACRED (MAYBE SECULAR) CHORAL
Treble Voice(s) & Mixed Chorus Unaccompanied

GWYNETH WALKER [b. 1947]: Chords of Love
Treble Voice(s), SATB • #6238 • $2.50 • c. 3:45
Chords of Love was commissioned for the combined choirs of King Philip Middle School and Hall High School, West Hartford, CT, Lorri Cetto, Music Director. The first performance took place on February 10, 2003 in West Hartford, CT.
“The text for Chords of Love is adapted from the lyrics of The Pilgrim’s Farewell, an early American song found in The Sacred Harp (1844). The stanzas have been rearranged to end with the beautiful phrase: ‘To you I’m bound with chords of love.’ Although new, the music reflects the straightforward style used in singing The Sacred Harp. Chordal structures are sparse and the meter remains constant,embodying New England simplicity. The piece opens with a solo treble voice (or treble voices) expressing the Pilgrim’s farewell to friends. This message is then taken up by the chorus in the first verse. A joyous refrain follows: ‘I’ll march to the Promised Land. I’ll land on Canaan’s shore.’ This alternation between Pilgrim solo, verse and refrain is repeated several times leading to the final verse: ‘For we believe His Precious Word: To you I’m bound with chords of love.’ The final cadence is achieved through the chorus building up a rich, nine-part ‘chord of love.’ ” —Gwyneth Walker
USE: general, memorial, festival and concert events with combined choirs • easy part for treble voice(s), moderately easy choral parts • youth, church, college, community, professional choruses

SECULAR CHORAL — Mixed Chorus, Piano & Oboe

GWYNETH WALKER, arr. [b. 1947]: The Rose, the Briar, and the Bicycle
SATB, Piano & Oboe • #6208 • $6.25 • c. 10:30
Oboe Part • #6209 • $5.05
Note: Because this is a large work, the sound files have been divided into three sections. For your convenience, the appropriate page is noted after the section title.

1. The Rose and the Briar (pg. 3)
2. Dinner for the Family (pg. 12)
3. The Two-Seater (pg. 29)

“The Rose, the Briar and the Bicycle are contemporary adaptations of familiar ballads and love songs. The intent is to expand upon the originals, especially with the addition of the oboe, a primary agent for color and character in each song.”
“The first song, The Rose and the Briar, is based on the ballad Barbara Allen. The oboe introduction presents a filigree pattern that runs throughout the song. With each verse, the filigree is varied to reflect the images in the lyrics: the buds of May, the dying Sweet William, Barbara’s indifference (and dancing), hardhearted Barbara Allen, and her eventual lamentation. During the final verse, the oboe initiates a dissonant chromatic line that intertwines with the chorus and then rises above, as a briar.”

“An Interlude follows to connect the first song to the second. The tempo for the new song is set by the pianist tapping the piano lid at a ‘trotting tempo, as a fox setting out in search of food.’ For indeed, Dinner for the Family is based on the ballad, The Fox. Again, the oboe provides commentary on the lyrics: the scurrying fox, the awakened farmer, the sound of the horn ‘both loud and shrill,’ the quacking duck, and the fox running back to her den. Throughout this song, the energy of the fox’s adventures characterizes the oboe part.”

“The frantic pace of the fox chase ends with a second Interlude, marked ‘at a graceful tempo.’ The focus of the music now shifts to a bicycle. Perhaps a bicycle bell may be heard in the trills played by the oboe. A waltz rhythm is established for A Two-Seater, based on the 1890’s song, A Bicycle Built for Two. The choral style for this song is often 4-part men or 4-part women’s harmony, in a ‘barbershop quartet’ idiom reminiscent of 1890’s. The oboe offers quiet, background arpeggio patterns at first. As the song progresses, these arpeggios become more abundant and rapid.Near the end of the song, the arpeggios flow up, down and around the chordal pitches in large phrases suggesting the spinning of bicycle wheels. The ringing of the bicycle bell brings this song of courtship to a close.” —Gwyneth Walker
USE: concerts • moderately easy • school, community, professional choruses

SECULAR CHORAL — Mixed Chorus Unaccompanied

ROBERT KYR [b. 1952]: Infinity to Dwell
3. As Dreams Are Made
SSATB • #6250 • $2.05 • c. 4:00

Set to words from The Tempest by William Shakespeare (1564–1616), As Dreams Are Made is from a larger choral set entitled Infinity to Dwell. Although this set has not yet been new issued, it is available from the publisher in the composer’s engraved facsimile editions. The set is numbered as:

1. Seed of Clear Water (Soprano Solo, SATB – #6248 – $2.50)
2. Cicada Song (Soprano Solo, SATB – #6249 – $2.50)
3. As Dreams Are Made (SSATB – #6250 – $2.05)
4. Butterflies Afield (Soprano Solo, SATB – #6251 – $2.50)
5. In One Endless Day (Soprano Solo, SATB – #6252 – $5.10)

USE: concerts • moderately easy • school, community, professional choruses

SECULAR CHORAL — Treble Chorus & Piano

DAVID CONTE [b. 1955]: The Milky Way
SA & Piano • #5966 • $1.40 • c. 3:00
“The Milky Way is a choral interlude from the opera The Dreamers, composed to a libretto by Philip Littell. The opera takes place in Sonoma, California in 1848 and tells a story of how we became Americans. At this moment in the opera, the Indian Princess Isadora, the last of her tribe, leads the women settlers of Sonoma in a lullaby to accompany the dreams of the sleeping citizens.”

“The Dreamers was commissioned and produced by the Sonoma City Opera, Sonoma, California. The world premiere took place at the Sebastiani Theatre on July 27th, 1996. Sandra Bernhard was the stage director; John Minor was the conductor.”
—David Conte

The Milky Way is also available from the publisher in a version for voice and piano (Catalog No. 5968).
The piano/vocal score for the opera The Dreamers is available from the publisher (Catalog No. 5219).
USE: concerts • easy • school, community, professional choruses

SECULAR CHORAL — Mixed Chorus Unaccompanied
DAVID MOONEY IRISH CHORAL SERIES

DAVID MOONEY, arr. [b. 1964]: She Moved Through the Fair
Soprano Solo, SATB • #6226 • $1.75 • c. 4:00
As head of the keyboard department at the Conservatory of Music and Drama at the Dublin Institute of Technology, David Mooney is well known throughout Ireland and the UK where his arrangements have appeared on record, TV and radio. An arrangement of one of the most beloved of all Irish folk songs, this stunning new setting features a third verse with new words by David Mooney.
USE: concerts • moderately easy • school, community, professional choruses

SECULAR CHORAL — Mixed Chorus & optional Piano

LOUIS REICHWEIN, arr. [b. 1957]: Four Louisiana Creole Folk Songs (total duration: c. 7:05)
1. Belle Layotte
SATB (divisi) & optional Piano • #5880 • $1.75 • c. 2:15

2. Musieu Bainjo
SATB (divisi) & optional Piano • #5881 • $1.75 • c. 1:15

3. Calinda
SATB (divisi) & optional Piano • #5882 • $2.05 • c. 2:20

4. Caroline
SATB (divisi) & optional Piano • #5883 • $2.05 • c. 1:55

Featuring texts from Slave Songs of the United States (1867) as adapted and translated by Louis Reichwein, each edition features lyrics singable in either Creole or English. The arranger offers helpful instructions for singing the lyrics in Creole.
USE: concerts • moderately easy • school, community, professional choruses

SECULAR CHORAL — Mixed Chorus Unaccompanied

ROBERT APPLEBAUM, arr. [b. 1941]:
Chiribim Chiribom
SATB • #5900 • $2.05 • c. 2:20

Half-minyon Nigunim
SSATB • #5901 • $1.75 • c. 2.05
“Chiribim Chiribom are gleeful Yiddish nonsense syllables.This song may date back to the time of the troubadours of the Middle Ages. Some of the humor in the first verse comes from the non-sequitur of juxtaposing the holiday of Purim with the playing of dreidls. The second verse satirizes the miracles that were attributed to the Chassidic rabbis by their followers.”

“The title [Half-minyon Nigunim] is a bit of a joke. A ‘nigun’ (plural, nigunim) is a wordless, simple melody, often used to create a spiritual atmosphere at the start of a Jewish worship service. Traditionally, ten adults are considered the minimum sized congregation (or minyon) required for the recitation of the full liturgy. This piece consists of the overlaying of five nigun-like melodies, hence the title. ‘Yi d’ dee di’ are gleeful Yiddish nonsense syllables.” —Robert Applebaum
USE: concerts • moderately easy • temple, school, community, professional choruses

SECULAR CHORAL — Children’s Chorus (SSA) & Piano

MALCOLM HAWKINS [b. 1944]: Hillside and Seaside
1. Looming
2. From Deep Forest
3. Ben Going Fishing
Children’s Chorus (SSA) & Piano • #5853 • $2.50 • c. 5:15

“The three songs entitled Hillside and Seaside are part of a set of five which were written for the Peterborough Children’s Choir and first performed in May 2001. They have subsequently been sung by the chorus of the Pine Hill Waldorf School in Wilton, New Hampshire. In both cases the children were of middle school age, and the Peterborough choristers will sing them on tour in the Spring of 2004. The setting is SSA, but there are unison and two-part sections, and the lyrics and music were inspired by East Coast scenery.” —Malcolm Hawkins
USE: concerts • moderately difficult • accomplished children’s choruses

VOCAL MUSIC

DANIEL PINKHAM [b. 1923]: Come, Look Quietly
1. The Fox at Eype
2. Autumnal
3.Apollo
4. I want to sleep
Voice & Piano • #5321 • $17.65 • c. 15:00

This elegant set of six songs again demonstrates Pinkham’s graceful vocal writing.
“The texts are drawn from the works of the late Pulitzer Prize Winner James Wright. The songs, any of which may be sung separately, are on a wide variety of subjects: Paris in winter, a mother bear and her cubs, a fox at twilight, the orchard in autumn, a Greek fisherman mending his nets and an evocative ‘I want to sleep.’ ” —Daniel Pinkham
USE: recitals, auditions • moderately difficult

DAVID CONTE [b. 1955]: The Milky Way
Voice & Piano • #5968 • $2.50 • c. 3:00
“The Milky Way is a choral interlude from the opera The Dreamers, composed to a libretto by Philip Littell. The opera takes place in Sonoma, California in 1848 and tells a story of how we became Americans. At this moment in the opera, the Indian Princess Isadora, the last of her tribe, leads the women settlers of Sonoma in a lullaby to accompany the dreams of the sleeping citizens.”
“The Dreamers was commissioned and produced by the Sonoma City Opera, Sonoma, California. The world premiere took place at the Sebastiani Theatre on July 27th, 1996. Sandra Bernhard was the stage director; John Minor was the conductor.”
—David Conte
USE: recitals, auditions • easy

DAVID ASHLEY WHITE [b. 1944]: The Peace of Wild Things
1. October 10
2. The Peace of Wild Things
3. The Burial of the Old
4. A Poem of Thanks
Voice & Piano • #5746 • $12.60 • c. 9:30

“In Langley, VA, in spring 1972, while completing a stint in the Air Force band program, I discovered Wendell Berry’s poem The Peace of Wild Things in a poetry anthology. Immediately afterwards, I set the poem for mezzo-soprano and piano (this song would later be revised several times). More than a year later, after returning home to Houston to begin a master of music in composition at the University of Houston, I ordered Berry’s collection Openings, which contained The Peace of Wild Things, and found four more poems that were compatible with it. I then set out to compose a song cycle.”

“With the beauty and strength of nature as a common thread, Berry’s poetry came alive to me because of its lyricism, alluring imagery, and intensely personal nature. I could have sought out other themes – indeed, for example, anti-Vietnam War sentiment was abundant in the book. But, with one exception – a reference to war in the fourth song, The Want of Peace – I avoided direct mention of that subject.I did so deliberately: being too topical was not my aim.”

“I’ve been asked what influenced me to compose these songs. Growing up in cultural isolation in the ranch country of South Texas, I never knew art songs existed until I got to college. However, thanks to some fine English teachers in middle and high school, I came to love poetry. Ultimately, that’s what led me to find Wendell Berry and other poets. My first important composition, composed my sophomore year in college, was a setting of Wordsworth (who also praised nature!). From that point on, working with words was important to me, and remains so to this day.”

“Another important influence should be mentioned: as I began to work on these songs, I had a ‘sound’ in my ear – the voice of Beverly Wolff, the noted American mezzo-soprano. I had met Beverly through friends in Sumter, SC, where I was first stationed in the Air Force in the late 1960’s. A year or so later, I had the pleasure of performing in concert with her – this was in Charleston, SC, where I was principal oboe in the orchestra. I always intended to send her the songs, but, to my regret, that never happened.”

“The songs are dedicated to my first important composition teacher, Michael Horvit, who taught me the importance of speaking with my own voice.” —David Ashley White
USE: recitals, auditions • moderately difficult

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC — Clarinet Concerto

JULIAN WACHNER [b. 1969]: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra
Rehearsal Score & Solo Part Clarinet in B-flat and Piano • #6079 • $20.15 • c. 11:30

This two-movement work is an accessible and enjoyable addition to the clarinet repertoire. Available in versions for chamber orchestra, full orchestra, or with piano reduction, it is ideal for advanced students or professional clarinetists who are looking for an exciting, virtuosic, relatively short, new concerto. The orchestral accompaniments are moderately easy and are appropriate for school, community or professional orchestras.

Upon its Boston premiere, Richard Dyer of The Boston Globe described the work as follows: “The first movement begins with a pulse that generates cloudlike bursts of color and begins to push them around, like parts of a mobile; the other two movements are jazzy, energetic, and ingenious.”

The scores and parts for all versions are available on Rental from the publisher.
USE: concerts, recitals, auditions • difficult