News & Views Saturday, April 20, 2024

If you missed our recent Organ Music Clinic, you can still check out these new titles recommended by Stanton’s keyboard staff:

Lenten Reflections
Composer Dr. Ashdown’s newest volume for organ includes free-compositions as well as hymn-based settings on well-known hymns for Ash Wednesday, Lent, and beyond. The variety contained in this collection will aid organists in selecting appropriate music for the season. This also includes a lovely setting of “Beautiful Savior”! These are wonderful, contemplative settings for the Lenten season.

Sacrifice and Splendor
Mary McDonald has done it again! This three-part suite is designed for a joyful Easter Sunday celebration, beginning with the fanfare-like prelude “Christ Is Alive,” followed by a meditative offertory medley reflecting on the cross, and concluding with a classical-style arrangement of “Jesus Christ is Risen Today.” Enjoy a service full of new arrangements with this memorable “Sunday Suite.”

Loving Spirit
David Maxwell of Portland, Maine, is warmly welcomed to the AFP organ catalog. Of moderate-level difficulty, the collection includes settings of tunes for Lent, Easter, and general Sundays with fresh imagery, perfect for worship voluntaries.

For more suggestions for Lent, Easter or any time of year, contact our keyboard department!

It’s been a long time since those reading sessions at the end of last summer…come refresh your memory and your ears with our recommended choral music for finishing out the school year!

*FREE*
SPRING CHORAL READING SESSION
Saturday, March 3rd from 10-11:30

James E. Strouse Workshop Hall
Stanton’s Sheet Music
330 South Fourth St
Columbus, OH 43215

We will read selected titles for SATB, men’s and women’s ensembles appropriate for high school spring concerts and graduation. Because we will be reading music directly from our large inventory and sharing the expertise of the Stanton’s school choral staff, we are able to offer this reading session at no cost to you!

For more information, email us or call 1-800-426-8742 ex 1.

The beginning of 2012 is a perfect opportunity to look back at what your students have learned so far this school year, and to look forward to the new and exciting musical challenges you will present to them in the coming months.  As you prepare for your upcoming concerts, festivals or adjudicated events, Stanton’s School Choral Music staff would like to recommend these repertoire choices, carefully chosen from many new and classic publications as “the best of the best!”

For advanced SATB groups, Kevin Memley’s Ave Maria is beautifully orchestrated for a cappella divisi voices, and features tasteful programmatic effects throughout the musical structure.  Andrea Ramsey’s On Some Solemn Shore is a stunning choice for developing groups, with graceful simplicity in the vocal lines and an expressively hopeful 19th century text.  Add some light-hearted fun to your program with a folksong like Old Dan Tucker, arranged by Neil Ginsberg with an inventive, hoedown-like accompaniment, or a classic choral standard such as Ralph Vaughan Williams’ glorious O Clap Your Hands.

Capable treble choirs will excel with Zoltan Kodaly’s Dancing-Song, an exuberant and intricate arrangement of a Hungarian folksong, and younger groups can work on part-singing and ensemble skills with the expressive The April Rainbow by Laura Farnell or Benedicamus Domino, a buoyant setting by Cristi Cary Miller.  Travelin’ Train is another strong choice – the incorporation of blues, gospel and jazz styles will be immediately appealing.

A Red, Red Rose is an artistic an expressive a cappella setting of a Robert Burns text – a great choice for accomplished men’s ensembles – or try an arrangement of Mozart’s famous Dies Irae from the “Requiem,” specially adapted for men’s voices.  For younger ensembles, try the Hebrew song Ani Ma’amin or original settings A Thousandfold or My Bonnie Anne Marie.

Click here for all of our suggestions for select pieces for adjudicated events – while we have specifically geared these selections to be appropriate for Ohio Music Education Association events, this quality repertoire is sure to be successful on any spring concert or other event as well!  For even more recommendations, please contact us.

For many young people, the most intense performing experiences they may have are as part of a cast in a musical or play. Or, they may fall in love with a Broadway or touring production to the extent that they jump headlong into the pursuit of such a dream without the necessary planning and thought that should accompany such a big decision.

Veteran actor and educator David Ladd has created “Footlight Dreams – Following Your Passion for a Career in Musical Theatre”, a practical guide for performers, teachers and parents to help the decision-making process for aspiring performers as they contemplate their futures in the theatre.

Drawing on his experience as a singer/dancer, including a sabbatical year in New York where he chronicled his challenges and successes, Ladd presents the full range of information a student would need before setting their sights on a music theatre career, including a full range of interviews from professional actors detailing the significant obstacles to success in the field, statistics on costs of housing, transportation and training, and the audition/casting process for a new, non-Equity performer.

The final section of the book guides the reader as he/she explores their own career options, with thought-provoking questions, journaling opportunities and career resources, making this chapter especially useful for teachers working one-on-one with students or in the classroom.

It’s not an easy path, but if performing is your passion, pursue it with an open mind and listen to your heart – the successes can be glorious!

Contact Stanton’s for more valuable musical theatre resources!

Marches are a staple of concert band repertoire, and as such remain a standard part of school band curricula and community band performance.  The Stanton’s band staff is pleased to recommend the following new marches for your next concert or adjudicated performance program.

We are pleased to feature two original marches for beginning and young bands alongside new arrangements of Harold Bennett and Karl King titles.  In addition, Larry Clark’s Refining the March Style will be an invaluable tool for developing and improving your band’s understanding and performance of any march.  We highly recommend this item regardless of whether you teach middle or high school, or direct a community band.

All of these arrangements are available from Stantons.com, or give us a call (1-800-426-8742).  We hope that you find these suggestions helpful.  If you intend to use any of these titles for adjudication, don’t forget to order your judges’ scores – ordering now can save you stress come contest time (avoid them being out-of-stock, or worse, temporarily out-of-print). Thanks for reading, and keep following the Stanton’s blog for more concert band recommendations.

March of the Champions – Timothy Loest – Grade 0.5
Courage, character, and the indomitable human spirit are conveyed using only six notes. Solid percussion writing (including a tam-tam) really adds color, and the triumphant style works as a beginning concert opener, or even a processional.

Pinnacle of Distinction – Larry Clark – Grade 1.5
Quality, traditional marches are not the providence of upper level bands alone. Larry Clark has written an exciting original march loaded with teaching opportunities that could be right out of the turn-of-the-last-century. A strong melody, counter lines in the low brass, bells, 8th note based rhythms, trio section, dynamic contrast, call and response, a fantastic “shout” section, a “stinger” – it’s ALL here!

Precision – Harold Bennett/arr. Larry Clark – Grade 2
Larry Clark’s arrangements of Harold Bennett marches have become educational and performance staples. Precision is no exception. Its stop-time style initial melody, call and response figures, mix of legato and staccato articulations, and break-strain make this a perfect teaching piece. Your horns, baritones, and saxes will love the counter line in the “shout” section, and your audience will enjoy its “fight-song” type sound.

Refining the March Style – Larry Clark – Grade 2
Improve your band’s march performance and concept with these 10 exercises/lessons designed to develop and reinforce characteristic march-style elements including specific patterns, phrases, rhythms, and articulations within familiar, stylistically harmonized scale patterns.

Fidelity March – Karl L. King/arr. Andrew Glover – Grade 2.5
One of Karl King’s easier marches, this excellent arrangement is a great way to introduce your advancing band to his music. All of the standard style and formal elements are here plus dotted rhythms and a slight ragtime type syncopation in the A section melody. Great as a contest selection, and solid prep. for the transition to high school music.

Aces of the Air – Karl L. King/arr. James Swearingen – Grade 3
Karl King had a true gift for crafting flawless marches for bands of all levels. This splendid, straight-ahead march is solid, clean & uncluttered, with just the right amount of technical decoration, and marvelous low brass countermelodies that just make it sing.

We’re now halfway (!) through January and here in Ohio, thoughts are turning to OMEA Adjudicated Events! Solo & Ensemble events begin January 28th, and High School Large Group events are in March, followed by Junior High events later in the spring. While many of you have been planning since August, our biggest sales for contest music are in January.

Stanton’s strongly suggests that when you order your music for Adjudicated Events, you order the copies or scores for your judges at the same time. Solo & Ensemble events have one adjudicator, and Large Group events have three – each adjudicator needs their own copy of each score. Please do not wait until the week of (or the DAY of) your event to order – every year we get many panicked calls from directors at the last minute! If we don’t have the piece you need in stock it may take as long as two weeks to order it in, and if it is Permanently Out-of-Print, receiving photocopy permission may take even longer.

Still searching for the perfect contest piece? Our website is up-to-date with this year’s Large Group required lists for high school choir, concert band, and orchestra, junior high choir, concert band, and orchestra, and Solo & Ensemble lists for high school instumental and vocal ensembles

Adjudicated Events can be an exciting and rewarding time for you and your students. Let Stanton’s help you by placing your orders early!

Our final preview of the new required pieces on the OMEA junior high/middle school concert band lists features the new Class C titles.  You can view and listen to the complete OMEA required concert band lists by clicking on the OMEA Required Music Lists option on our concert band webpage, and selecting the list you wish to view.  We hope you find this preview to be useful, and look forward to helping you plan a successful contest program.

New OMEA Junior High Class C Required Selections

Above and Beyond – James Swearingen
All of the sound educational and musical characteristics that make James Swearingen’s music popular with students and teachers alike are present in this triumphant fanfare. A strong melody, solid rhythmic pulse and patterns, and uplifting sound combine to make this work a great teaching piece that is a perfect concert opener or festival selection.

Air Force One – Chris Bernotas
The U.S. Presidential aircraft represents freedom and evokes a sense of pride wherever it travels. The sense of flight is ever-present in this rhythmic, overture-style work for young bands. Contrasting 8th note patterns with soaring, lyrical lines, call and response between the low winds and percussion, and never-ending forward motion Chris Bernotas creates an exciting work that is perfect to open your concert or festival performance.

Ovation – Michael Story
Aptly titled, Ovation is a celebratory overture for very young bands.  Its stately theme provides bookends to a lyrical B-section during which the tempo is maintained.  This work is perfect for working articulation, basic quarter and 8^th note patterns (including dotted quarter-8^th), accidentals, and some rhythmic independence – the melodic line passes through sections of the band in the B section.  A positive selection for concert programming.

Racing the Sun – Roland Barrett
The inspiration for this piece comes from a phrase used by solar-powered car enthusiasts to describe the act of piloting their exotic vehicles. Employing a variety of styles and textures, this original work will capture the imagination of your students.

Siege of the Dark Castle – Travis J. Weller
The chance for a lesson on early western music and medieval history is presented with this excellent work by Travis J. Weller. Characteristic 8th note rhythms, minor tonality, and even a 3-voice fugue create plenty of learning opportunities, and the period style and sound make for a nice programming alternative in this musical depiction of medieval battle.

All of these titles can be ordered via Stantons.com, or by phone (1-800-426-8742).  Don’t forget to order your judges’ scores – ordering now can save you stress come contest time (avoid them being out-of-stock, or worse, temporarily out-of-print).  Keep following the Stanton’s blog for more concert band recommendations from our band staff.

The National Endowment for the Arts’ American Masterpieces: Choral Music initiative is designed to celebrate our national musical heritage by highlighting significant American choral composers and their works of the past 250 years.  Stanton’s Sheet Music is proud to present this series highlighting the composers and their works featured in this groundbreaking project.

(from NEA.gov)
In America, especially after World War I, the popularity of opera was challenged by both the cinema and the Broadway musical show. All the more striking, then, has been the success of Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007), an Italian-American who has dared to center his career on writing operas, two of which (The Saint of Bleecker Street and The Consul) won the Pulitzer Prize for music among other awards.

Unashamedly conservative in technique, Menotti has always written in a traditional tonal language. His television Christmas opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, won him a mass audience and remains today one of the most frequently performed stage works in America.

Despite his concentration on opera, he has also composed a significant body of choral music. The largest has been the cantata The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi. The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore, designated a “madrigal-ballet,” is sung as well as danced. Missa O Pulchritudo is scored for soloists, chorus, and orchestra and was premiered at the Spoleto Festival in Italy, which Menotti founded in 1958.

Menotti showed extraordinary vigor at an age when most people have been long retired. He continued to compose, and to direct opera, well into his 90s. In his later years he became if anything even more prolific in the choral field. For the Death of Orpheus was first performed under the direction of Robert Shaw in 1990, a Gloria was written in 1995 as part of a composite Mass by various composers, and “Jacob’s Prayer” (1997) was commissioned by the American Choral Directors Association.

Selected Works:
Amahl and the Night Visitors
The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi
For the Death of Orpheus
Llama de amor viva
Missa O Pulchritudo
Muero porque no muero (Cantata for St. Teresa of Avila)
The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore

For more distinguished choral repertoire suggestions, please contact us.

This spring, feature your young singers in worship by presenting The Lost Boy: Young Jesus in the Temple, the latest musical for young voices from Tom Long and Allen Pote.  Commissioned by Helen Kemp for the Kemp Endowment for Church Music Symposium at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, “The Lost Boy” tells the story of Luke 2:39-52. Mary and Joseph lose track of twelve-year-old Jesus for three days, and when they finally find him, he is sitting in his “Father’s house” – demonstrating with his questions a great understanding of God. Within the musical is a reassuringly human message: even parents chosen by God can lose a child; even a perfect child can give his parents anxiety. The message is sure to comfort anyone who has ever been a parent, a child, or even those who have misplaced Jesus for a while. The musical can be produced with a minimum of costumes, props, and scenery. At under 25 minutes, it is short enough to fit into a worship service but is solid enough to stand alone. Stage directions, production notes, and simple prop, costume, and scenery ideas are included, but feel free to adapt any of the suggestions to your situation.

Stanton’s can suggest more fun options for your children’s and youth choirs; please contact us!

Our next preview of the new required pieces on the OMEA junior high/middle school concert band lists features the new Class B titles.  You can view and listen to the complete OMEA required concert band lists by clicking on the OMEA Required Music Lists option on our concert band webpage, and selecting the list you wish to view.  We hope you find this preview to be useful, and look forward to helping you plan a successful contest program.

New OMEA Junior High Class B Required Selections

Accolade – William Himes
Splendid textures, rhythmic counterpoint and touching melodies combine in this exciting but accessible new work by William Himes. A wide range of musical styles and colors make it a great choice for festival or a strong centerpiece for the concert program. You will enjoy this rich and varied work for young bands.

Dance of the Spirits – Michael Sweeney
The Native American Cree tribe refers to the aurora borealis (or northern lights) as the dance of the spirits. Using a variety of unusual sounds and effects, quickly changing textures and surprises, Michael Sweeney has created a musical impression of this phenomenon’s stunning beauty and unpredictable nature. An exciting and unique addition to the young band repertoire, this will be enjoyable to rehearse and perform.

Fanfare and Triumph – James Swearingen
True to its title, Fanfare and Triumph is an energetic concert opener in A-B-A form with a majestic introduction.  Perfect for developing bands, this work provides opportunities to address dynamics, contrasting accented and lyrical styles, articulation markings, moving from 4/4 to 3/4, and back to 4/4, as well as standard 8^th note and 16^th note rhythmic groupings, and plenty of mallet and auxiliary percussion will keep your percussionists busy.  Ideal as a concert opener or festival selection. 

La Madre de los Gatos – Brian Beck
As its Spanish title implies, La Madre de los Gatos will add some fiery Spanish flair to your next concert or contest performance.  Characteristic style and rhythms abound thanks to harmonic accidentals, 8^th and 16^th note rhythmic patterns, punchy bass rhythms, plenty of Latin percussion, and duple syncopations against the triple meter.  Brian Beck presents plenty of opportunity to develop your band’s rhythmic concept and articulation precision with this fun to play piece! 

Selections from Leroy Anderson’s Irish Suite – Leroy Anderson/arr. Douglas Wagner
Introduce your developing band to the joy of many of the recognizable themes from Leroy Anderson’s six movement standard for wind band. Although in medley form and made accessible to young bands, the style and character of the original melodies and settings remains. Douglas Wagner’s arrangement provides a perfect opportunity to introduce students to the skills necessary to play more advanced music: key changes; time signature changes; changes in style, phrasing and articulation, etc.

Mountain Country Dances – Johnnie Vinson
Inspired by the musical tradition of early American folk songs, Johnnie Vinson has composed this appealing suite of three contrasting dance styles. The movements include Tar Heel Two-Step, Woodland Waltz, and Blue Ridge Reel. Sure to be an entertaining and rewarding work for young bands.

Sketches on a Kentucky Hymn Tune – Todd Stalter
Chosen for its artful simplicity and interesting harmonies, the hymn Salvation provides the basis for the various settings that make up this work.  Beginning with simple statements of the tune in call and response form between the brass and woodwind ‘choirs’ within the band, the theme is then set in varying keys and tempi.  Rhythmic variety, contrasting articulations, and call and response figures are present throughout, and this work is a great introduction to theme and variations compositional form.                     

Voltage –David Shaffer
Voltage is the total energy required to move an electrical charge between two points. Scored to showcase both the winds and percussion, David Shaffer captures this energy with striking dynamics, accessible syncopation, and forward rhythmic motion.

All of these titles can be ordered via Stantons.com, or by phone (1-800-426-8742).  Don’t forget to order your judges’ scores – ordering now can save you stress come contest time (avoid them being out-of-stock, or worse, temporarily out-of-print).  Keep following the Stanton’s blog for our remaining concert band previews.

In-stock and ready to ship, Stanton’s is pleased to present “Interactive NOW” from Heritage Music Press.

Interactive NOW
Using your interactive whiteboard just got a whole lot easier! Each volume contains ten interactive lessons is designed specifically for use in the K–5 music education classroom. Developed by music educators Debbie Anderson and Phyllis Thomas, these exciting materials are student tested and proven to be effective in teaching music concepts. Available for SMART Board (vol 1, 2, 3, 4) or Promethean (vol 1, 2, 3, 4).

For more details on these or other classroom music products, contact us!

The concert band world lost an icon over this past weekend. William Francis McBeth (March 9, 1933 – January 6, 2012) was a prolific American composer, whose wind band works are highly respected. Among the most popular of his nearly 60 band works were Chant and Jubilo, Of Sailors and Whales, Through Countless Halls of Air, Masque, Kaddish, Canto and Caccia.  The popularity of his works in the United States during the last half of the twentieth century led to many invitations and appearances as a guest conductor, where he often conducted the premiere performances of some of his compositions, the majority of which were commissioned. His conducting activities have taken him to forty-eight states, three Canadian provinces, Japan, and Australia.

From 1957 until his retirement in 1996, McBeth taught at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.  He had an early start to his musical training, studying piano with his mother and taking up the trumpet in the second grade. He attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. While an undergraduate at H-SU, McBeth played in the university band. From December 1952 to January 1953, the band traveled with U.S. Camp Shows to Europe. He also played string bass in a jazz combo, which was unusual for the time period due to widespread segregation throughout the South.   He was initiated into the University of Texas Alpha Iota Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia in 1957.  In 1962, McBeth conducted the Arkansas All-State Band, with future president Bill Clinton playing in the tenor saxophone section. He served as the third conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra from 1970 until 1973. He died aged 78 in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

McBeth’s most outstanding awards have been the Presley Award at Hardin-Simmons University, the Howard Hanson Prize at the Eastman School of Music for his Third Symphony in 1963, recipient of an ASCAP Special Award each consecutive year from 1965 to present, the American School Band Directors Association’s Edwin Franko Goldman Award in 1983, elected Fellow of the American Wind and Percussion Artists by the National Band Association in 1984, National Citation from Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity in 1985, in 1988 Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia’s Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award for his achievement and continued contribution to American music, Kappa Kappa Psi’s National Service to Music Award in 1989, Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic’s Medal of Honor in 1993 and Past President of the American Bandmasters Association. In 1975 McBeth was appointed Composer Laureate of the State of Arkansas by the Governor, the first Composer Laureate named in the United States.

Welcome your elementary choir back to school with one of these great choral octavos, as featured on our Elementary General Music Clinic with clinician Cheryl Lavender:

Celebrate goodness and the joy of being happy with the accessible and infectiously energetic Happiness Runs. Use of canon and independent melodies fuel the exuberance, and hand claps help build to the ending. Young voices will also love experiencing the jazzy style of the syncopated melody.

In Peaceful River, a graceful new melody is paired with traditional “I’ve Got Peace Like a River” for a straightforward partner-song arrangement for singers with a limited range. Each voice part need only learn sixteen bars to realize this peace-themed ballad. Perfect for young groups who are building part-singing skills.

“No matter what the melody…high or low, in harmony, sing your song.” Though each of us is different, Sing Your Song encourages unity, especially through music. An important lesson simply stated for younger choirs, and a terrific choice for music advocacy.

For some extra fun, try If I Only Had a Brain. This easy swing favorite from “The Wizard of Oz” has been arranged as a novelty hit especially for 2-part choirs. Features some simple staging suggestions and easy scat syllables.

If you’re new to leading elementary choirs (or interested in starting one in your school), Inside the Elementary School Chorus is an invaluable resource! Designed specifically for the music educator working with non-auditioned children’s choruses, it addresses everything from recruiting to getting kids excited about singing, from warm ups to programming, and from working with parents to budgets. In addition to helpful how-tos, this outstanding resource illustrates how children’s choirs can become environments where participants learn a strong sense of community alongside high levels of musicianship.

For more exciting elementary choral resources, please contact us!

Lead your congregation in Lenten or Easter worship with one of these dynamic cantatas!

The Song Everlasting
From Joseph M. Martin, who brought you Tapestry of Light, The Rose of Calvary and The Lenten Sketches, comes a new work filled with the music of grace. The life of Christ is dramatically presented in this choral cantata that tells the gospel story using American folk songs and hymns. Filled with time-honored tunes and texts, this masterfully arranged work will connect with the congregation and choir alike. Divided into three sections – Ministry, Humility and Victory – this cantata can be done progressively throughout Lent, Holy Week and Eastertide, or it can be performed as one large celebration of the life of Christ. The miracle and blessing of Christ’s earthly ministry, the humility of His passion and the victory of His resurrection fill this work with emotion and power. Thoughtful narration and spectacular orchestrations crown the cantata with variety and skill. Optional moments for congregational participation are included to incorporate your community of faith.

No Stone Could Hold Him
No Stone Could Hold Him is a spirited witness to the ministry, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Rock of our Salvation. Written by celebrated composer Lloyd Larson, this powerful work is filled with scripture-based images of Jesus as “A Rock in a Weary Land,” even when tempted by Satan to “turn these stones to food;” as the Solid Rock on which we stand through “Winds of Change” and “Shifting Sand;” as Jerusalem’s triumphant King who commands the rocks to keep silent; as the Cornerstone of our faith, betrayed and crucified; and as the risen Savior whom no stone could hold in the tomb. Inspired by these images, the music is bold and enlivening with rousing original music alongside energetic spirituals and gospel songs. This dramatic work is an exceptional choice for Easter worship with its seven choruses and options for duets and solos. It can also be performed during the Lenten season or Holy Week by omitting the final chorus.

Prayers at the Cross
Truly a unique offering for Holy Week, Lent, or even general use! Employing poignant narrative and lush choral writing, this work by Lee Dengler focuses on the three prayers Jesus uttered while on the cross, transforming them into prayers we also may pray: a prayer for forgiveness, a prayer for God’s presence when we are alone, and a prayer of commitment of our lives to God. Supported by optional parts for violin and cello, Prayers at the Cross is sure to be a powerful addition in a variety of worship settings.

For more recommendations for your choir during the upcoming Lenten and Easter season, please call us at 1-800-426-8742 or visit us online.

Stanton’s Sheet Music presents:

ORGAN MUSIC CLINIC
Saturday, January 7th, 2012
9:00 am- 12:30 pm
Registration begins at 8:30 am – Cost: $10.00

Enjoy reading over new music for Lent, Easter and general sacred music from various publishers with our clinician, Brian Johnson!

Location:
Broad Street United Methodist Church
610 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215

For more information, contact our keyboard department at 1-800-426-8742, ex 3.

Our first preview of the new required pieces on the OMEA junior high/middle school concert band lists features the new Class A titles.  You can view and listen to the complete OMEA required concert band lists by clicking on the OMEA Required Music Lists option on our concert band webpage, and selecting the list you wish to view.  We hope you find this preview to be useful, and look forward to helping you plan a successful contest program.

New OMEA Junior High Class A Required Selections

Emblazon – Sean O’Loughlin
This is definitely not your typical concert overture, as evidenced by its tender, soulful beginning, gently introducing themes that recur throughout. The work deftly transitions back and forth between vibrant, energetic scherzos punctuated by powerful percussion, and reflective, emotional lyric stretches that evoke quiet memories. An exceptional experience in variations & contrasts.

First We Dream – Erik Morales
Besides its non-stop energy and endless array of fresh effects, the most impressive aspect of this delightful, boisterous romp is its dazzling use of percussion. Thrilling yet very playable, it swoops and soars through an ever-changing, always refreshing assortment of tone color & rhythmic variations on the wings of charmingly tuneful melodies. Clearly outside the mold of the ordinary – and who doesn’t want happy percussionists?

Grand Old Duke of York – Pierre La Plante
A charming symphonic march based on an 18th century nursery rhyme and folk tune – probably a parody of British nobility. A happy regimental tune marches through several jolly transformations before the duke and his men stride off into the distance. Great fun!

Morris Dance Tunes – Gustav Holst/arr. Douglas Wagner
Introduce your students to the joy of playing Holst with these four spirited dance tunes. Douglas Wagner includes a brief introduction to each that also serves as interludes for this through-composed work.

All of these titles can be ordered via Stantons.com, or by phone (1-800-426-8742).  Don’t forget to order your judges’ scores – ordering now can save you stress come contest time (avoid them being out-of-stock, or worse, temporarily out-of-print).  Keep following the Stanton’s blog for our remaining concert band previews.

Even though your church still celebrating Christmastide, it’s time to start looking ahead to the rest of the church year with Stanton’s Sacred Choral Clinic on Saturday, January 7th, 2012!

We will be featuring the best new choral publications for Lent, Easter and beyond, as chosen by Stanton’s sacred choral staff. The clinic will be held in its usual place at the Battelle Fine Arts Center at Otterbein University in Westerville, OH.

Attending this clinic is a fantastic way for you to choose new church anthems for your choir by hearing the music read live. This January’s clinicians will be Stanton’s own Judy Henry and president emeritus Jim Strouse. Please feel free to contact Stanton’s at 1-800-42-MUSIC and speak with a choral staff member for the details of the event. We look forward to seeing you at 8:30 for registration, coffee and doughnuts followed by a wonderful morning of singing!

In this “information age” of internet digital downloading and social networking, you can order and purchase music through any number of sources at any time of the day (or night), and even do it via your smart phone, so what’s the difference? Granted, Stanton’s Sheet Music has quite an internet presence due to our website and online listening library, we have a digital download site with ever increasing inventory, you can become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and, let’s face it, you’re reading our blog, so what REALLY sets us apart?

First, and foremost, almost all of our staff (including bookkeeping, receiving, shipping, etc.) are trained, degreed musicians with both performance and teaching experience. We have former band and choir directors, church musicians, former classroom teachers, private instructors and active, freelance musicians on staff. When you pick up the phone and speak with us, we’re more than just “customer service representatives.” We have studied and/or taught with much of the material that we offer, make recommendations, and have experienced many of the rewards and challenges of marching season, school musicals, budgets, booster groups, administrators, etc.

Second, and equally important, we are one resource with one location and we do it all! We are a store open to the public, not a warehouse. All of our orders whether phoned in, faxed or placed online are pulled from our in-house stock, backordered from publishers as necessary, and sent from our store. The same sales staff you speak with that takes your orders, fills your orders, responds to customer e-mail, orders our stock, puts stock away, reviews new material, processes internet orders, matches backordered items, and works with publisher representatives. Stanton’s is not divided into script-following CSR’s, order pullers in some distant warehouse, stock buyers hidden away in offices, and a billing department on another floor of the building. The same people handle your order from beginning to end and are available to answer any questions along the way.

If you haven’t worked with Stanton’s before, give us a call (1-800-426-8742), send us an e-mail, visit our website, or visit our store (we not only give music recommendations, but fantastic lunch recommendations as well). Place your next order with us and find out why we have been the ‘Sheet Music Specialists’ since 1960!