News & Views Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Happy Halloween! 31 October, 2012

Is there any piece of music that more quickly gives us chills than Toccata & Fugue in d Minor? This composition has been used to set the scene in many movies and television programs.

Did you know that there is some dispute as to whether this piece was truly written by J. S. Bach? There are claims that some of the musical conventions used post-date Bach’s lifetime. Perhaps you should order a copy, play it, and decide for yourself!

Click here to watch video

Elementary Holiday Musicals! 30 October, 2012

If you’re planning to perform a holiday musical with your elementary students this December, try one of these “Stanton’s Approved” new publications, or one of our “Favorite Best-sellers” from Christmases past…

NEW FOR 2012

Jingle Bell Jukebox…the Flip Side
This exciting sequel to Jingle Bell Jukebox delivers even more Christmas cheer! All the kids are singing and dancing to this festive collection of holiday hits arranged especially for 2-part singers. Program these favorite holiday songs individually, as a concert set, or as a simply staged 35-minute musical (using the optional soda-shop-setting script). Nine reproducible songs with complete choreography! Recommended for grades 3-8.

Stormy the Singing Snowman
Oh, no! The popular Snowfest festival is just around the corner, and the feature soloist had to cancel! Members of the Snowfest Choir are sent out to hunt for new talent. Join the fun and the singing as Stormy (the snowman) and his Forest Chorus friends decide to audition for the Maestro. Can you guess who ends up with the big solo? Approximately 25 minutes. Recommended for grades 2-7.

Twinkle & Shine
Santa wants a “living” tree in the great hall this Christmas, and comedy abounds as Santa’s helpers ask the trees, animals and birds of the forest for help. Discover the important lesson they all learn and watch your young students twinkle & shine when they perform this heart-warming musical that features five original songs and easy-to-learn rhyming dialog with over 40 speaking parts. Recommended for grades K-3


FAVORITE BEST-SELLERS

It’s Christmas Everywhere
This around-the-world celebration of Christmas, exploring carols and traditions from Germany, Japan, Australia, Africa, Mexico, Canada, and Spain. Both familiar and lesser-known carols are included,framed by an up-beat theme song which is reprised at the end, incorporating holiday greetings in six languages. Narrations introduce each country and carol, to explain the traditions of the region. Approximately 25-30 minutes.

Jingle All The Way
With some help from MapQuest, Johnnie, Nellie and Susie head out for the North Pole to meet Santa. Just listen for the jingle in Santa’s heart. But, what’s this – Santa has lost his jingle? Have we lost the true meaning of Christmas? Join the journey as the North Pole gang gets everyone’s help to restore the jingle in Santa’s heart and find the spirit and joy of the season. This entertaining 20-minute musical features clever rhyming dialog with 30 speaking parts. Suggested for grades K-3.

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas
The retelling of the timeless Christmas classic is a holiday tradition! Six festive songs are interspersed throughout the original Clement Moore poem, creating a theatrical performance that is sure to “wow” your holiday audience. From the cheery “Christmas Is Coming,” to the rockin’ “Reindeer on the Roof,” and Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies,” ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas is filled with memorable music! Recommended for grades K-6, approximately 20 minutes

For more great holiday suggestions, contact our Classroom Music specialists, or browse Holiday Musicals on our website.

“Isn’t this from that movie?…” 29 October, 2012

Looking at music from perhaps a different angle, it becomes apparent that the most popular “classical” music written today is not necessarily the abstract and atonal offerings of recent college graduating composition majors, but instead, orchestral renderings that are heard by a large portion of the American public – namely film scores.  Look at the huge popularity of music from the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean films – and the fact that they are scored for symphony orchestras by such luminaries as John Williams, Howard Shore, Klaus Badelt, Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman.

With that in mind, a lot of today’s educational string writers have taken to writing music for school orchestras that could be the soundtrack to some imaginary movie.  Programmatic in nature, and often with picturesque titles that bring a visual image immediately to mind, they are some of the greatest original pieces for string orchestra being written today.  Here are some of the newest and best offerings of this genre:

Elementary String Orchestra-
Storm Chaser – Kevin Mixon – Grade 1
Aspen Glow – Susan H. Day – Grade 1+
Harvest Moon – Larry Clark – Grade 1.5
Twilight Reverie – Lauren Bernofsky – Grade 1.5

Middle School String Orchestra-
The Voyage – George Sweet – Grade 2
Afterburn – Brian Balmages – Grade 2.5
Hyperdrive – Ralph Ford – Grade 2.5
In a French Garden – Richard Meyer – Grade 2.5

High School String Orchestra-
As Twilight Falls – Robert Sheldon – Grade 3
A Wisconsin Tableau – Carrie Lane Gruselle – Grade 3
Dotonbori Dash – Alan Lee Silva – Grade 4
Orange Moon – Yukiko Nishamura – Grade 4

Holiday Orchestra Concerts 26 October, 2012

String Teachers – It’s not too early to think about programming for your holiday concerts!  After looking at, listening to, and featuring many string orchestra titles on summer reading sessions, we’d like to recommend these outstanding new Christmas and Chanukah concert numbers that shouldn’t be missed.  They are listed here in order of difficulty.

Pastorale from Christmas Concerto

Holiday Waltz

Angels in the Bleak Midwinter

Light the Candles

We Wish You a Klezmer Christmas

Mad Russian’s Christmas

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

For more recommendations, contact our orchestra department, or browse the Holiday Orchestra section on our website.

New for the Church Pianist 25 October, 2012

If you are looking to add some new “life” to your services this fall, Stanton’s keyboard department recommends that you try one of these new collections:

Go Out in Joy – Festive Postludes for Piano
Finally a piano collection that provides the perfect selection for jubilant postludes and festive encores! Upbeat and bright, these hymn arrangements are short and flashy to send the faithful forth with a song in their heart. A variety of styles and difficulty levels are included, with careful attention paid to choose hymns that have the spirit of celebration in both tune and text. Enjoy the work of Vicki Tucker Courtney, Cindy Berry, Brad Nix, Alex-Zsolt, Hojun Lee and others!

Music of the Masters for the Master
This unique collection for the church pianist displays the arranging skills of some of today’s best keyboard writers. Using a classical theme or genre as the basis for each piece, the composer weds a time-honored hymn to bring these beloved themes into the sanctuary. A variety of new and classic arrangements are included making this a useful and beautiful compilation for pianists everywhere. The counterpoint created between these two musical forms is very compelling. Included in this thoughtful assembly is the writing of Mary McDonald, Cindy Berry, Carolyn Hamlin, Joseph Martin, Alex-Zsolt, Jack Jones, James Michael Stevens and many others. Quotations from Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Sibelius, Grieg and other favorites are part of the joy of this book. Sure to be a classic among classics. Don’t miss this one!

Santa Makes the “Rounds”! 24 October, 2012

Feature your elementary choir this winter with one of these great octavos, as featured on Stanton’s Elementary General Music Clinic with Greg Gilpin:

First Flakes by Amy F. Bernon
Making ample use of wordplay, contrasts between staccato and legato sounds, and engaging syncopation, Amy Bernon illustrates a child’s sense of anticipation and wonder at the first snowfall of the year. With options for two-part singing, this selection offers an upbeat, twirling, swirling winter experience for your young singers.

I See a Star by Greg Gilpin
Simply charming for young and developing choirs, this touching piece offers a wish for the world to find the hope, peace, and love that it needs. With memorable melodies and a bridge featuring hints of “star light, star bright, first star I see tonight,” it is usable throughout the year as a song of peace and will make an especially effective addition to Christmas, winter, and holiday concerts.

Santa Makes the “Rounds” arr. Janet Gardner
This arrangement is delightful! Famous rounds have new lyrics that are crafted perfectly for the holidays. With this piece, you ll be able to teach the rounds kids need to know as well as present them in a new way for a great holiday performance.

Super Santa! by Andy Beck
Listen up, superheroes and secret agents! There’s a new guy in town and he’s on a mission to deliver Christmas with unmistakable ’60s panache. “Not a bird, not a plane, not a speeding turbo train…it’s Super Santa Claus!…Whoosh! Pow!” Groovy, baby.

For more holiday suggestions for your young choir, please contact us!

Aaron Copland – American Masterpieces: Choral Music 23 October, 2012

The National Endowment for the ArtsAmerican 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)
Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was not the only great American classical composer in the 20th century. There were dozens of others, as Copland himself emphatically proclaimed. But quite early in his career Copland became known as “the dean of American composers,” and there was no one who subsequently fit the description more neatly.

Born in the first year of the century, his life spanned nine productive decades. He not only wrote his own music, he worked tirelessly to promote the music of his fellow composers. Copland was the first American composer to be internationally recognized as creating musical works that were both distinctively American and unquestionably of lasting merit.

Written in 1954, his opera The Tender Land stands as the culminating masterpiece of his “Americana” period of composition, ca. 1935-1955. “Stomp Your Foot,” a choral square dance from the second act, is considered one of the most rousing moments in American opera.

Originally composed for solo voice and piano, Old American Songs consists of ten settings of minstrel and religious songs from the 19th century. Copland later transcribed them for voice and orchestra. Other composers, notably Irving Fine, have arranged most of them for chorus in various voicings.

Also significant in Copland’s choral canon are his Four Motets (“Help Us, O Lord,” “Sing Ye Praises to Our King,” “Have Mercy on Us, O My Lord,” and “Thou, O Jehovah, Abideth Forever”) for mixed voices, The Lark for baritone solo and mixed chorus, and In the Beginning, a jazz-tinged work for unaccompanied chorus and mezzo-soprano “narrator” describing the seven days of creation from the Bible.

Selected Works:
At the River
Four Motets
In the Beginning
The Lark
The Promise of Living
Stomp Your Foot
Simple Gifts
Zion’s Walls

For more distinguished choral repertoire suggestions, please contact us.

John Cage, Composer 22 October, 2012

John Cage was a 20th century avant-garde composer whose inventive compositions and unorthodox ideas profoundly influenced mid-20th century music.  One composition, called 4’33″, is a famous (or infamous, depending on who you’re talking to,) piece.

Newly back in print from Peters Publishing, this composition is in facsimile edition.  There is a story about the piece, and a letter John Cage wrote to a friend about the piece included in the manuscript.  If you would like to know more about this music,  other John Cage music, or other 20th century piano music, please call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC,  or email us at keyboard@stantons.com.

Orchestra Concert Programming 19 October, 2012

If Stanton’s Orchestra Staff were teaching, these are the top new Grade 3.5 to Grade 4 pieces they would consider programming.  They’ve got great teaching potential, are excellently arranged and will sound great on a concert.

Themes from Concerto in A minor

Dotonbori Dash

February: Carnival

Il Re Pastore

A Little Stream

Orange Moon

Terkisher Klezmer Fest

Find more suggestions at our website: click on Orchestra Sheet Music and choose the “Best of the Newest” tab.

Stanton’s Staff Selections: New Christmas Titles for High School Band 18 October, 2012

Now that marching band season is almost over, it’s time to start thinking about Christmas and winter concert programming.  If you’re looking for something new, our band staff is excited to share our favorite new arrangements for high school concert band!

Christmas is Coming! is a charmingly inspired celebration featuring a dynamic, fanfarish opening on the distinctive Olde English Carol, delightfully contrasted with a swingin’ break strain based on Up on the Housetop.

Designed as a companion, or alternative, to Leroy Anderson’s enduring favorite, A Christmas Festival, Christmas Spectacular features popular carols not found in the Anderson arrangement including The First Noel, Here We Come a-Caroling, O Little Town of Bethlehem, I Saw Three Ships, Once in Royal David’s City, and more gift-wrapped in a variety of styles – march, swing, Latin, and more!

Inspirational carols’ uniquely arranged combination contrasts the sweet, singing lullaby of Midnight Clear with the darker tonalities of Coventry for an extraordinarily musical hybrid that is truly distinctive in Bill Calhoun’s It Came Upon a Coventry Carol.

With a fanfare emphasis on the brass and percussion section, David Shaffer has woven 4 classic Christmas carols (God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen; Angels We Have Heard on High; Coventry Carol ; Ding Dong, Merrily on High)  into an energetic medley full of holiday cheer! ‘Twas the Night Before… is perfect as an opening holiday fanfare or dramatic closer, and the optional antiphonal brass will put your performance over-the-top!

Yuletide Festival is a festive array of carols (We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Good King Wenceslas, Deck the Halls), cleverly combined to make spirits bright and concerts a success.

Your percussionists will have the chance to shine playing varied styles on the appropriately titled Yuletide Tapestry, an enjoyable medley of five Christmas favorites: Sing We Now of Christmas, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, The Holly and the Ivy, and Deck the Halls.

For more festive holiday options, check out the Christmas & Holiday category on our concert band webpage, or Christmas & Winter categories on our Listening Library, and don’t forget to add your favorites to your Wish List.  If you’ve missed our previous blogs highlighting some of the year’s new concert band music, check out our features on Holiday Alternatives for Concert Band, New Young Band Christmas, Must-Hear Young Band, and Haunting New Titles for Concert Band, and keep your eyes on the CB News tab on our concert band page as we’ll be running regular features on a whole variety of new music for concert band!

New Christmas Music for Community Bands 17 October, 2012

Add some sparkle and holiday cheer to your community Christmas concert with these festive new titles recommended by Stanton’s band staff.

Designed as a companion, or alternative, to Leroy Anderson’s enduring favorite, A Christmas Festival, Christmas Spectacular features popular carols not found in the Anderson arrangement including The First Noel, Here We Come a-Caroling, O Little Town of Bethlehem, I Saw Three Ships, Once in Royal David’s City, and more gift-wrapped in a variety of styles – march, swing, Latin, and more!

Dynamic and jubilant, From the Realms of Glory! is ideal to ring in the holiday season as an opening fanfare or as a celebratory closer to your holiday concert! Intertwining three well-known carols (Angels from the Realms of Glory, Angels We Have Heard on High, and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing), Patrick Roszell has crafted an uplifting arrangement that is a worthwhile addition to your Christmas music library!

Originally recorded by David Foster with Natalie Cole, it was the 1992 version by Amy Grant that is largely responsible for Grown-Up Christmas List’s continued popularity. This inspiring ballad will add a special lift to any holiday concert, and Michael Brown’s brilliant arrangement can be performed effectively with or without a vocal soloist.

There are a good many ‘mash-up’ arrangements of Christmas songs, but Holiday Collage is a superb arrangement that is a joy to play as well as listen to!  This cleverly arranged concert centerpiece features Over the River and Through the Woods and Jingle Bells with quotes from Deck the Halls and O Tannenbaum.

Familiar Christmas favorites are always crowd-pleasers.  Why not brighten up your Christmas concert with Paul Lavender’s festive, true-to-the-original rendition of the popular holiday classic Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

With a fanfare emphasis on the brass and percussion section, David Shaffer has woven 4 classic Christmas carols (God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen; Angels We Have Heard on High; Coventry Carol ; Ding Dong, Merrily on High)  into an energetic medley full of holiday cheer! ‘Twas the Night Before… is perfect as an opening holiday fanfare or dramatic closer, and the optional antiphonal brass will put your performance over-the-top!

Your percussionists will have the chance to shine playing varied styles on the appropriately titled Yuletide Tapestry, an enjoyable medley of five Christmas favorites: Sing We Now of Christmas, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, The Holly and the Ivy, and Deck the Halls.

Be sure to watch your mailbox in 2013 for more new recommendations specifically for community bands!  In the meantime, visit the concert band page at Stantons.com – click on Stanton’s Staff Selections, then Community Band.  Find some arrangements you like?  Create a Wish List to keep track of them!  You can organize it any way you want (by concert program, theme/style, performance year, etc).  We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

New Concert Band Reading Session – One Month Away! 16 October, 2012

Only 1 Month until the 2012 Wind Band Invitational and Concert Band Reading Session at Capital University!  Taking place at Mees Hall on November 16 & 17, this annual event is a fantastic way to get to hear the best new music for concert band performed by real student musicians instead of professionally produced publisher promos.  It’s also a perfect opportunity to connect with colleagues and catch a break after marching season.  Highlights include:

- Honors Wind Ensemble conducted by Dr. Frank Tracz, Director of Bands – Kansas State University

- Honors Concert Band led by renowned composers, conductors, and educators Barry E. Kopetz and James Swearingen

- Capital University Wind Symphony and Symphonic Winds conducted by Barry E. Kopetz

- Guest band performances by the Franklin Heights High School Symphonic Band conducted by Mark Fox, and the Columbus Junior Winds conducted by Jim Dowdy

- Bring Your Instrument to play in the 2 Directors’ Reading Sessions!

As always, Stanton’s Sheet Music will have a display of all of the music being performed available for review and purchase, and members of our expert band staff on-site.  Both events are co-sponsored by Capital University and Stanton’s Sheet Music so your participation is FREE!  Mark your calendar for either, both, or parts of both days – We look forward to seeing you there!!

Holiday Choral Reading Session Recap 15 October, 2012

On Saturday October 6, Stanton’s Sheet Music hosted our second annual FREE Holiday Choral Reading Session for area teachers and college music majors.  Our attendees gathered in the James E. Strouse Workshop Hall with our clinicians Jen Sper and Cindy Hughes, School Choral Music specialists at Stanton’s, for a wonderful morning of holiday music – and Christmas cookies!  What a great way to welcome the season!

Did you miss out on the session?  Never fear!  Here are just a few of our favorite pieces that were featured:

For middle school choirs: Psallite!, by Roger Emerson
For high school choirs: Good King Wenceslas, arr. Ryan O’Connell
For college choirs: The Holly and the Ivy, arr. Ola Gjeilo
For women’s choirs: Up Above My Head, arr. Andrea Ramsey
For men’s choirs: Alegria, arr. Mark Burrows

For more titles featured on the clinic, check out our brand new website feature, Stanton’s Virtual Workshop!  You’ll be able to preview full octavos with audio demonstrations, as well as LIVE video footage from the session.  You can also find all of our Holiday Choral suggestions here, or contact us for more information.

I’m Thankful for Elementary Musicals! 12 October, 2012

It seems like so much needs to happen in your school building in December – where can you fit your holiday program?! To avoid scheduling drama, some music teachers are moving their musical up to November and celebrating Thanksgiving! There are not very many ready-made musicals for “Turkey Day;” here are Stanton’s ideas for you:

Programs-a-Plenty
This flexible resource contains 12 different scripts for a variety of programs throughout the year.  Each reproducible script offers many speaking parts and suggestions for songs you can include from among music you probably already have in your library. There is a “Thanksgiving Day” script, which would be a 20-30 minute program, but you could also supplement with ideas from the “Fantastic Fall Festival” and “I Am America” scripts to create a longer production – do whatever works best for your situation!

Holiday Plays
(“No Turkey for Perky” and “Bob Humbug, the Christmas Grump”)

This book and CD set by Carol Kaplan contains two musicals appropriate for ages 4-7. “No Turkey for Perky” is the story of a girl who doesn’t like to eat turkey, and would rather eat pizza for Thanksgiving dinner! Simple staging and costuming suggestions help you to lead children from their natural “playing” into the elements of acting/singing in a musical. The play is the perfect introduction to a school, church or community Thanksgiving meal.

For more Thanksgiving suggestions, contact our classroom music specialists!

Explore Choral Music of the Renaissance 11 October, 2012

Introduce the music of the Renaissance to your men’s and women’s ensembles with Renaissance Men and Renaissance Women, edited by John Leavitt.  Each collection contains five well-known and representative a cappella works from the time period.  In Renaissance Men, you’ll find “Adoramus Te” (Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina), “Ave Maria” (Jacob Arcadelt), “Cantate Domino” (Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni), “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (Es ist ein’ Ros’ entsprungen)” (Michael Praetorius) and “O Vos Omnes” (Giovanni Croce); and contained in Renaissance Women are “How Merrily We Live” (Michael East), “Sonatemi un balleto” (Giovanni Gastoldi), “Je le vous dirai!” (Pierre Certon), “Mein Feinslieb” (Johann Jeep) and “Tanzen und Springen” (Hans Leo Hassler).  Use the complete collections to plan a Renaissance concert, or use individual titles in your programming throughout the years – at $3.95 each, they’re a great way to get more for your money!

For more budget-savvy choral collections, please contact us!

Holiday Alternatives for Concert Band 10 October, 2012

Each school district has a different approach to programming Christmas/Holiday and Winter concerts.  With this in mind, Stanton’s band staff is happy to recommend these new titles as holiday alternatives, perfect for providing seasonal variety on your Christmas program, or for celebrating winter!  For our staff selections of new, traditional Christmas arrangements click on the Best New Christmas tab on our concert band webpage, check out our New Young Band Christmas article on our blog, and keep your eyes out for our soon-to-post suggestions of new high school Christmas arrangements.

Add a touch of Canada to your next holiday concert!  A Canadian Christmas features carols that have been traditionally sung in Canada for many years. It opens with the joyous strains of Il Est N Le Divin Enfant (He is Born, The Divine Child) and continues with the plaintive and modal No l Nouvelet (Sing We Now of Christmas).  The Huron Carol (‘Twas In the Moon of Wintertime) is then presented with remnants of No l Nouvelet cleverly woven in. The dramatic conclusion develops brief dialogue between Good King Wenceslas and Il Est N Le Divin Enfant that brings the work to an exuberant and powerful close.

Holiday Collage is a cleverly arranged center piece for your holiday concert. It features the 6/8 Over the River and Through the Woods and Jingle Bells in a clever mix, with quotes from Deck the Halls and O Tannenbaum . Treat your band to this superb arrangement that is a joy to both play and hear!

Jazzy carol treatments are often trite, but there’s some real soul at the heart of Jubellation!  This inventive take on the Ukrainian Bell Carol-moody, bluesy, stylish sophistication splashed with bursts of driving intensity is a refreshing change-of-pace for both your band and audience.

A nice, fun alternative to standard Christmas fare, Old-Fashioned Sleigh Ride contains many teaching concepts (light vs. legato articulation, 8th note subdivision, steady tempo), in addition to amping up the programmatic fun factor with wood blocks, sleigh bells, whip cracks, and a horse whinny! A perfect introduction to program pieces, your students will enjoy the gimmicks while your audience will enjoy its warmth and cheer.

Ever wonder what The Nutcracker would have been like had Tchaikovsky had a vacation home in Jamaica?  Drawing from the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the traditional Jamaican tune Sweet Sugar Plum, Timothy Loest and the style-masters at FJH have created Sugar Plum Reggae – a fun, colorful reggae chart that lets your percussion shine!

With Every Winter’s Breath is a breathtakingly gorgeous work inspired by the idea that even after death, a person’s memory can inspire, comfort, and influence our daily lives.  A poignant original melody and Go Tell It on the Mountain are woven together in a stunning, emotional tapestry.

To browse other Christmas concert band arrangements, click on the Christmas & Holiday link on our concert band webpage, or visit Stanton’s Listening Library!

Holiday Selections for Choir 09 October, 2012

Ready to program your upcoming holiday concert?  Stanton’s suggests that you try one of these outstanding choices with your choir:

As Lately We Watched arr. Ian R. Charter
This festive Austrian carol in 3/4 time is perfect for your a cappella choir. Easy to medium four-part singing with a touch of contemporary harmony and a hearty male solo add a unique quality to this holiday gem.

Deck the Hall arr. Kirby Shaw
This classic song gets a bit of an “island” feel with this a cappella setting that will delight your listeners! It has a slight lyric twist in the middle that will add some spice before returning to the familiar traditional verse.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas arr. Molly Ijames
Molly Ijames is a familiar name in the church world, but a relative newcomer to the school market. Here is her lush, a cappella take on this all-time favorite Christmas standard.

Home for the Holidays arr. Mark Brymer
The social media sites came alive with Christmas cheer with the T-Mobile viral video! Shoppers at a Chicago-area mall were delighted by a surprise flash mob performance by dozens of pink-dressed carolers and an updated spin on a holiday classic!

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day arr. Mac Huff
From their 2011 album “Peace on Earth,” this song by Casting Crowns offers a fresh perspective on a familiar lyric, with a fusion of contemporary and classical sounds that will provide a joyful and inspirational moment in your concert.

A Song of Santa arr. Mac Huff
He’s the man of the hour…Santa Claus! Liven up your holiday stage with this sparkling and fast-paced 9-minute mash-up of 12 top seasonal favorites.

Welcome Yule! by Sally K. Albrecht
Celebrate the joys of the holiday season with this cheerful, buoyant welcome! Perfect as a festive processional. Even features a stanza of “Ding, Dong! Merrily On High.” Delightful and different!

Ding Dong! Merrily On High arr. Ruth Morris Gray
This bright holiday favorite has been arranged with a rhythmic and fun contemporary piano accompaniment under the traditional melody and harmonies. Added sections of “ding dong” dot the arrangement and the optional glockenspiel or handbell parts allow this choral to shine for the holidays.

Up Above My Head arr. Andrea Ramsey
Prolific composer Andrea Ramsey presents a traditional Christmas gospel melody for SSA a cappella with percussion. A great holiday concert or festival selection, this choral allows for numerous solo/small group opportunities throughout. Your students will love to sing this song!

For more suggestions, check out our video below, click here to view our complete School Choral promotion for Holiday 2012, or contact us!

Click here to watch video

Columbus Day! 08 October, 2012

Happy Columbus Day! Since 2012 is the bicentennial of our fair city, there have been even more activities than usual scheduled around this weekend, and Stanton’s is closed today to allow our staff to get out and enjoy the fall in Columbus, OH!

You can still shop and order on our website, or even purchase and print from Stanton’s Digital Delivery. We’ll be open again tomorrow from 9-5 (EST) to serve all your sheet music needs.

The Hunger Games-Songs From District 12 and Beyond 05 October, 2012

This book of sheet music is a collection of three songs from The Hunger Games, and thirteen songs inspired by the movie.  There is a Recorded Versions Guitar book available for Songs from District 12 and Beyond, also.  The piano/vocal/ guitar book is a great addition to the book of piano solos arranged from the soundtrack.  Each of the sixteen titles are performed by a different band.  Have a look at this collection-it reflects the moods of The Hunger Games quite nicely.  Please call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us at keyboard@stantons.com to inquire further about these sheet music books.

Kids’ Korner for Fall & Christmas 04 October, 2012

Involve your youngest singers in worship this fall and Christmas with one of these great anthems for children’s choirs!

Psalm 100 by Kenney Potter
This outstanding piece by Kenney Potter is the second installment in the Growing Musicians Leading Worship choral series. “Psalm 100″ is not only a carefully crafted, exhilarating piece of music, but also includes many opportunities for teaching musical and vocal techniques. This piece will work well in your church or school choir programs.

This Is My Father’s World arr. Heather Sorenson
The “Hymnz4Kidz” series burst forth last year with considerable fanfare, led by one of the brightest new names in sacred music, Heather Sorenson. Now comes the latest release: “This Is My Father’s World.” Traditional hymns dressed in fresh and snazzy outfits that captivate young singers and teach them our legacy of hymnody is grabbing everyone’s attention. Teaching old hymns has never been so much fun!

Hush, My Dear in the Manger arr. Mark Burrows
This piece by Mark Burrows thoughtfully pairs the popular “Away in a Manger” with the lesser-known “A Cradle Hymn” on the HYFRYDOL tune. The piece may be sung in unison, or a second part, which includes beautiful harmonies and melody partnering, may be added. “Hush, My Dear in the Manger” will make a unique addition to your church’s Christmas service or pageant.

Joy to the World arr. Mark Patterson
This exciting arrangement by Mark Patterson uses the typical ANTIOCH tune with a driving piano accompaniment. The arrangement may be sung in unison, or an optional second part may be added for more advanced singers. A simple glockenspiel part adds a smart texture to the piece and is easy enough to be played by young musicians.

On This Day Earth Shall Ring arr. Ashley Brooke
Jubilant and dance-like, this flexible anthem works perfectly for Christmas or Epiphany services. The traditional text celebrates the birth of Christ while an optional text for verse 2 recounts the journey of the Wise Men who came to see Jesus. Unison or 2-part treble choirs will enjoy singing the spirited PERSONENT HODIE tune accompanied by piano and optional tambourine.

Want more suggestions from Stanton’s?  Contact our choral department at 1.800.426.8742!

The Phantom of the Orchestra… 03 October, 2012

Attention:  School String Teachers!  Do you have a concert scheduled around Halloween and you still have one more slot to fill?  Here are some programming ideas at all grade levels.

Grade 1 – T-Rex
Grade 2 – March of the Shadows
Grade 2½ – In the Hall of the Mountain King
Grade 2-3 – Fright Night
Grade 3 – The Evil Eye and the Hideous Heart
Grade 4+ – Night on Bald Mountain
Grade 4½ – Halloween Spooktacular

For more great ideas, be sure to check out the Halloween Concert Suggestions on the Orchestra page of Stanton’s website.

THIS SATURDAY – Free Choral Reading Session! 02 October, 2012

Now that you’ve been working with your ensembles for a few weeks and know the strengths of your particular students, you are probably ready to program your Holiday concert. Let Stanton’s help!

*FREE*
Holiday Choral Reading Session
Saturday, October 6, 2012
10:00-11:30 a.m.

We will read titles in all voicings for winter concerts selected from our school choral promotions. Even if you attended our August “School Choral Week,” we still encourage you to join us for this Holiday session, as we will be including many titles that have not been read on any previous Stanton’s sessions.

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!

Erik Satie 01 October, 2012

The best known compositions by Erik Satie are the Gymnopedies 1-3.  The Gnossiennes are perhaps the second best known of his compositions.  However, he was a prolific composer, and there are  more compositions by him.  Others include a ballet called ”Parade”,  “Sports et Divertissents”, “Ogives”, both for piano solo, The Dreamy Fish, and more.  Stanton’s offers a book of sheet music by Satie that includes some piano music that does not seem to be very well known,  ”Erik Satie, 24 Pieces forPiano“, Volume 2.  It is well worth a look.  You may find some new pieces for your next recital.  So investigate and enjoy!  For more piano music, or to ask questions about Satie’s music, please call 1-800-42-MUSIC, or email us at keyboard@stantons.com.