News & Views Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Broadway Junior 28 February, 2013

logoBroadwayJr[1]Broadway Junior” is a series of popular Broadway musicals designed to meet the needs of young performers through the ninth grade. Author-approved and condensed to approximately 70 minutes, they preserve the spirit and essence of the original while eliminating elaborate production elements. The “Getting to Know” (G2K) series offers the same type of condensed productions, but is specific to the musicals of Rogers and Hammerstein. There is also the “MTI Disney’s Kids” series, which contains Disney family favorites shortened to 30 minutes and easy enough for elementary students. All three of these product lines are available from Hal Leonard publishing.

What makes these products especially unique is that you get all the performance materials and the performance rights for one set price. The resources included also allow you to cut spending in other areas of production: a full accompaniment CD is included so you don’t have to hire a live pit, a choreography DVD stands in for a professional choreographer, etc. There are also many audition and planning materials available for free on broadwayjr.com.

Here’s how the ordering process works: You place your order with Stanton’s Sheet Music by phone, web, email or fax. We then pass your information along to Hal Leonard, who will fax a licensing agreement to your school. Once you complete, sign and return that contract, your performance kit is shipped directly to you from Hal Leonard’s warehouse. As long as you return the contract in a timely manner, you usually receive the kit about a week after you place your order with Stanton’s.

logoMTIKidsColl[1]Broadway Jr., Disney’s Kids and G2K ShowKits are available for purchase only by elementary, middle and junior high schools (grades K-9). Other groups—high schools, camps, community and children’s theatres, religious organizations—must contact MTI or R & H Theatricals to inquire about traditional licensing. (Read our musical licensing blog to find out more.) To determine whether your organization qualifies, please contact us for more information.

Preview New Music from Home! 27 February, 2013

As you begin looking planning you Spring concert program, remember that you can preview music from Stanton’s before you decide to buy! We know that it’s difficult to tell if a particular piece of music will fit your needs without actually reading it through, so similar to checking things out from a library, you can “borrow” resources from our store using the “21 Day Trial” program!

piano musicEach of Stanton’s departments has slightly different guidelines about what/how many items can be sent on “21 Day Trial,” but in general we can send printed sheet music that is currently in stock. You can request items for trial by phone, email, fax, online or in person—any of the ways that you can place a regular order—but make sure that you specify “21 Day Trial.” You can list the music you’d like to peruse, or you can give us some specifications (like “Patriotic easy piano solos,” “SSA choral music on the theme of friendship,” or “new publications for 8th grade jazz band”) and Stanton’s knowledgeable staff will find some suggestions for you!

We require account or credit card information so that if you choose to keep the music we can charge you accordingly, or return the music within 21 days of your invoice date and you’ll never be charged! (You’ll just have to pay return shipping to get the music back to us.)

Contact us now to request your trial, and then you won’t have to rush around once you’re done with Contest or back from Spring break!

THIS SATURDAY – Spring Choral Reading Session! 26 February, 2013

purple treeIt’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 2nd 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.

Music from the East for Young Band 25 February, 2013

As we were previewing this year’s new concert band arrangements, we were struck by several really good, new arrangements for young band based on Asian folk melodies and styles.  Drawing on traditional Chinese and Japanese folk tunes, as well as original work featuring Eastern-influenced tonality, these pieces are wonderfully authentic and interesting to play.  They provide excellent programming variety, will broaden your students’ musical experience (especially in developing their ears), and create fantastic multi-cultural educational opportunities – a joint lesson in Asian geography and world history would be perfect!

On our recommendation, one of our regular Ohio teachers programmed the Chinese Folk Fantasy.  He was somewhat concerned about authenticity and how it would be received by his Chinese-American families.  They loved it, so it comes recommended with first-hand classroom and concert experience!  Likewise, your students will enjoy the rhythmic qualities of Ryukyu Bushi, the sonic similarities between Reflections of Asia and wind band standard Variations on a Korean Folk Song, and the taiko drums in Japanese Pictures will just be a blast!

Chinese Folk Fantasy
arr. James Curnow
Grade 2
If you’re looking for an alternative programming option, look no further! Combining three traditional Chinese folk melodies, Chinese Folk Fantasy is full of characteristic sounds and rhythms. There is a good deal of 8th note rhythmic doubling and the pointed rhythmic patterns and Eastern tonality will peak your audience’s interest and challenge your students – this one will stretch their ears and increase their harmonic independence.

Japanese Pictures
Kevin Mixon
Grade 2
Bold and exciting, this characteristic work draws inspiration from both traditional and modern Japanese music, and features taiko drums! Plenty of rhythmic punch contrasts with legato phrases, traditional-sounding pentatonic counterlines, and some western harmonies in this enjoyable, multi-cultural work.

Reflections of Asia
Todd Phillips
Grade 2.5
Featuring a charming, simple pentatonic melody that passes around the ensemble, varied articulation, and excellent percussion writing that incorporates common auxiliary instruments, Todd Phillips has created a pleasant, folk-type original work evocative of Variations on a Korean Folk Song sans variations. This is a great choice for developing student ears and technique, as well as light playing style.

Ryukyu Bushi
Patrick J. Burns
Grade 1
Ryukyu Bushi is based on a Japanese folk melody from the Ryukyu Islands where the martial art of karate originated. This dramatic little tune appears throughout the piece, sometimes accompanied by clapping, sometimes by tenor drum, triangle, tambourine, and cymbal. Your young players will enjoy playing this exciting little piece as much as they’ll like saying its title.

Drumset Styles 22 February, 2013

93-DV10053501drumset-style-resource-bk-cd-the-fDrumset is something that is much easier to figure out by seeing or hearing than just by reading.  “The Drumset Style Resource“  book by Pete Sweeney teaches styles from hip-hop to jazz.  The accompanying CD lets you hear the examples.  Each of the ten chapters gives  an overview of each style.  Narada Michael Walden’s “Out of Time“  DVD demonstrates his different styles of drumming in odd meter, and includes some play-along audio.  Check out the link for more about this DVD from this Grammy Award winning performer.   “The Brush Secret” by Florian Alexandru-Zorn shows “how to apply your own voice to the brushes.”  The material presented in this DVD is appropriate for beginners and advanced players.  Information presented includes how to use the right equipment and how to apply brush styles to genres like Funk, Jazz or Reggae.  For more about these products , or other drumset material, please call 1-800-42-MUSIC, see our website at www.stantons.com, or email us at   keyboard@stantons.com.

Plan to Attend: Excellence in Choral Literature Clinic! 21 February, 2013

Stanton’s Sheet Music is pleased to announce our 20th annual Excellence in Choral Literature Clinic on Saturday, August 24, 2013!

This session was designed to help you select concert and contest literature from some of choral music’s most distinguished composers, featuring the best in new music for mixed, treble, and men’s choirs at all levels of difficulty. Registration fee includes a complimentary packet of over 30 titles. Come join us to discover beautiful music and share ideas with colleagues and friends! For more information, please contact us by email, or call us at 1.800.426.8742.

New Orleans Style Drumming, and The Century Project 20 February, 2013

93-DV10034001This new DVD by Daniel Glass, “The Century Project“,  takes  you on  a journey through 100 years of history of the drum set.  From its inception just after the Civil War, (1865), to the British Invasion, (1965), Daniel Glass explains the evolution of the drum set and how we play it.  Eleven vintage drum sets are shown, and Daniel Glass demonstrates a variey of classic styles and techniques.  There are threee hours of material on this DVD.93-DV10015401

In a different DVD set,  Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste,  the Originator of the New Orleans Funky Drumming, presents his life, his legend, and his funky style.  A master of his craft, “Zigaboo”  features a documentary and instruction with an all-star band.  If you have been interested in New Orleans funky style drum set playing, these 2 DVDs will get you going!

For more information about these DVDs or other drum set instruction or music, call 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantonscom, or see our website at www.stantons.com.

From the Classics: Great Arrangements for HS Band 19 February, 2013

As we mentioned in our recent post, Introduce Your Young Band to Classical Literature, classical arrangements and transcriptions are generally overlooked in favor of standard marches, required adjudication selections, and the overwhelming number of excellent original works for band.  While each of these components is an integral part of modern band programs and concert programming, excellent new arrangements from the classical/orchestral repertoire are also released each year.  In addition to adding more variety to your concert programming, these arrangements expose your students to different stylistic periods of playing and composition, and round out their music education.

This year’s selections range from the operatic (Triumphal March from Aida) to the programmatic (Finale from Carnival of the Animals), and the impressionism of Debussy to the American expansiveness of Copland.  More fantastic classical arrangements and transcriptions can be found by visiting the From the Classics link in the High School section of our Listening Library.

Grade 3
The Promise of Living
Aaron Copland, arr. James Curnow
James Curnow has skillfully adapted this Copland classic for younger players while maintaining its characteristic voicings and transparency.  Its simple, legato, elegant opening in the woodwinds gives way to flowing triplet lines and syncopations as it gradually builds to a full climax.  This moving work is a great introduction to Copland for your students and a breath of fresh air for your audience!

Reverie
Claude Debussy, arr. Erik Morales
The ethereal quality of French impressionist Claude Debussy is beautifully captured in this lyrical transcription that lets your woodwinds take center stage. From plaintive to powerful, the orchestration and melodic lines often make the music sound like an epic film score.

Grade 4
Marche Turque/In the Village
Modeste Moussorgsky, arr. Mayhew Lake/Alex Hilliard
This 1938 publication has been updated for the modern concert band utilizing most of Mayhew Lake’s original scoring, but eliminating uncommon instruments.  Stylistic variety abounds from its different march style with plenty of articulation work (trumpets), to its Middle Eastern modality and ambling tempo, and Lake’s scoring uses the wind band instrumentation to full effect.

Finale from Symphony #2 Excerpts
Jean Sibelius, arr. Larry Daehn
Sibelius’ famous “Symphony for Finland’s Struggle for Freedom” expertly arranged for concert band by Larry Daehn. It’s all here – the heroic “Big Tunes” with radiant trumpets, sonorous horns, the threatening rhythmic motif from the trombones, and the incessant foreboding ostinato.

Grade 4.5 – 5
Triumphal March from Aida
Giuseppe Verdi, arr. Douglas A. Richard
While there have been many triumphal marches written by great composers, few are as well-known as this powerful and exuberant march from Act II of Giuseppe Verdi’s 1871 grand opera, Aida. This arrangement is orchestrated to showcase the richness and capabilities of the contemporary wind band and is based on the early 20th Century setting by the famous Italian bandmaster and composer Giuseppe Creatore.

Carnival of the Animals Finale
Camille Saint-Saens, arr. Larry Daehn
This wildly hilarious classic for eleven players comes to life in this new setting for concert band or wind ensemble, arranged by Larry Daehn. Not for the timid – but if you have ‘animals’ in your band (two mallet virtuosi and wind players who get around fast and easily in the key of C) then this piece is for you.  A perfect selection for encore programming!

Piano Lesson Books (And more!) 18 February, 2013

00420168For piano teachers and parents of piano students, Stanton’s Sheet Music is a rich source of materials for lessons and music for fun.  We stock many of the current piano method series, such as Piano Adventures by the Fabers, Piano Town by Keith Snell, the Premier Piano Course from Alfred Publishing, and more.  We stock favorite series some of us grew up with, such as Thompson’s Modern Course, the Schaum Pre-A Book and the following books, and Aaron’s Piano Course.

00322027Sheet music like “Somewhere in Time”, ”Ashokan Farewell”, “Bumble Boogie”, “You Raise Me Up”, and other songs are available in easy piano versions and in intermediate to advanced versions.  Books of popular songs and tunes are available.  The “Twilight” series of movies is available on different levels, as are the “Pirates of the Carribean” series.  The “Star Wars” piano solo books are favorites on any level, as are the Harry Potter collections of sheet music.  The Disney collections are very popular.

Investigate our website, www.stantons.com, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, or email us at keyboard@stantons.com to find out more!

“Warming Up with Rounds” 15 February, 2013

Warming Up with Rounds
by Catherine DeLanoy

Choral rounds have been used for recreational singing for hundreds of years and are effective tools for your students to understand harmony, expand their vocal ranges, and experience a choral sound that is easily accessible to them. Music educators can satisfy state and national music standards with a carefully crafted choral curriculum, bringing choir back into the daily classroom schedule. By using rounds as warm-ups, you can teach vocal technique, music theory, application, appreciation, and history, as well as increase your singers’ understanding of scales, intervals, modes, dynamics, and terminology. Each round in this collection has instructions on the musical focus and implementation of the song. Additional comments from experienced author and music educator Catherine DeLanoy give insight into the historical background or practical tips for a successful performance. Several rounds were intentionally included for adolescent boys with a limited range. Warming Up with Rounds includes both familiar and rare rounds that are easy and challenging, as well as serious and fun. Music teachers and their students will enjoy discovering the secrets that choral rounds offer and ultimately feel a great sense of accomplishment when they make beautiful, harmonious music together.

For more valuable choral resources, visit our website or contact us!

Jazz For Baby 14 February, 2013

nursery-rhyme-jazz-bk-cd--fDoes your youngster get excited about hearing music, or “reading” along with you?  Here are four picture books,  each including a CD that goes along with the book.  The books have heavy card stock pages with colorful illustrations.  Each page has a corresponding song on its CD.  The players in the  jazz band recording are some of New York City’s hottest young jazz players. ”Duck Ellington Swings Through the Zoo” is about Duck going to the zoo to relieve the boredom of the zoo animals with his jazz piano.  Things certainly liven up!  “Charlie Bird Counts to the Beat” tells the story of Charlie Bird playing his sax and counting up to ten.  Three Happy Hippos playing harmonicas never sounded so good!  “Mingus Mouse Plays Christmastime Jazz” is about Mingus Mouse, who, upon arriving at home for Christmas, realizes he hasn’t brought a present for his mom.  After a little brainstorming, he solves the problem.  (Sorry. You have to read the book.)  In “Nursery Rhyme Jazz“, we meet the main jazz characters, which include Ella the Elephant and a few more we haven’t mentioned, yet.  You have never heard nursery rhymes quite like this!  Delight your little one(s) with one or more of these wonderful books.  For more information about these, or other children’s books or songbooks, please contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website, www.stantons.com

Mark Your Calendar – Sacred Choral Reading Session! 13 February, 2013

If you’re sitting here on Ash Wednesday feeling that this Lenten season has crept up on you too quickly, make sure you’re ready for the next church season with our August Sacred Choral Reading Session!

Stanton’s is pleased to welcome back Mary McDonald as our clinician for the August Church Choral Music reading session! Mary McDonald’s musical talents have blessed choirs and congregations across the country. Composer of more than 600 choral anthems and cantatas and numerous keyboard collections, Mary also travels throughout the United States conducting workshops with her unique blend of McDonald_Mary_RGBheart, hands, and humor, combined with a wide range of writing and performing styles. Mary served as the first woman President of the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference in 2000, and is currently on the board of the John Ness Beck Foundation, a member of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and serves as an editorial consultant for Lorenz.

Your registration includes a packet of over 40 new choral anthems that are hand-picked from the hundreds published each year. We look forward to seeing you on August 10th for a wonderful morning of singing with one of the nation’s most sought after church music experts.

Sacred Choral Reading Session
Saturday 8/10/2013, 9:00 am-12:30 pm
Battelle Fine Arts Center, Otterbein University
195 West Park St., Westerville OH 43081
Cost: $20.00 (There is no pre-registration; you may register the day of the clinic beginning at 8:30.)
email our choral department for more details

Sacred Piano Reading Session
- Also featuring Mary McDonald
Saturday 8/10/2013, 2:00 pm-4:30 pm
Stanton’s Sheet Music,
330 South 4th St., Columbus OH 43215
Cost: Free!
email our keyboard department for more details

Introduce Your Young Band to Classical Literature 12 February, 2013

Are you looking to add more variety to your concert program?  Why not work up an arrangement from the classical/orchestral repertoire?  Let’s face it, classical arrangements often get lost in the shuffle of standard marches, required adjudication selections, and the overwhelming amount of excellent original works for band, but are a great way to vary your programming, expose your students to different stylistic periods of playing and composition, and round out their music education.

There are a number of really good, new classical arrangements for beginning to intermediate level concert bands ranging from the beautiful simplicity of J.S. Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring to Moussorgsky’s haunting The Old Castle, from the staple of American classical music Grand Canyon Suite to the lushness of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake ballet, and the fun of featuring your low brass on Saint-Saens’ Elephants and your trumpet section on the familiar themes in Trumpets of Symphony Hall.

For more great classical arrangements head over to our Concert Band Listening Library and click on the From the Classics links under each category!

Elephants (from Carnival of the Animals)
Camille Saint-Saens/arr. Matt Conaway
Grade 1.5
Bring those low voices into the spotlight! In this setting from Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, Matt Conaway has created an accessible and audience-friendly feature for those oft-forgotten basses in the back that is also a fun choice for recruiting performances!

Themes from Grand Canyon Suite
Ferde Grofe/arr. Douglas E. Wagner
Grade 2
Too good to pass up! Introduce your students to this staple of American classical music with this true-to-the-original arrangement by Douglas Wagner. Beautiful and loaded with instrumental color and texture, this work features 4 of the 5 movements (Sunrise, On the Trail, Sunset, and Cloudburst), with plenty of musical and style contrast, and also provides a built in social studies lesson.

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
J.S. Bach/arr. Samuel R. Hazo
Grade 2
Perfect as a warm-up, pre-performance contest selection, or lyrical offering, Samuel Hazo has created an accessible arrangement of this Bach classic by moving the time signature into 3/4 and writing the rhythmic motion as quarter notes. Warm and buoyant, the legato, flowing nature of this work is perfect for getting air moving, and the rolling quarter note rhythms warm up the fingers without many tonguing concerns.

The Old Castle (from Pictures at an Exhibition)
Modeste Moussorgsky/arr. Robert W. Smith
Grade 2.5
One of the coolest sounding pieces of classical music, your students will love playing this gorgeous, mature-sounding selection. Opening with a trumpet and trombone statement of the stately Promenade, the work moves into a faithful arrangement of the haunting original complete with its eerie colors and textures, incessant ‘heartbeat’ and 3/4 motion.

Pictures at an Exhibition
Modeste Moussorgsky/arr. Timothy Loest
Grade 1
One of the most colorful works in the classical repertoire, this concise arrangement features 3 distinct movements: the stately Promenade; powerful, workmanlike Oxcart; and the majestic Great Gate of Kiev. Your audience will be impressed by the mature sound, and you can even coordinate a lesson with your art teacher!

Slavonic Dance #1, Op. 46, #1
Antonin Dvorak/arr. Michael Story
Grade 1
Originally composed in 1886 for four-hand piano, this beginning band transcription/reduction develops the charismatic melody and offers opportunity to explore varied timbres with your beginning band, and introduce or reinforce 3/4 time.

Swan Lake
P.I. Tchaikovsky/arr. Jack Bullock
Grade 2
If your students enjoy the scores to Harry Potter, then the haunting, flowing melody from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake will seem familiar, and is a perfect introduction to ‘classical’ repertoire.  Underscoring the title dancer as he is turned into a swan, this arrangement is perfect for developing ensemble musicianship, programmatic playing, and introducing students to ballet.

Trumpets of Symphony Hall
arr. Todd Stalter
Grade 1.5
Add a touch of light novelty to your concert, introduce your band to some standard classical themes, and feature your trumpets all at the same time!  Your audience will enjoy the variety of this arrangement showcasing themes by Beethoven, Mozart, Dvorak, Haydn, Brahms, and more, while your trumpet section and ensemble navigate multiple changes of playing style and dynamics.

The “Other Woodwinds” Part Three 11 February, 2013

melbay-95361-fPart one of The “Other Woodwinds” discussed the recorder, and Part two discussed the Native American flute.  Part  three  discusses the “tinwhistle“, also called a “pennywhistle”.  It’s called a “tin” whistle because it’s traditionally made of tin rolled into a tube and finished as a musical instrument.  It’s called a “penny” whistle because the street urchins and itinerant performers used to charge a penny to play a tune.    Mel Bay’s “You Can Teach Yourself Tinwhistle“  can get you started with your new tinwhistle. This book of 8o pages can teach you to read music, how to play the notes on the whistle, and it gives you songs to play. Stanton’s also sells tinwhistles- The Original Clarke Penny Whistle in the key of D.  Once you get the hang of your pennywhistle, there is a book of Irish tunes to play called Mel Bay’s Deluxe Tinwhistle Songbook.  It has guitar chords written in so you can have  a friend play along with you.  Get ready for St. Patrick’s Day, or just get the book for fun.  For more information about tinwhistle music or Irish music for Saint Patrick’s Day, please call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at www.stantons.com.

The “Other Woodwinds”, Part Two 08 February, 2013

melbay-96718-fWoodwinds aren’t just flute, clarinet and saxophone.  They can be recorder, Native American flute, or tinwhistle.  Part One investigated the recorder.  Part Two will address the Native American flute.  There is some music printed for this instrument.  Until recently, (the early 1970′s), the Native American flute has been a little-known instrument.  This is because, “in the years of official suppression of native culture, the use of the flute was lost by many tribes and continued as a small part of the tribal culture in which it remained.”  (R. Carlos Nakai, page 2 in “The Art of the Native American Flute“.)  Now there are many makers of fine Native flutes, and people want to find music to play.  Native flutes are built in keys, and their range is one or two notes more than an octave.  It’s not unusual for a person who plays often to have several flutes, each in a different key.  The sweet, pure sound of the Native flute is pleasing and calming.  If you have one, or would like to get one, and you need to know how to start playing it, “The Art of the Native American Flute” by R. Carlos Nakai is a great book to begin with.  It explains Native musical traditions, tunings and finger patterns, the Nakai tab system and more, followed by transcriptions of 18 flute compositions by Carlos Nakai from several of his recordings.

A second book of Native flute songs is “Songs of the Nations” by Jim Mayhew.  It uses the Nakai tab system to notate songs from many tribes collected by Frances Densmore for the Smithsonian Institute’s Bureau of American Ethnology.  Her method of recording was the newly-invented  Edison Recorder.  Natives called it a “speaking box”.  Because of the “speaking box” and Frances Densmore, we can still sing and play these songs today, more than 100 years after they were first recorded.songs-of-the-nations  If you are interested in these books, or other folk instrument publications, please contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or check out our website at www.stantons.com

Kid’s Korner 07 February, 2013

childrenmassInvolve your youngest singers in worship this spring with one of these great anthems for children’s choirs!

I Can Do All Things
True to his fun and quirky style, Mark Burrows has fashioned a creatively interactive song with a fantastic scriptural message that children will love singing! Clapping, dancing, laughing and more express how we can do anything through Christ. Have fun with your choir as you learn and play through this song!

Somebody’s Knockin’
Ken Berg has set this spiritual with great fun and amusement, including stomping and clapping to represent the “knockin’ at the door.” The accompaniment sounds complicated, but is actually quite accessible for the average pianist. The composer has included optional notes in various spots to allow the director to choose the best range to fit the ability of the choir.

Rejoice, the King is Coming!
This stately anthem for Palm Sunday offers the flexibility of use with choirs of children, youth, and adults or a solo cantor with choirs. Opening with an optional processional, choirs have the chance to sing antiphonally as a fanfare-like piano accompaniment and optional finger cymbals support the singing. An easy descant near the end of the piece also gives young choirs the opportunity to sing two parts easily and successfully.

Brighter Than Snow
New to the Augsburg Fortress catalog, Ruth Elaine Schram is not a new name to the music world. Comfortable at writing in all genres, she creates an exquisite setting of Psalm 51 with a new text adaptation “Brighter Than Snow.” This piece will work equally well for children’s choir, women’s voices, or mixed voices.

Welcome Easter Morning
A spirited piece in 2/2 meter, this Easter anthem calls the “global congregation” to sing together the joyful alleluias of Christ’s resurrection. A sparkling piano accompaniment highlights the charming melody that’s easy to learn and fun to sing. A clever flute part at the end of the anthem weaves in short, familiar phrases of “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today.”

The Joy of Part Singing
“The Joy of Part Singing” is a resource that will help children’s choirs experience greater success in part-singing through short, accessible warm-ups, vocal exercises, rhythm chants, echo songs, mini-descants, and rounds. While some of these exercises are for rehearsal only, others may be shared in worship or in concert settings. Everything presented in the book was born out of the author’s own need as a conductor of children’s choirs. Even if your choir is currently working towards solidifying a beautiful, unison sound, these activities will help singers build the foundation for singing in multiple parts in the future.

Want more suggestions from Stanton’s?  Contact our choral department at 1-800-426-8742!

Fantastic Folk Song Settings for Concert Band 06 February, 2013

Folk songs have provided the basis for many classical compositions for centuries, a tradition that has carried over into the wind band world.  From settings by Percy Grainger, to the Holst Suites and Grundman Rhapsodies, folk song settings have become staples of band repertoire in individual arrangements, medleys, and original compositions.  There are a half-dozen good new arrangements and compositions incorporating folk songs for concert band this year running the gamut from a beautiful new setting of Shenandoah to the traditional Jewish Hava Nagila – be sure to check them out below!  For more information and analysis of folk song use in standard wind band repertoire check out the Catalog of Folk Song Settings for Wind Band.

Down in the Valley
arr. Pierre La Plante      Grade 3                        $76.00
The most well-known and beloved American mountain ballad in a beautiful, sensitive setting by master folksong tunesmith-arranger, Pierre LaPlante.

Hava Nagila
arr. David Bobrowitz     Grade 3                        $50.00
The excitement builds with the tempo in this wonderfully authentic arrangement of the traditional Hebrew song. Opening with a solo group consisting of flute, saxophone, euphonium, and bells, the unfolding musical tide gains momentum with each section, right through the boisterous, celebratory ending.

Poor Wayfaring Stranger
arr. Andrew Boysen, Jr.            Grade 4                        $70.00
The opening movement of Three Folk Song Settings for Band, “Poor Wayfaring Stranger,” is a dramatic and dark presentation of the well-known song.  Each movement opens with a similar motive of a rising fifth followed by a descending second.  This unifying motive is used both harmonically and melodically in each of the three movements and sets the foundation for the entire suite.

Saddle Up
arr. Clifton J. Jones       Grade 4                        $80.00
Check out this lively mix of traditional songs from the American West, colorfully scored for concert band including Red River Valley, a unique, bluesy setting of The Yellow Rose of Texas, a jaunty Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo, and caps off with a bright, boot-scootin’ Cotton Eyed-Joe.

Shenandoah
arr. Julian Bond             Grade 3                        $68.00
Julian Bond’s rich arrangement of this popular traditional American melody is aimed at developing a warm ensemble sound and expressive phrasing. The palette of colors changes throughout to allow each section to shine as the melodic responsibilities are passed around the ensemble. The piece ebbs and flows from subtle splashes of light to dramatic presentations of melody creating an overall effect that is contemporary and picturesque.

Within the Castle Walls
arr. Brian Balmages      Grade 3                        $80.00
Wielding these courageous Welsh folksongs, a portrait emerges of the many faces of war — bravery in battle, loneliness & longing, pride & national spirit — an inspiring, emotionally-charged and richly varied suite reminiscent of Grainger.

Announcing 2013 “School Choral Week!” 05 February, 2013

Featuring talented clinicians from major publishers, Stanton’s summer choral clinics are a fantastic way to jump-start your school year! We always look forward to visiting with our regular customers, matching up faces with names of new attendees, and meeting teachers new to Stanton’s from across the country.

Mark your calendar for these dates:

Elementary General Music Clinic
Wednesday July 31, 2013
Clinician: Cristi Cary Miller
The John Jacobson Workshop
Thursday August 1, 2013
Clinicians: John Jacobson & Cristi Cary Miller
The Joy of Singing
Friday August 2, 2013
Clinicians: Mark Brymer, Mac Huff, John Jacobson& Cristi Cary Miller
Stanton’s Super Session
Saturday August 3, 2013
Clinicians: Andy Beck, Greg Gilpin & Jen Sper

Also in August 2013:

Sacred Choral Reading Session
Saturday August 10, 2013
Clinician: Mary McDonald
(no pre-registration for this session)
Excellence in Choral Literature
Saturday August 24, 2013
Clinician: James Gallagher

Registration will open in March. For more detailed information regarding any of these clinics, contact the choral department at 1-800-426-8742, extension 1.

One Month until our FREE Choral Reading Session! 04 February, 2013

purple treeIt’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 2nd 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.

New Church Anthems for Spring 01 February, 2013

0283-Springtime-church-5x7_It may still be cold and snowy outside, but it’s certainly not too early to be planning your choral anthems for this spring – especially with Easter arriving so soon this year!  Stanton’s Sacred Choral Music staff has carefully chosen these pieces to be appropriate for a variety of worship styles and services throughout the coming months.

For the Lenten season and Holy Week, Lenten Chorale is a sturdy setting of a Charles Wesley text.  Along with original musical material by Claude T. Bass, it incorporates “Passion Chorale” by 16th century composer Hans Leo Hassler.  The strong part-writing is most sensitive to the text and is well supported by a flowing keyboard accompaniment and an optional oboe part, included in the score.  What Love Is This is a moving anthem that traces the final steps of Christ’s earthly life leading to His crucifixion.  The text and tune explore the deep love of a Savior who would sacrifice His own life for the redemption of humanity.

Hosanna Loud Hosanna is a cheerful rendition of the time-tested ELLACOMBE tune set in a rolling 6/8 meter. The effect is compelling and one can almost see the swaying of palms and the celebrating crowds that followed Jesus into Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday. Effective with piano or the orchestration, this anthem makes a great processional or special music to observe the triumphal entry.

What a great idea to write resurrection words for the traditional Christmas tune, “I Saw Three Ships” to create a festive anthem for Easter morning! And, what an even better idea to also include the traditional Christmas text so that this anthem may be used for both high points in the church year! Philip Kern begins Easter Day in the Morning with a drum-like introduction that calls the voices to “frolic” through the opening verses. This leads to an a cappella verse, and finally, grand, accompanied verses bring this thrilling anthem to its glorious ending.  And, both large and small choirs will enjoy the full sound of the beautiful anthem My Redeemer’s Love.  It opens and closes with a glorious choral fanfare, and the stanzas are based on the beloved hymn tune HYFRYDOL, which is perfect for incorporating congregational singing.

For other Sundays this spring, try Arise My Soul, Arise arranged by Dan Forrest.  This Charles Wesley text, set to CHODAN, is a tender, yet emphatic statement of faith and commitment. Scored for SATB chorus with piano and optional violin, this anthem is suitable for Lent, communion or general worship during a time of confession and assurance of pardon.  Other wonderful choices include How Majestic Is Your Name (Michael W. Smith’s celebrated hymn with a classical feel), Canticle of Promise (an adaptation of Psalm 103 featuring Faure’s “Cantique de Jean Racine) and Built on a Rock (a gospel toe-tapper from Joel Raney).

Did you miss out on our Sacred Choral Music Reading Session?  Never fear!  If you’re interested in receiving a packet from this year’s clinic (featuring these and many more selections for spring worship), please contact us!  You can also click here to view our entire Sacred Choral promotion for Spring 2013, or visit our brand new Virtual Workshop!