News & Views Saturday, April 19, 2014

“Folk *  Pop Songs for Ukulele”  is a collection of twenty-five folk/rock  songs from mostly the 60′s and 70′s.  Each song has the words, melody and ukulele chords included.  Each song is a classic!  Titles include “Puff the Magic Dragon” (Peter, Paul and Mary),  “Blackbird”  (The Beatles),  “The Unicorn” (Irish Rovers), “We’ll Sing in the Sunshine”  (Gale Garnett),  and  “The M. T. A.” (The Kingston Trio).  This collection of sheet music is great for a singalong or a jam session.  For more information about this collection or others you may be interested in, call 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at http://www.stantons.com.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Students always want to play something familiar and fun on the spring concert, and it’s nice to reward them for their hard work during the school year.  It also helps with enthusiasm and retention, and besides, most of us start playing music because of our exposure to and interest in pop music.  There are several solid new arrangements of Top 40 hits at the grade 3 level from some of today’s most popular artists including Lady Gaga, fun., Coldplay, and hit maker Bruno Mars that your students will love.

Applause – Lady Gaga
arr. Michael Brown
Grade 3
Lady Gaga has struck gold again with this driving and catchy blockbuster hit. This up-tempo rock arrangement is characterized by a syncopated and rhythmic pulse and tuneful melody.

Atlas – Coldplay
(from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)
arr. Michael Brown
Grade 3
Recorded by Coldplay, this beautiful and emotive ballad from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire notably marks the first time that the band has ever written and recorded an original song specifically for a motion picture.

Carry On – fun.
arr. Jerry Davis
Grade 3
A fun and infectious way to introduce your students to 12/8 meter, this uplifting, mid-tempo anthem, recorded by indie band fun., encourages you to push through and, indeed, carry on.

Treasure – Bruno Mars
arr. Victor Lopez
Grade 3
Bruno Mars’ latest upbeat Top 10 hit is incredibly playable and arranged with a contemporary disco soul beat.  Your band will dig the groove and zesty Latin ornaments.

Stanton’s Sheet Music is pleased to invite you to our 2013 “John Jacobson Workshop” on July 31st and “Joy of Singing” on August 1st – two full days of the best new music from Hal Leonard!

John Jacobson Workshop
Thursday 7/31/2014, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Columbia Heights UMC
REGISTRATION: $60.00 teacher/$40.00 student, Both fees include lunch

Joy of Singing
Friday 8/1/2014, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Columbia Heights UMC
REGISTRATION: $50.00 (includes lunch)

Register now online, or contact us at 1-800-426-8742 or choral@stantons.com for more information.

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If you’re facing the challenge of a smaller choir and trying to make the most of your church’s music budget, Stanton’s Sheet Music suggests that you explore some of these exciting new choral collections:

In Christ Alone (Acoustic Praise for the Growing Choir)
The increasing treasury of modern hymns and sacred songs by Keith and Kristyn Getty and collaborator Stuart Townend are explored in this new resource designed for choirs of any level. Many of this writing team’s biggest successes are included, all lovingly adapted by some of our most gifted arrangers. Music for the entire church year is contained in this collection. Transcending stylistic boundaries, this music and message are home in both contemporary-styled worship venues and traditional programs. Creative instrumental adornments offer additional options for performance while sensitive arranging make this compilation accessible to choirs of any size.

10 More Anthems for About 10 Singers
Continuing the acclaimed series of choral collections for smaller choirs, this invaluable and economical compilation is a perfect solution no matter how few in number or vocally unbalanced your faithful choir may be.  More collections in this series include 10 Anthems for About 10 Singers, 12 Anthems for About 12 Singers, 12 Carols for About 12 Singers, 8 Anthems for About 12 Singers, Raise the Praise for About 10 Singers, and 10½ Anthems for About 10 Singers.

Women in Song IV
Here is the 4th volume in Hope Publishing’s successful series of settings for women’s choirs. Included are ten top-sellers composed and arranged by Lloyd Larson for SSA voices. A CD of Orchestral Accompaniment tracks is available for rehearsal and performance.  Check out Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 as well!

For more valuable suggestions for your church choir, please contact us!

One Direction

Spring concerts usually feature lighter concert pieces, music from movies and shows, and students always want to play something they know from the radio.  Teachers often like to reward students for working on the year’s concert music, and it also helps with enthusiasm and retention, so there is nothing wrong with choosing 1 or 2 Top 40 titles for your program.  At the grade 1-2 difficulty level there are new arrangements of hits from One Direction, Anna Kendrick from the movie Pitch Perfect, Pink, fun., and the ever popular (and really solid), Katy Perry.

Best Song Ever  – One Direction
arr. Michael Story
Belwin Beginning Band – Grade 1
This catchy hit from popular band One Direction features an upbeat rock groove, and is written for students in their first or second year of band.

Cups (When I’m Gone) – Anna Kendrick
arr. Johnnie Vinson
Discovery Plus – Grade 2
The critically acclaimed movie Pitch Perfect about a college a capella group featured this upbeat hit recorded by Anna Kendrick. The clever “cups” routine performed with a cup and table tapping has inspired numerous versions on social media. This arrangement for young players allows you to feature the percussion section, or be adventurous and have someone actually doing the “cups” routine out in front of the band!

Just Give Me a Reason – Pink
arr. Patrick Roszell
Belwin Young Band – Grade 2
The mega pop hit by Pink and Nate Ruess, lead singer of fun., comes to your developing concert band with every section getting a chance to shine on the melody.

Roar – Katy Perry
arr. Michael Story
Belwin Young Band – Grade 2
This mid-tempo “power-pop” chart is the first single released on Katy Perry’s 2013 studio album, Prism, and is set in a pop-rock style. Acclaimed as her most successful single to date, even beyond her chart-topping single “Firework,” the uplifting lyrics are certain to bring that same high energy to your developing band performance.

Roar – Katy Perry
arr. Michael Brown
Discovery Plus – Grade 2
With a moderate yet powerful rock pulse and signature strong melodies, this Katy Perry hit adapts easily to a setting for young bands.

Some Nights – fun.
arr. Patrick Roszell
Belwin Beginning Band – Grade 1
The infectious title track by fun. features basic, teachable syncopations, and is sure to be a hit with your students!

This book of sheet music for ukulele contains 365 songs, one for each day of the year.  There is a chord chart at the front of the book, instructions on how to tune, strumming, and how to finger the chords.  The songs include the chord grids for all the chords used in that song.  You can play country songs (“Hey, Good Lookin’” by Hank Williams),  Beatles songs, (“Hey, Jude”), Broadway songs, (“Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” from My Fair Lady), and folk songs, ( “Hush, Little Baby”).  Heck, if you really like some songs, you can play them more than once a year!  “The Daily Ukulele” book provides a bit of fun for every day.  For more information about this song book or similar books, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at http://www.stantons.com. Shop Stanton’s  for all your sheet music needs.

Send your graduating seniors off with music with one of these new choral titles, perfect for spring concerts or graduation ceremonies!

From “Glee’s” 3rd season and the graduation album, Roots Before Branches opens with a reflection on the feelings of doubt that every young person experiences when facing an unknown future, but soon transitions into a powerful and uplifting refrain that expresses hope and confidence. “Roots before branches, to know who I am before I know who I wanna be, and faith to take chances to live like I see a place in this world for me.” A fantastic choice for graduation!

Recorded by Barbra Streisand, What Matters Most is an elegant and heartfelt song, almost classical in style, with a warm, acoustic accompaniment and a simple, direct lyric that celebrates the power of love in our lives.

The traditional Celtic blessing is well-known and loved in many different versions, and the setting Deep Peace by Brian Tate will be especially effective as a gentle closing number or encore for school and community choirs. Easily learned, it offers opportunities to teach flowing lines, diction and dynamic contrast.

Inspired by the words of the Native American Crowfoot, the introspective text of What Is Life? by Greg Gilpin contemplates the meaning of life. Anchored with enduring musicality that builds to a dramatic peak and concludes with the soft realization that “life is the moment, that alone.”

A traditional Irish blessing is given a thoughtful treatment by Victor Johnson in May the Road Rise to Meet You. Lyrical vocal lines and a gently flowing accompaniment provide a heart-felt closure to any concert, graduation, or gathering, and the optional oboe obbligato adds warmth to this elegant setting suitable for school or church use.

For more suggestions for your graduation or baccalaureate ceremonies, contact Stanton’s at 1.800.426.8742. Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Amid all the new Top 40 and movie arrangements for concert band this year is an eclectic handful of pieces featuring music from Broadway and Television.  A hit in over 120 countries, and having just finished its fourth season in the U.S., Downton Abbey – The Suite blends some of the incidental music from the series with the beautiful main theme.  Mash-Up – Tribute Edition combines the music of fun. and Alicia Keys in remembrance of beloved character Finn from Glee, in the wake of the tragic loss of actor Cory Monteith.  HBO continues producing high quality miniseries with Hans Zimmer and Blake Neely’s theme to The Pacific available as well as a medley of songs from Stephen Schwartz’ Broadway classic Pippin.

Downton Abbey – The Suite 
arr. Douglas E. Wagner
Belwin Concert Band
Grade 3
The highly popular television series has become the most-viewed period drama in thirty years. The trials, triumphs, and tribulations of the aristocratic Crawley family are intertwined with the colorful lives of the live-in servant class. The equally colorful music is cast in this medley featuring the series’ familiar theme Did I Make the Most of Loving You?.

Mash-Up – Tribute Edition  
(Remembering Finn)
arr. Patrick Roszell
Belwin Concert Band
Grade 3
Combining the music of the infectious group, fun., and the soulful voice of Alicia Keys, this mash-up of We Are Young and Empire State of Mind serves as a fond remembrance of the popular character, Finn, from the hit television show, Glee.

The Pacific (Main Title)
arr. Ted Ricketts
Hal Leonard Concert Band
Grade 3
From the acclaimed HBO miniseries, with a production team that included Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, comes this distinctive and poignant main theme. Apart from the series itself this powerful music stands on its own, and is beautifully adapted for band by Ted Ricketts.

Pippin
arr. Ralph Ford
Belwin Concert Band
Grade 3
This endearing medley from Stephen Schwartz’ Broadway classic includes Corner of the Sky, Magic to Do, Extraordinary, Simple Joys, Pippin (Finale), and Morning Glow.

After Holy Week is done and you’ve had time to take a breath, make sure you’re ready for the next church season with our August Sacred Choral Reading Session!

Stanton’s is pleased to welcome Larry Shackley as our clinician for the August Church Choral Music reading session! Larry is a full-time composer and music editor from Columbia, SC.  From 1995-2007, he taught and directed the music program at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC. Prior to that, he worked for several years at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, creating original music and producing radio programs for the Moody Broadcasting Network. He also served as staff keyboardist for ten years at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL. Larry’s published music includes over 200 choral pieces, seven cantatas, and 400 keyboard arrangements, as well as vocal and instrumental collections and numerous orchestrations. He has received writing awards from ASCAP every year since 1998, and has fulfilled commissions from schools, churches, and community choirs across America.

Your registration includes a packet of over 35 new choral anthems that are hand-picked from the hundreds published each year. We look forward to seeing you on August 9th for a wonderful morning of singing with one of the nation’s most sought after church music experts.

Sacred Choral Reading Session
Saturday 8/9/2014, 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 Larry Shackley
Saturday 8/9/2014, 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

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The Stanton’s Sheet Music band staff is always looking for pieces to recommend that are great for teaching, fun to perform and listen to, and that provide some programming variety.  In this post, we’re going to turn the variety concept on its head.  The majority of the titles mentioned in this post are of a programmatic (read: concert piece) nature, but their style and backgrounds make them wonderful choices for your spring band concert, so why not break up the monotony of pop songs and movie music with one of these great concert selections!  We are particularly fond of Douglas E. Wagner’s treatment of the Carmen Dragon America, the Beautiful, and Brian Balmages’ bluegrass and Irish flavored Blue Ridge Reel which has been very popular.

America, the Beautiful
arr. Carmen Dragon/Douglas E. Wagner
Belwin Young Band
Grade 2
Long-established as THE setting of America, the Beautiful, the majestic beauty and awesome grandeur of Carmen Dragon’s arrangement has been preserved in this gorgeous edition with accommodations made for younger, less experienced groups. This edition is a must-have addition to your library that your students and audience deserve to experience!

Blue Ridge Reel
Brian Balmages
FJH Young Band
Grade 2.5
One listen and you’ll know why you should program this composition! Masters of style, FJH, do it again, this time capturing the spirit and essence of bluegrass music and its Irish heritage for the concert band! Light playing style, lots of 8th note work, and intricate interweaving of rhythms put this one over the top, while washboard and spoons add to the fun!

Codebreaker
Robert Buckley
MusicWorks
Grade 2.5
Spy music is always fun to play, and the colorful sonic palette of this original work by Robert Buckley is no exception. Use of chromatic tones, shifts in tonal and harmonic patterns, and effective percussion set the tone of intrigue and suspense. Perfect for change-of-pace programming, or pops concerts.

Last Full Measure (Gettysburg)
Michael Sweeney
MusicWorks
Grade 2.5
In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, Michael Sweeney has created an imaginative medley of Civil War tunes well-suited for young bands. The Girl I Left Behind Me (with optional tin whistles), When Johnny Comes Marching Home, and Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier express longing and hope for loved ones away, while Battle Cry of Freedom and Battle Hymn of the Republic inspire feelings of patriotic resolve and courage.

Open Road
Robert Sheldon
Measures of Success
Grade 1.5
Looking for a refreshing concert opener? Fiery and uplifting, this expansive work captures the essence and excitement of traveling the open countryside. Off-beat 8th note syncopation combined with the 3/4 meter create forward-moving lift, the memorable legato response figure provides a light contrast to the overall rhythmic drive, and excellent percussion writing rounds out the complete package!

The Code
Alan Lee Silva
Young Performance Series
Grade 2
Originally published for string orchestra, The Code tells a story that is perfectly suited bands. Your students will enjoy the mysterious style and sophisticated sound created by the tight, 8th note moving patterns, intricate part writing, and syncopated rhythms, and numerous accents, alternating articulations, and subtle dynamic shifts are sure to increase the maturity of your ensemble.

While we’re in the midst of featuring the latest mid-year pop releases for concert band, the fantastic arrangements that were issued over the summer often get lost in the shuffle.  Luckily, our band staff keeps track of these titles, and thinks you should definitely give them a listen – especially Erik Morales’ America, the Beautiful and the Mambo from West Side Story.  These titles are perfect for your spring concert, and there’s something for everyone!

America, the Beautiful                      
arr. Erik Morales
FJH Concert Band        Grade 3
This thoughtful, yet powerful arrangement brings a distinct patriotic element to your program with a focus on harmonic beauty and ensemble sound. Melodies linger at times then push forward as the music reaches a stunning climax full of polychords and a breathtaking ending.

Soundtrack Highlights from Les Miserables          
arr. Jay Bocook
Symphonic Band           Grade 4
Here is a powerful symphonic setting of music from the award-winning movie based on the Broadway classic. This medley includes the new song Suddenly, composed for the film, in addition to the familiar At the End of the Day, I Dreamed a Dream, Master of the House, Castle on a Cloud, and Do You Hear the People Sing?

Mambo (from West Side Story)                      
arr. Michael Sweeney
Hal Leonard Concert Band        Grade 4
From one of the greatest musicals of all time, Leonard Bernstein’s ever-popular Mambo has been carefully adapted and edited to reduce some of the extreme technical demands of the original (notated in cut time and scored a third lower). However, none of the authenticity or energy has been altered, maintaining its crowd-pleasing stature as a stunning theatrical showcase or encore.

The Rolling Stones on Tour  
arr. Patrick Roszell
Belwin Concert Band    Grade 3
Hot off their 50th anniversary, this full-bodied, straight-ahead medley of legendary Rolling Stones hits combines Paint It Black, Ruby Tuesday, and the driving I Can’t Get No Satisfaction into a tour-de-force of classic rock.

For a long time, Stephen Sondheim songbooks have been difficult to get.  Finally, the new series of Sondheim songbooks are off the press!  Sondheim for Singers is a set of song collections arranged by voice range.  The songs are usually in original keys as used in the shows or films.  These collections of Sondheim works cover the time period from 1954 to the present.  Synopses of the different shows are included.  There is one book each of these voice ranges: Soprano,  Belter/Mezzo Soprano, Tenor,  Baritone/Bass, and Duets.  Now we have access to Sondheim’s wonderful songs  again. The duet collection is particularly nice, including “Agony” from Into the Woods,  “Rain on the Roof” from Follies, “Pretty Women” from Sweeney Todd, plus 26 more.  For more information about these or other Broadway collections, call 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or check out our website at http://www.stantons.com.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Testimony is a breathtaking and emotional new work composed by Stephen Schwartz for the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, conducted by Timothy Seelig. Inspired by the heartfelt words of the It Gets Better Project, “Testimony” speaks to anyone who has ever felt out of place. A powerful work of affirmation and inclusion!

For more moving selections for your choir, please contact Stanton’s Sheet Music.

Movie music can be familiar and fun to play, and is the only exposure to symphonic music for most of the general public, including your students.  Besides sounding awesome, it is a great way to vary your programming with some style and texture, and since many arrangements are in medley or suite form, work with your band on style, tempo, meter, and key changes.

This year features several great new arrangements and well-known themes from some very popular movies.  Alan Silvestri and Hans Zimmer are two of today’s most prolific film composers, and have scored some of the biggest blockbusters over the past few decades, including The Avengers, The Polar Express, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Man of Steel, Forrest Gump, and Back to the Future.  The work of each of these composers’ is featured is medley-style arrangements that are sure to be hits with both your students, and especially, your audience.  Alan Silvestri: A Night at the Movies is probably the best composer specific movie arrangement since Michael Brown’s Music for a Darkened Theatre featuring the music of Danny Elfman!

Hans Zimmer’s powerful score to Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot, Man of Steel, is featured in accessible arrangements for both middle school and high school.  If you’re programming the suite (grade 3.5), better get your hornists ready, and rounding out the mix is a medley of some of the most popular James Bond themes, including the recent hit Skyfall, by Adele.

Keep following the Stanton’s Sheet Music blog for more new pop arrangements for concert band including Top 40 Hits, new Disney arrangements (including Frozen!), music from Broadway and television, and classic pop/rock hits.

Alan Silvestri: A Night at the Movies
arr. Michael Brown
Grade 3
Film composer Alan Silvestri has penned some of the most distinctive and memorable moments in recent cinema history. Sure to be a favorite year after year, this impressive setting includes music in a wide variety of styles with familiar themes from The Avengers, The Polar Express, Night at the Museum, Forrest Gump, and Back to the Future.

At the Movies with Hans Zimmer
arr. Justin Williams
Grade 3
Hans Zimmer’s film scores are bold and intense, and are notable for integrating electronic music sounds with traditional orchestral arrangements. This collection is less a medley of tunes, and more a portrait of his styles and moods. Incorporating selections from Man of Steel, Inception, and The Dark Knight Rises, this arrangement is a tour-de-force of dramatic and emotional cinematic textures.

Bond…James Bond
arr. Stephen Bulla
Grade 4
Over the past five decades music from the James Bond film franchise has become a part of our musical culture. This powerful setting of familiar film themes will appeal to all audiences. Includes: James Bond Theme, Skyfall, Nobody Does It Better, Goldfinger, and Live and Let Die.

Selections from Man of Steel
arr. Michael Story
Grade 2
Recreating the excitement from the blockbuster Hans Zimmer film score, this medley from Man of Steel includes Look to the Stars, If You Love These People, Goodbye My Son, Oil Rig, and What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?.

Suite from Man of Steel
arr. Ralph Ford
Grade 3.5
Capturing the vastness, beauty, conflict, and emotion of Man of Steel, Ralph Ford’s suite arrangement from Hans Zimmer’s powerful score includes Look to the Stars, DNA, Goodbye My Son, Launch, Krypton’s Last, If You Love These People, Flight, and What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?.

The beautifully illustrated children’s book Sleep is the latest result of a collaboration between poet Charles Anthony Silvestri and composer Eric Whitacre. In Whitacre’s own words: “The book you are holding is the latest chapter in a story that began in 2000 when I wrote a choral work using as its text Robert Frost‘s beloved poem, ‘Stopping By Woods.’  The piece was a success, but I could not secure the legal rights to use the Frost text for publication.

“Rather than abandon the piece, I asked my friend, poet Charles Anthony Silvestri, to create a new alternative text to replace the Frost poem, one which mimicked the structure and rhyme scheme of the Frost, matched its tonal qualities, and which would seem, in all ways, to be the original text for the music I had created.  His poem was a beautiful meditation on the idea of sleep, and it fit my music perfectly.  ‘Sleep’ has become one of my most successful choral works, and was the basis for the enormously popular Virtual Choir 2.0 Internet phenomenon, uniting choristers from all over the world.

“I am so proud to introduce to you an entirely new way to enjoy and share this wonderful poem, now part of a new collaboration with illustrator Anne Horjus.  Enjoy this book, explore the music which inspired it, and see the connections between words and art and music which are everywhere.”

For more information on this exciting book and Eric Whitacre’s work, please contact Stanton’s choral department.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

From the creative mind of composer Bob Chilcott, the vibrant collection Jazz Songs of Innocence presents five jazzy settings of poems from William Blake’s “Songs of Innocence.” Chilcott challenges the expectation of the listener by setting each classic text in a different jazz-inspired style-from the laid-back swing of ‘The Echoing Green’ and ballad-like setting of ‘The Lamb’ to a lilting jazz waltz, ‘The Little Boy Lost/The Little Boy Found’. The voices are underpinned by a stylistic piano part, which may be played as written or serve as a guide, and a part for bass and drum kit is available separately for jazz trio accompaniment. Ideal for performance individually or as a suite, these innovative songs will make a colorful addition to any concert program.

For more jazz compositions from Bob Chilcott, be sure to explore his Little Jazz Mass, a wonderful setting of the traditional mass texts.  Please contact us for more information, and shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!