News & Views Sunday, May 19, 2013

Caring for our planet is becoming more and more important to our society and our world. According to EarthDay.gov, “Earth Day is a time to celebrate gains we have made and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress; Earth Day is a time to unite around new actions; Earth Day and every day is a time to act to protect our planet.” These choral pieces are an ideal way to celebrate our planet and encourage environmental action:

I Will Tread Lightly by Alisa Bair is a lilting and winsome choral that beautifully expresses the ever-growing desire to preserve and protect our cherished planet. Features a jubilantly optimistic message of environmental stewardship.

Treasures by Mark Patterson is a dazzling marriage of language and music perfect for drawing attention to the magnificent and mighty natural resources of this world.

All Things Bright and Beautiful by John Rutter is a long-standing classic in choral literature. It’s sweet, simple melody lingers with you, and the text celebrates all the wonders our world has to offer.

Another John Rutter favorite appropriate for Earth Day is For the Beauty of the Earth, a gentle and joyful setting of the beloved text.

Contact the choral department for more superb repertoire suggestions for your choir. Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Stanton’s Super Session
Saturday 8/3/2013, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
at Stanton’s Sheet Music, 330 S. Fourth St, 43215
REGISTRATION: $55.00 (includes lunch)

Do you need to put a little “spark” in your choral program? Is there just too much new music out there for you to review? Join us for a fun, enriching day of music education with Andy Beck, Greg Gilpin, and Stanton’s own Jen Sper featuring music from Alfred Publications, Shawnee Press and many other choral publishers. Nowhere else will you find such a variety of new choral selections and teaching resources to inspire and motivate you and your students as you begin the school year.

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Stanton’s Sheet Music is pleased to invite you to our 2013 “John Jacobson Workshop” on August 1st and “Joy of Singing” on August 2nd – two full days of the best new music from Hal Leonard!

John Jacobson Workshop
Thursday 8/1/2013, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Columbia Heights UMC
REGISTRATION: $60.00 teacher/$40.00 student, Both fees include lunch

Joy of Singing
Friday 8/2/2013, 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.

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Stanton’s Super Session
Saturday 8/3/2013, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
at Stanton’s Sheet Music, 330 S. Fourth St, 43215
REGISTRATION: $55.00 (includes lunch)

Do you need to put a little “spark” in your choral program? Is there just too much new music out there for you to review? Join us for a fun, enriching day of music education with Andy Beck, Greg Gilpin, and Stanton’s own Jen Sper featuring music from Alfred Publications, Shawnee Press and many other choral publishers. Nowhere else will you find such a variety of new choral selections and teaching resources to inspire and motivate you and your students as you begin the school year.

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

A cappella pop singing…it’s the hottest trend in the nation! In A Cappella Pop: The Complete Guide to Contemporary A Cappella Singing, you’ll find the tools to challenge your top high school and collegiate-age singers. With a foreword by Deke Sharon, topics include: forming your ensemble, music selection, rehearsal techniques, sound reinforcement, vocal percussion, and much more! Author Brody McDonald’s award-winning ensemble, Eleventh Hour, was the first high school group to appear on NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” so he’s a wonderful resource on the topic!

Find more contemporary a cappella resources on our website, and shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

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 check out our video below, contact us by email, or call us at 1.800.426.8742.

Click here to watch video

Stanton’s is pleased to invite you to our 2013 “John Jacobson Workshop” on August 1st and “Joy of Singing” on August 2nd – two full days of the best new music from Hal Leonard!

John Jacobson Workshop
Thursday 8/1/2013, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Columbia Heights UMC
REGISTRATION: $60.00 teacher/$40.00 student, Both fees include lunch
Wear your comfy clothes and tennis shoes because you’re gonna get a workout! Recharge your battery, renew your enthusiasm and review the best new titles for show choir with the master of choreography, John Jacobson and special guest, Cristi Cary Miller. You will receive all the music and choreography notes for at least 20 complete routines. (Students attending this session will not receive a music packet. )

Joy of Singing
Friday 8/2/2013, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Columbia Heights UMC
REGISTRATION: $50.00 (includes lunch)
Stanton’s has hosted this session for almost 30 years! Music for all levels of choral ensembles – elementary through adult – will be presented by clinicians Mark Brymer, Mac Huff, John Jacobson and Cristi Cary Miller. Each director will receive a packet of new music valued at over $150.00 containing arrangements suitable for both school and community choirs. You’ll have ample time to browse Stanton’s on-site store and chat with the clinicians throughout the day.

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

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

*FREE*
SPRING CHORAL READING SESSION
Saturday, March 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.

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.

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!

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.

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

*FREE*
SPRING CHORAL READING SESSION
Saturday, March 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.

According to the Contemporary A Cappella Society, “contemporary a cappella” is a moniker used to describe the idiom of popular a cappella (voices only – no instruments) that arose during the mid- to late 1980s, and now spans a wide variety of styles including rock, pop, R&B, hip-hop, country, jazz, etc.  Here are just a few of the newest publications from master a cappella arranger Deke Sharon:

Double platinum and Grammy nominated, this a cappella arrangement of Beyonce’s epic pop power ballad Halo features interwoven polyrhythmic vocal textures and a powerful soprano solo. Optional body percussion (stomps and claps) notated.

Holding Out for a Hero, the #1 song from the “Footloose” soundtrack sung by Bonnie Tyler, was one of the biggest songs of the 1980′s. Bombastic and fun, it’s a great feature for a female soloist, and makes a great show closer or encore.

Originally performed by Maxx Factor on “The Sing Off” season one, Love Story is sweet, warm and easy to sing yet full and rich. The melody is in the soprano 2 part with duet and trio lines throughout.

Take a rock and roll hajj back to the psychedelic 60′s on Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet Ride. Packed with energy, this arrangement makes for a great show opener, closer or encore.

Perhaps the most iconic song of the 80′s, Thriller is finally available as an a cappella arrangement! Rhythmic, full, fun to sing, yet not too complex so your singers will be able to tackle a few signature dance moves while they sing. Zombies optional.

Check out our website for more titles in the Contemporary A Cappella series, and contact us for further repertoire suggestions!

Stanton’s Sheet Music suggests that you make your students the stars this spring with some of these great popular music choices for women’s and men’s choirs.  Whether you’re looking for current pop, an inspirational ballad or a Broadway showstopper, we’ll help you find the perfect choice for your ensemble!

The English singer/songwriter Adele’s second album, “21,” has enjoyed enormous critical acclaim, with reviewers lauding her multi-Grammy-winning vocal performance and introspective songwriting. Four smash hits are included in the ten-minute medley Adele: Songs from the Album 21, including: “Rolling In the Deep;” “Rumour Has It;” “Set Fire to the Rain” and “Someone Like You.”  A great feature for treble ensembles!

From Season 3 of “Glee,” the soulful cover of the hit song Shake It Out by Florence + the Machine provided a dramatic and inspirational moment for the girls of New Directions. Simple acoustic accompaniment and expressive vocal harmonies make this setting a super choice for women’s ensembles!

Celebrate 50 years of James Bond 007 – and the release of the movie “Skyfall” – with the fabulously recognizable James Bond Theme, originally premiered in the film “Dr. No.” Men’s choirs can now enjoy these exciting rhythms, marvelous melodies, and snazzy harmonies!

The layered wordless accompaniment provides a steady and soulful underlay for the sweet pop melody and lyrics of the Bruno Mars chart-topper Just the Way You Are. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Prom, Spring Concert or any romantic occasion!

For more suggestions, check out our video below, or contact us!

Until his untimely death in 2003, Moses Hogan was one of the most celebrated contemporary directors and arrangers of spirituals. In his short life, he created dozens of new original arrangements of classic spirituals, and formed several choirs that performed them with new vitality.

Now available are three new arrangements of Hogan’s spirituals, adapted for men’s choirs by Dr. Peter A. Eklund of University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  These arrangements maintain Hogan’s original spirit, while creating new opportunities in TTBB choral repertoire.  The timeless hymn Abide With Me appears in a rich and sonorous setting that will be a concert highlight!  The exuberant work Ride On, King Jesus! represents some of Hogan’s best compositional statements and is a powerful concert feature for better choirs.  And from the powerful opening chords of My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord to the exhilarating call and response sections, this is a work that will bring down the house!

For more exciting repertoire for your men’s choir, please contact us!