News & Views Thursday, May 17, 2012

“Miyabi” is a traditional Japanese aesthetic ideal meaning “refinement” or “elegance.” It certainly applies to this collection of Japanese impressions for piano composed by Naoko Ikeda. Written on an intermediate level, these pieces give a lovely impression of Japanese music in the use of Japanese modes and sounds along with more modern functional harmonies. This is definitely worth a look.  The melodies are sweet and delightful to play.

If you would like to know more about this collection or other music we have to offer, please contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at www.stantons.com.

This book is for the advanced pianist who is looking for a great book of popular standards for weddings.  Dan Coates, an award winning arranger, has crafted these songs for the wedding ceremony and/or reception.

Thirty-six pieces are in this collection, including The Wind Beneath My Wings, Pachelbel’s Canon in D, Endless Love, I Will Always Love You, Up Where We Belong, and more.  If you would like to know more about this book or other collections for weddings, please contact us!

The rural Sliabh Luachra region on the border of counties Cork and Kerry has a long history related to fiddle music.  Music students at University College Cork can even earn a diploma in Irish Traditional Music with a specialty in fiddle.

“Irish Fiddle Music”, written by Drew Beisswenger with Connie O’Connell, features a few dozen tunes most played by each of the three leading fiddlers of the Sliabh Luachra region: Connie O’Connell, Denis Murphy, and Padraig O’Keeffe. Polkas, slides, hornpipes, jigs and reels are well represented among the three fiddlers.  A CD included with this collection of fiddle tunes has 30 of these tunes played solo by Connie O’Connell.  Many of the tunes are played for Irish set dancing, which is very different from Irish step dancing. If you play for Irish set dancing, or enjoy playing the music for yourself, this collection is a treasure house of tunes!

For more information on this collection of fiddle sheet music or other fiddle collections, please contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC or visit our website!

This is Volume One of Janet Linker’s Complete Wedding Collection books.  This collection of organ solos will cover the wedding service from Prelude to Postlude with classical favorites like The Bridal Chorus, Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring, Pachelbel’s  Canon in D, the  Rondeau by Mouret, and more.  Janet Linker has edited and arranged the pieces in this beautiful collection. 

If you are seeking a book of classical favorites for weddings, this is the book for you! Feel free to contact us to ask about this collection or any other wedding or organ music .

This collection of 83 wedding song favorites will keep a wedding vocalist well supplied throughout the year.  There are piano solos for wedding as well, including: Canon in D, Wagner’s The Bridal Chorus and Handel’s Largo from Xerxes.  Popular wedding songs include Endless Love, Bless the Broken Road, You Raise Me Up, and A Time for Us.

Essential Songs Wedding is a great blend of current songs and wedding standards–a portable song library in one volume! Please contact us to inquire about this or any other of our sheet music products that may interest you.

This collection of love song duets for weddings is arranged by Donald Sosin  for high voice/low voice duets, so almost any type of vocal pairing will work. The piano accompaniment is truly an accompaniment–the melody is not doubled in the piano part–to enhance the vocal parts and add interest to the arrangements.

There are 23 songs, including “Amazing Grace,” both the Schubert and Bach/Gounod “Ave Maria”, some pop song standards such as “Longer” and “Sunrise, Sunset,” and several classical duets, including Cesar Franck’s “Panis Angelicus.”  Wedding Songs for Vocal Duet is one of the few collections of this type.  Whichever titles you choose,  these heartfelt classics will bring an extra touch of joy to an already joyous occasion.

Feel free to contact us at keyboard@stantons.com to ask about this or any other music product you may be interested in. You can also shop/browse our website for more wedding sheet music.

Easter is drawing nigh!  If you need piano music for Palm Sunday and Holy Week that will help your congregation connect with the Divine  and enhance your worship services, this carefully crafted , advanced level suite arranged by Mark Hayes will be just the thing.  Palms and Passion Suite includes three pieces:  ”All Glory, Laud and Honor” is perfect for Palm Sunday.  “Let Us Break Bread Together” brings to mind the first communion at the Passover table earlier in the evening before Jesus was arrested.  “There is a Fountain” reminds us not only of the cross, but the redemptive work done there.  To inquire about this book or other Easter or sacred piano books, email us  at keyboard@stantons.com or contact the piano department at 1-800-224-4257, extension 3.

Nobody tells a story like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. And nobody plays and sings a story like the TSO. The story in “Night Castle“  is  told to a seven-year-old girl on a beach at night.  The  teller comes from far away, and the story is set on at least two continents.   A  fantasy epic,  it speaks to the heart of loss, self-sacrificing love, evil deeds and redemption. 

The songs lend themselves to the piano,  and this collection of 36 pieces is written for intermediate to advanced piano.  If you love TSO,  this 240 page book will keep you happily occupied for hours!

 Now that Harry’s story has been told from start to finish on film, you can get the musical highlights from all eight movies in one book.  Arranged for intermediate to advanced piano, this collection of  piano sheet music from the Harry Potter film series includes pieces  from The Sorcerer’s Stone to The Deathly Hallows Part 2.  Enjoy playing the soaring melody of “Hedwig’s Theme“,  recreate the unsettled feeling in “Courtyard Apocalypse”, or enjoy any of the 36 pieces included in this volume. Over the years it took to produce the eight epic films, four composers wrote for the film series: John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat. Eight pages of color stills from each movie are included in the front of the book.

Contact us for more information on this collection, or the wealth of other sheet music from the Harry Potter series!

The Story of My Life, by Neil Bartram, is a musical about two men and a longtime friendship that started in childhood.  Richard Maltby Jr. , the director, says, “…this show  produced a reaction I had never encountered before…people are moved by what happens to Alvin and Thomas, but the emotional response in the audience members seems larger than that, more personal.”

The show debuted in Toronto in 2006, and premiered on Broadway in 2009.  Since then, it has been performed in several states and South Korea.  If you have already heard the cast recording, you will be happy to find the matching sheet music book.  If you are interested in finding out more about this book or other sheet music books of Broadway musicals, please contact us.

Over the past seventeen years, Ben Folds has been distinguishing himself as a different flavor of singer/songwriter.  This book, The Best Imitation of  Myself, which matches the recording of the same title, includes an overview of his works so far.  There are songs  from his 1990s indie rock recordings, from live performances of  Ben Folds Five, some of  his solo work and three new Ben Folds Five songs.  This book of sheet music includes 22 songs arranged with guitar chords and piano accompaniments for the solo vocal lines. The  piano solo interludes are included in these songs, which is refreshing, since it is a rarity to find piano solos included like this.

For more information on this or other Ben Folds collections, contact our keyboard department!

This new release from Hal Leonard contains over one hundred folk songs from around the world.  If you teach general music, you will find that the “World Music Songbook” is a valuable resource. Some songs have the words in the original language, enhancing the world music experience.  The melody is in the right hand for the pianist, so it’s easy to lead the song if you are playing for a music class.  Whether you are a teacher, or simply love world music, this book of international sheet music will catch your attention!

The ukulele is a hot little instrument, so why not play hot songs on it?  Here is a book of 20 of Taylor Swift’s best songs arranged  for ukulele in easy keys  and medium vocal ranges.  Included are “Our Song“, “White Horse“, and “You Belong to Me,” all of which are also available for instand download and print through Stanton’s Digital Delivery.  There is far more sheet music for ukulele these days than there used to be, and Stanton’s works to keep a wide selection of uke music in stock.

To find out more about this Taylor Swift collection and other collections for ukulele,  email us or call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC.

If you don’t want the same old standards for your special day,  Today’s Hits for Weddings is the book for you!  ”God Gave Me You” by Blake Shelton, “Lucky” by Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz, “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts, “Love Story” by Taylor Swift, plus 21 more currrent songs are in this collection.

The songs may be sung with the piano part, or played as piano solos. Are you ready for an update in your wedding music? At  Stanton’s Sheet Music, we are ready to help you find “something old” or “something new.”  Give us a call at1-800-42-MUSIC, or email us for more details.

At last, here is the sheet music book to match Selena Gomez & The Scene’s third album, When the Sun Goes Down. The recording was released June 28, 2011, and debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200.  The following week, it had risen to #3.

The album’s lead single, “Who Says” was certified Platinum by RIAA on June 23, 2011. “Love You Like a Love Song” and many of the other titles in the collection are available for instant download and print through Stanton’s Digital Delivery.  It is a delightful electro-dance pop album, and this collection has all eleven titles from the recording!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Huh? We musicians need to practice before we perform, so it’s time to start practicing. This collection, Irish Tunes, comes with a Sound-alike CD track for all eight fiddle tunes.  If you would rather not use the CD, a friend who plays guitar, mandolin, or even ukulele can play along with the chord names above the staff.  For more information about this collection, or other fiddle or Irish collections, please call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us or visit our website.