News & Views Saturday, May 18, 2013

Valentine’s Day is only a few weeks away! Have you chosen your gig list, or the songs you will sing for your sweetie? Stanton’s Sheet Music has a selection of sheet music and books of love songs to meet  your needs.

The Budget Books “Love Songs” costs only $12.99, and it has  74 songs, including “Longer”, “I Just Called to Say I Love You”,  “Ribbon in the Sky”,  “You Are So Beautiful”, and more. We also have single sheets of songs like “Endless Love“, “Love Song“, “Rainbow Connection“, “The Rose“, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight“, and more.

For more information concerning these sheet music collections of love songs or other popular songs, call 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website, www.stantons.com.

The song “Auld Lang Syne” comes from Scotland. The song is very old, collected by Robert Burns – by his own account – though some of the poem may well have been composed by him. The words “auld lang syne” translate rougly to “long, long ago,” and “for auld lang syne” means “for the sake of old times.”

Do you think you know the words?  Are you sure?  Stanton’s has the sheet music for this song. It is also included in several Christmas books of sheet music: Holiday Hits, Ultimate Christmas, and Essential Songs Christmas.

We know what a busy time of year December is for everyone, but especially for church musicians! Between extra services and Cantata rehearsals, when do you have time to find all your sheet music for Christmas Eve?! Make it a little easier on yourself, by purchasing all your arrangements in one volume for these two sacred favorites:

The Complete Gesu Bambino
We proudly present The Complete Gesu Bambino collection. This beloved Christmas classic by Pietro Yon is presented here for high, medium, and low voice with piano accompaniment; piano solo in advanced, intermediate, and easy editions; an organ solo; an organ/piano duet; and for violin and piano. Also included in this collection is a biographical sketch of Yon. A must for every church musician!

The Complete O Holy Night
Eight versions of the song in one collection, each in both French and English. 3 vocal solos (high, medium, low) with piano accompaniment, and 3 vocal solos (high, medium, low) with organ accompaniment. Also includes organ solo and piano solo.

For more Christmas music recommendations, read our previous blog on Christmas Vocal Solos,  check the “Christmas” category on Sacred Piano Music Only, or contact Stanton’s Sheet Music!

Whether you are a church soloist or other working vocalist, you may be called upon this month to provide some holiday music this month that is more classical in style (not that there’s anything wrong with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” but it doesn’t always fit…). Select something from one of Stanton’s favorite classical Christmas collections, and you’ll be sure to provide the appropriate mood:

The Christmas Collection
This beautiful volume is a large resource for classical singers of 53 songs for holiday services and events, designed for a lifetime of use. Contents include 26 Art Songs/Traditional Songs, 19 Christmas carols – including 5 Alfred Burt carols, arrangements by John Jacob Niles and Harry T. Burleigh, and 14 arrangements by Richard Walters – and 8 popular Christmas standards in arrangements especially for singers. The same song list appears in the High Voice and Low Voice volumes.

Christmas Solos for All Ages
The most practical, all-around Christmas collection for singers, with 45 essential solos for the season. There are traditional carol arrangements, art songs and traditional Christmas songs, and three of the greatest of all popular Christmas standards. All songs are in English. Available in three keys, this collection is perfect literature for teaching voice.

The Classical Singer’s Christmas Album
Christmas music selected especially for the classical singer. Contents: The Virgin’s Slumber Song (Reger), O Holy Night, The Birthday of a King (Neidlinger), Jesus of Nazareth (Gounod), Noëls Des Enfants Qui N’Ont Plus De Maisons (Debussy), O Jesulein Suess (Bach), Ermuntre Dich (Bach), Nun Wandre Maria (Wolf), Schlafendes Jesuskind (Wolf), Epiphanias (Wolf), Silent Night (arr. Walters), In the Bleak Midwinter (arr. Walters), I Stand Here at the Cradleside (Karg-Elert).

12 Christmas Favorites
Custom arrangements for voice and piano in two keys, High Voice and Low Voice, including: Caroling, Caroling, The Christmas Song, Do You Hear What I Hear, Ges Bambino, Go, Tell It on the Mountain, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, I Wonder as I Wander, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, O Holy Night, Silver Bells, Some Children See Him, White Christmas. CD includes full performances as well as accompaniment-only tracks.

For more Christmas recommendations, contact Stanton’s classical vocal department.

“Christmas Favorites” and “Christmas Carols“, both in the Sing-A-Long series from Hal Leonard, have pull-out sets of lyric sheets in addition to the piano accompaniment book. “Christmas Favorites” has a set of 8 lyric sheets for the songs in the book. “Christmas Carols” has a set of 12 lyric sheets for the songs in the book.  If you are caroling this Christmas season, or if you have family singalongs when you get together for the holidays, these books with the extra lyric sheets will satisfy the desire to sing along to songs we have heard all of our lives.   Stanton’s has a wide selection of Christmas books-songbooks, solos for instruments, piano and organ Christmas collections of solos.  So check us out at www.stantons.com, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC.

If you’re following Stanton’s on Facebook, you’ve probably noticed that we’re BIG fans of The Muppets (and we’ll take any opportunity to feature them on our page!).  Here’s some of our favorite Muppets music!

From the 2011 movie comes the big opening production number Life’s a Happy Song, a sunny salute to Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy and gang along with their biggest fan Gary! The lyrics say it all, “I’ve got everything that I need right in front of me.”  Also check out The Muppets Choral Highlights (including “Life’s a Happy Song,” “Mah-Na Mah-Na,” “Me Party,” “The Muppet Show Theme” and “The Rainbow Connection”), and the movie songbook featuring 12 great songs from the hit-packed soundtrack.

Looking for classic, “old school” Muppets music?  Try the “John Denver and the Muppets – A Christmas Together” piano/vocal/guitar collection, “Favorite Songs from Jim Henson’s Muppets” (available for piano/vocal/guitar and easy piano), “The Muppet Christmas Carol” piano/vocal/guitar collection, “The Muppet Show Theme” (available for piano/vocal, saxophone quartet, young concert band or string orchestra), or “The Rainbow Connection” (available for MANY different instrumentations!).

For more suggestions, please contact us!

The North American Online Competition for Singers

Hal Leonard Corporation, the world’s largest print music publisher, launched the exciting and innovative concept of a serious music competition for voice students comprised entirely of YouTube video entries. We believe this to be the first legitimate music competition for musicians of various ages, children through college, to be held entirely on the Internet.

Two Categories of Competition:
1. ART SONG
2. MUSICAL THEATRE

Four Age Divisions for Each Category:
Children’s Voices, Ages 12 and Under
Early Teen Voices, Ages 13-15
High School Voices, Ages 16-18
College/University Voices (Undergraduates), Ages 18-23

Cash Prizes for First Place Winners, Valuable Gift Certificates for Second and Third Place Winners

2013 Official Rules and Guidelines

Click to see the video entries of the 2012 Prize Winners

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.

We’re always talking about our knowledgeable staff—you’ll find that very phrase on much of our printed advertising, as well as on our website. Stanton’s sales staff is separated into departments to ensure that each staff member is well informed about a specific area of the wide variety of music that we carry. So when you call and ask about music for trumpet, you’ll be speaking with someone who has first-hand knowledge of repertoire, not just a phone operator with no musical experience. Here’s what you’ll find in each department:

CHORAL DEPARTMENT (ex. 1)
Choral Music for School & Church
Elementary General Music
Classical Solo Vocal
Handbell

BAND DEPARTMENT (ex. 2)
Concert Band
Marching Band
Jazz Ensemble
Orchestra
Solos for all concert instruments
Instrumental Method Books
Music Software/Technology

POP/KEYBOARD (ex. 3)
Sacred & Secular Piano
Organ
Piano Method Books
Popular/Broadway Solo Vocal
Contemporary Christian Vocal
Guitar Solos and Methods
Music for Folk Instruments

You can direct emails to the exact department you need by clicking the links above, or press the appropriate extension when you call 1-800-42-MUSIC. If you’re unsure of which department to choose, we’re always happy to direct you to whoever can best address your needs. At Stanton’s, it is important to us that you receive the most educated answers to your questions and the finest music recommendations.

At Stanton’s Sheet Music, we vicariously help teach your students with you! It’s true…We look through hundreds of new titles every summer and choose the select few that we would use if we were teaching.  These are the titles we share with you in our promotions on-line and in the mail.

So if you are thinking:
“Why should I spend my time looking at Stanton’s promotions?”
It’s because:
• Stanton’s Staff has already spent hours looking at and listening to hundreds of new titles.
• They have picked pieces at all levels that they would use if they were teaching.
• Their aim is to make your life easier and to help you succeed.

And if you are thinking:
“Why is Stanton’s Staff qualified to make these recommendations?”
It’s because:
• Stanton’s Staff is made up of college-trained musicians.
• Some of them have taught in the public schools and many teach privately.
• They know what has proven to be successful for Stanton’s customers over the years.

And if you are thinking:
“Why did Stanton’s Staff pick these particular pieces to recommend to me?”
It’s because:
Stanton’s only selects pieces that they believe are
• The most educationally valid
• The best sounding
• The most highly programmable

So if you are thinking:
“I can’t go wrong with Stanton’s Choices!”
It’s because:
• You’re right!

Top Christian Hits of 2011-2012 includes 21 of the best top Christian songs of 2011 and 2012.  Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Laura Story, Jeremy Camp and more artists are represented here.  There are Laura Story’s “Blessings“,  MercyMe‘s “Move”,  The Afters’  ”Lift Me Up“,  and  Brandon Heath’s  “The Light in Me” included.    These are standard arrangements of the songs; piano with the melody in the  right hand, the vocal part, and guitar chords. If you like to play for yourself, or if you are looking for current songs for worship services, this is a great book of sacred sheet music.  For more information about this  music or other sacred collections, please contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us at  greatservice@stantons.com.

Songs of Joy & Peace is a collection of ten songs arranged differently from most songbooks.  There is a piano accompaniment, there are the words and vocal line, and there is  the novelty of a cello accompaniment written by Yo-Yo Ma.  Three titles are for cello solo; Dona Nobis Pacem Variations, Christmas Jig/Mouth of the Tobique Reel, and Joy to the World.   “The Wexford Carol” is so pretty. It is worth getting a pianist, cellist and vocalist together to perform this at Christmas.  “A Christmas Jig/Mouth of the Tobique Reel“  absolutely sparkles.  Get a fiddler to join in with this one,  the melody is in the right hand of the piano part.   And if you know any folk dancers, play it for them, but not too fast.  It’s hard for anybody’s feet to be still during this medley!  If you want to know more about this collection or anything else you may be curious about, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us at greatservice@stantons.com.

From 2002′s “Word of God Speak” by MercyMe to 2011′s “Blessings” by Laura Story,  the 21 songs in Acoustic Christian Hits  cover eleven years of top Christian hits.  It includes “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone“) by Chris Tomlin, “Hold Me”  by Jeremy Grace,  and more.

These could be used for summer vocal solos for or for piano solos.  A praise band that is used to arranging music for their own group can find material to keep them busy into the fall season.  This collection of sheet music is a gold mine of recent Christian hits.

To check out this book of Christian hits or to inquire about others, please call 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us at greatservice@stantons.com.

This charming movie is still in the theaters. If you and your youngster(s) have already seen this animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ book,  “The Lorax“, now you can sing along with this book of sheet music containing eight songs from the movie.

This timeless tale of how important it is to be ecologically responsible was released March 2, 2012, and stayed at number one for at least  two weekends in the new nationwide releases category.  Take a little of that number one home with you!

For this book of movie music or others you may be interested in, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us at greatservice@stantons.com.

This collection of songs sung by Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. includes eleven timeless standards including “That’s Life“, “Fly Me to the Moon(In Other Words)”, and “My Way”. The piano accompaniments are rich and full of jazz harmonies.  This young man won the sixth season of America’s Got Talent in 2011, and was scheduled to begin a headlining act in Las Vegas in October of 2011.   He loves the standards, and you can tell it. His enthusiasm is infectious!  To take a closer look at this collection or other music you may be interested in, please call us at 1-800-24-MUSIC or email us at keyboard@stantons.com

This sheet music collection of 25 modern songs for worship includes such favorites  as “In Christ Alone” by Avalon,  “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)” by Chris Tomlin, “Speak O Lord” by Keith and Kristyn Getty, and “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” by Sarah Sadler.

The songs are arranged so that they can be played as piano solos or sung by a soloist with the piano as accompaniment.  For summer time special music, this collection of medium to medium high contemporary sacred songs is a treasure trove!

To find out more about this collection or other sacred music collections, call 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us at keyboard@stantons.com