An Interview with Choral Conductor and ACDA Honoree Allen Lannom
By Marie Stultz, Contributing Editor
Allen Lannon has been the artistic director of the Masterworks Chorale of Lexington, MA since 1952 and was on the faculty of Boston University for three decades, where he conducted choral organizations and taught voice and conducting. After his retirement from Boston University in 1982, he was Director of Choral Activities at the Boston Conservatory until 1999. He was the keynote speaker at the Eastern Division American Choral Directors Association convention in February 2004. In 1998, he received a Lifelong Service Award from the ACDA.Stultz: First of all, when did you know you were going to be a musician?
Lannom: I didn't really know that until I was almost out of college.
S: Really? What were you majoring in before you made the decision to be a conductor?
L: Well, I had a crazy career that went this way and that way. I went into college to major in speech and did so.
S: And where was this?
L: This was at Occidental College. I was in the speech department in graduate years as a fellow, but I had always been in music. I started directing a choir when I was 18.
S: What kind of a choir was it?
L: It was a church choir. A pretty decent little church choir but not great.
S: You've done church music through almost all of your life?
L: Yes, that's where it started and I've done it through almost all my life.
S: You're still doing it aren't you?
L: Oh yes. I'm conducting at Plymouth Church in Framingham. And I was kind of hitting two tracks in college. I was taking a music course or two and a speech course. And I got to know Howard Swan. He helped make up my mind in a sense. In the latter years in college, I was teaching speech as a teaching fellow and coach of the debate team. Then Howard asked me to direct the chapel choir, which sang just once a week. There were eight singers in it that were scholarship singers. So I had my church choir, my chapel choir and by that time I was directing a community chorus. So then, I had to decide something. I decided the whole speech field was difficult, so I went into education to get my education degree. Then at the end of that I had to make up my mind. What was I going to do? There were jobs available in English speech but I held off and took a job in music.
S: Where was that?
L: At a junior high school in Alhambra, California.
S: My goodness! So you started out in public education with a career track?
L: Yes. Of course the education people didn't like me because they like to get you from the beginning of your career in college straight through. I did my bachelor's and then I went to them and said I'd like to get my general education secondary degree. And so we went from there. They were at first not too happy.
S: Where did you get your Master's?
L: I did my two years of graduate work and got my teacher's degree at Occidental College. But I got my Master's in English at Boston University after I moved here. Once I started my career in church music in California, I decided I needed to get some exposure to the East coast - in particular the leadership of Robert Shaw. I left California for a year and went to New York. I knew Shaw was going to Julliard but wouldn't stay put that long. So I decided I ought to go. I was right because he was only there for three years. I was his assistant conductor at Julliard.
S: What was that like?
L: It was an interesting experience because you can't sit in rehearsal with Robert Shaw without learning an awful lot. I didn't learn from his lessons in conducting; that's not the way you learn from Shaw. You learn from sitting in his rehearsals and hearing the way he goes at music. So, since I was working with him I also filled in for him at his collegiate chorale when he was gone. I also met through him Julius Hurferd and worked with Julius. Then I arranged to take Julius to the West coast and set up workshops for him for two or three years. By then he'd attached himself to UCLA and done his own thing. But Julius going to the West coast was an important thing to me. So, I had two large choirs in California. One had two services, which alone is a fantastic story. When I went there it was a small church. They sent a minister there to close up the church. He convinced them after he'd been there a while that it shouldn't be closed. That church went on to build a new church, develop its membership and it had at that time about 1,100 members. And that's a church they were getting ready to close! They built this new church but by the time it was built they'd already outgrown it. They needed to have two services. So it was a fantastic church and I had a fine choir there. The other church was the First Methodist Church in Pasadena, which is a good size church. In both of those churches I started doing major sacred works with orchestra. We were the first to do that on a regular basis.
S: What brought you here from California?
L: Well, by then I'd moved up the ladder pretty well in church music. The minister at the Pasadena church was Harold Case, who became President of Boston University. After he came here he wrote back and wanted to know if I'd thought about heading down to the university. So I came here and looked it over and we talked a long time about it and decided that yes, I would come.
S: Best decision you ever made, don't you think?
L: Yes, I think it was. There were many critical decisions that went into the whole thing.
S: So you were at BU for how many years?
L: Thirty-two.
S: Wow, thirty-two years at BU. You left maybe two or three years after I'd taken classes with you. And then how long were you at the Boston Conservatory?
L: Seventeen years. So I hang around. (Laughs)
S: When did you start with Masterworks Chorale? Was it already in existence?
L: It was already in existence.
S: Who founded it?
L: I can't recall who it was. It was just a few years before I took it over. I took it over in 1952. It had been on a little hiatus during the war years but since 1940, I think, it has been going. And it had different conductors. The Chorale had Lucas Foss when he was a young person. I formed a Masterworks Chorale in California while I was there too. I suppose my main focus all my life has been in adult singers. Older, post college or anything else. So when I had a chance to take over what was then the Lexington Choral Society, I did and started growing it from there. And I've always liked this meeting of minds and spirits with the older singers. Not that they have to be that old. We have some that are pretty well along but we also have some that are just out of high school which I think is good.
S: What did it feel like to be honored at the Eastern Division ACDA in Boston?
L: Well, it's a little overwhelming.
S: Well, you've done so many years of service.
L: It's nice to have your peers recognize you. It's all fine.
S: What's the most memorable music experience that you've ever had? Or are there many of them? Is there one that was a high point for you?
L: Well there are many, it's hard to pick out one. In terms of connecting with the public, the performance that we did as a part of the Boston Festival of the Arts, which isn't held anymore but was on the Boston Common and included art and drama, music and so on. Anyway they had a stage built out on the Common grounds and we did the Carmina Burana. It was relatively new.
S: Did you give the premiere performance in Boston of that piece?
L: Not in that performance, but we did give the premiere performance in Boston.
S: Oh you did?
L: Yes. Leopold Stokowski came up from New York and the Boston University Chorus and Orchestra performed it at Symphony Hall. Then we piled them all in buses and headed down to New York and performed it at Carnegie Hall.
S: Do you know what year that was?
L: I still have the program from it. I believe it was '54.
S: In my talks with David Willcocks, he said he felt very fortunate that after WWII he was kind of in a prime era. Things hadn't been done yet. You had been through two world wars and there was a tremendous opportunity to record or do premieres of pieces. That doesn't happen so much today. It was a great era if you were in the right place at the right time. Do you have that feeling?
L: A little bit. A little differently though. In this country it hit with a ballooning attendance in schools and colleges, music schools. They were getting all this GI money for tuition and at the Julliard School we had as many as 1,200 performers and that's large for Julliard. So there were opportunities in that sense.
S: How many pieces have you premiered? What are some of the more significant ones?
L: (Laughs) I've premiered some that were more successful than others. The first one we premiered was Robert Ward's A New England Chronicle. We did that for our 25th anniversary, I believe it was. He came up for it. Then we did one with Larry Wolf and the Boston Symphony. It was a shorter piece, almost a fanfare-ish sort of piece, but it was a decent length. Then we did Robert Starer, and of course that was a little tragic because he died right in the middle of rehearsals for it. I haven't done that many. Most concerts have been the tried and true.
S: When you pick your program what kinds of things do you think about? The factor must be to build your singers' abilities of course. But beyond that, are there some particular things you could share?
L: It's far more difficult to pick a program for Masterworks Chorale than you would think. You have to think of several factors, some of which I'd rather not think about because it has to do with money and so on. But, I always have to look with one eye to the music itself, which I really want to do, and another eye to the cost of it. And sometimes I have to reject something because of the cost. Then you have to balance out the entire year. If you do a big work, you have to sacrifice some other things because it's miserably expensive.
S: When did you start the SINGS?
L: The SINGS are 38 or 39 years old.
S: That must be so satisfying, because I can remember coming with and seeing the different ages of people that get exposed to it. Also, I think, what was fascinating to me is you are giving some young professionals an opportunity to sing solos in major works and get major exposure as well. That must be terribly gratifying.
L: Oh, it is.
S: Did they audition for you?
L: The soloists, yes. We hold a spring audition for the summer SINGS. Then we have an October audition for people who might do our Messiah SINGS. Our Messiah SINGS is the one that we have been doing for almost 40 years; 30-something for the summer ones.
S: Were you the first person to do SINGS?
L: Yeah. The first Messiah SING done like this, we did it.
S: That's amazing, when you think about that movement now and where it is in the country.
L: Now it's everywhere. It had already happened in California before I had left there. I thought it'd be a nice thing to try here. Then, on the summer SINGS, one of our singers in the chorale said, "You know, some of us like to sing and don't go away on vacation and it'd be a great idea for us to just choose some pieces and do them in a summer SINGS just for fun." I think for the first one we only had about 40 of 50 people there. Then we decided it was fun and went ahead and it grew and grew. I think we hit our record this summer with 295.
S: My goodness, that is tremendous. Are you planning to continue conducting?
L: Currently I am. I will as long as I can continue my work without it deteriorating.
S: How old are you?
L: (Laughs) Well, it's pretty well known, 86.
S: When you think about the number of people you've influenced in your lifetime. When I was taking your class at BU, I'd only been here a few years and it made a tremendous impression on me. I got a lot out of it. I still have my papers. When you think about your career, the influence is huge. You touched both amateurs and professionals alike.
It has been a privilege to know you for so many years. Stay well and again my thanks.I am very grateful to Allan Lannom for his time and observations. He is truly one of the more significant conductors of his generation. May he continue to prosper and conduct, sharing his knowledge of great choral literature.
New Releases ~ Sacred SATB Voices~ Sacred
Agnus Dei, by Edward Elgar, Latin text, Augsburg, 0-8006-7616-5, SATB (divisi) a cappella. In general, this editor does not like choral adaptations of orchestral pieces, but this arrangement by Kenneth Jennings is quite effective. Set to Variation IX, the "Adagio" from The Enigma Variations, the traditional Latin text is carefully laid out with the proper musical gesture. There are some extremes in range with the basses in divisi singing a low D and the sopranos required to sing a floated b2. This is a wonderful way to introduce your choir to the music of Elgar. It does require an accomplished choir and would work very well with a festival or choir with large forces. The quiet dynamics are vocally challenging. Difficulty rating 4. $1.60
Ave plena gracia, by Arthur Maud, mixed Latin/English text, ECS, 5869, SSATB a cappella. This straightforward homophonic setting of the Latin/English text contains many elegant harmonic moments. In general, the Latin text is set to full choir, with the English text set in either two or three voices. Composed in 1983 for an Advent Lessons and Carols service for the St. Clement Episcopal Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, the piece uses an English text written in the medieval period by Ms. Egerton. A lovely setting, this is quite an effective anthem for the amateur or professional choir. Difficulty rating 3-4. $1.65
Bless the Lord, O My Soul, by Emma Lou Diemer, English text, National Music Publishers, CH-159, SATB & keyboard (opt. brass & percussion). Composed for the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara, California, this piece is based on Psalm 104. The anthem is structured around antiphonal singing between the choir and the congregation and the men and women of the choir. The syncopated rhythms will be a challenge for all the forces. The piece is filled with changing meters and numerous key changes. The brass and percussion parts are available separately. Difficulty rating 4. $1.45
Blessed Be That Maid, arr. Robert De Cormier, English/Latin text, Presser, 392-02546, SATB a cappella. Cormier has arranged this piece, composed strophically in four verses, with some effective harmonies. Constructed homophonically, this famous Christmas carol is taken from William Ballet's Lute Book of 1594. The carol arrangement is perfect for a choir with small forces. Set in the key of e minor, the interval relationships are not terribly difficult and the unison passages are striking. The piece requires a soprano section with a pure tone. Difficulty rating 3. $1.40
Exultate Deo, by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612), Latin text, Hal Leonard (Pavane), 08301713, SSATB a cappella. Stunning counterpoint dominates this edition prepared by John Tebay. This edition is based on the collection of Hassler's music entitled Sacra Concentus, first published in Nuremberg in 1601. The edition is filled with editorial comments, translation, and performance suggestions. Tebay takes the time to explain the choice of accidentals and performance practices. This is a beautiful edition of this brilliant motet. Difficulty rating 4. $2.95
Hodie Christus Natus Est, by Imant Raminsh, Latin text, Boosey, M051474554, SATB (divisi) & keyboard. This short Christmas anthem by one of Canada's leading composers is not for the faint of heart. Composed in a lilting 9/8 time in
D major, this text setting is filled with rhythmic challenges. The second section in 3/4 time is even more challenging with rich sonorities. The piece was commissioned by St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Latvian Church of Toronto. Raminsh was born in Ventspils, Latvia, but did all of his musical education in Canada, hence the source of the commission. The divisi sections are set homophonically in contrast to the sections of counterpoint. Difficulty rating 5.
$1.50I Lift Up Mine Eyes to the Mountains, by Elliot Z. Levine, English text, Shadow Press, SP121, SATB a cappella. This is a simple setting of Psalm 121 and would work well with small forces. Set in b minor on common time, the anthem is mostly composed homophonically with some simple counterpoint. Crossing voice parts and minor seconds are part of the compositional fabric. This is an effective short piece. Difficulty rating 3. $1.00
If Ye Love Me, by Thomas Tallis, English text, Concordia, 98-3755, SATB a cappella. This is a handsome edition of this staple of the church repertory. Edited by Christopher Johns, the edition is easy to read and nicely laid out. Edited in the original key of F major, this is good edition to consider if you do not have this Tudor anthem in your church library. Difficulty rating 3. $1.50
Lacrymosa, by Jonathan Willcocks, Latin text, MorningStar, 50-8007, SATB (divisi) a cappella. This absolutely stunning anthem is set to a text of a 13th century Sequence attributed to Thomas of Celano. It is the fifth movement of a larger work by Willcocks entitled "From Darkness to Light." Set in 7/8 meter, the expressive phrases on delicate counterpoint with moving harmonies are both poignant and prayerful. A female semi-chorus is required that sings in octaves in contrast to homophonic chords in the voice parts. The piece requires an accomplished choir that is both expressive with a fine understanding of the rhythmic gesture. Difficulty rating 4. $1.50
O Praise Ye the Lord, by Gerald Near, English text, MorningStar, AE139, SATB & organ. Minimalist in structure, the choral parts alternate with a florid and challenging organ part and are filled with fanfare-like passages. The challenging rhythms and harmonies require an accomplished choir. The anthem is set to a text of Henry Williams Baker (1821-1877) as well as based on Psalms 148 and 150. Both choir and organist must have a good understanding of tuplets. (The organist playing in diminution with eighth notes and the choir singing tuplets augmented to quarter notes.) The unison writing in contrast to brilliant harmonies makes this the perfect festival anthem or performance in a celebratory service. Difficulty rating 4. $1.50
Te Deum in C, by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), English text, Oxford, 351521-0, SATB, soprano solo, & organ. This new edition prepared by Paul Kildea is extremely important for Britten scholars and conductors who love this great early work from 1935. Kildea has studied the orchestral version and the original vocal score and has discovered many discrepancies, some minor and some major ones. The major ones include wrong pedal notes and a cappella sections versus accompanied sections. This edition was prepared in 2001 and is a must for every conductor's library. A version of the accompaniment is available for hire for strings and harp as well as the full orchestral score. Careful study must occur between the original score published in 1935 and the score published by Oxford today. Difficulty rating 4-5. $3.00
There Is a Balm in Gilead, by Gerald Near, English text, MorningStar, AE140, SATB & organ. This lovely arrangement of this famous spiritual opens with the sopranos singing the theme on a piano dynamic. The arrangement alternates between the pure sound of the sopranos to a cappella sections composed in four parts. The last section of the anthem has some simple counterpoint that closes with all four voice parts singing A flat over a simple organ part. Difficulty rating 3-4. $1.50
They Shall Receive a Glorious Kingdom, by G.F. Handel, English text, Hal Leonard (Pavane), 08301710, SATB & organ. This is an absolutely beautiful edition prepared by Peter Aston. It would be wonderful if other editors would display this much scholarship. This piece was part of Handel's funeral anthem for Queen Caroline entitled The Ways of Zion Do Mourn. The funeral was held at Westminister Abbey on December 17, 1737. The text is based on First Peter 5:4 and was prepared from Holy Scripture by the then subdean of Westminister, Edward Willes. This anthem was included in Handel's great oratorio, Saul, and was originally scored for oboes, bassoons, strings, and continuo. The edition contains fine program notes and editorial information. The anthem is based on an MS from the British Library Board. Difficulty rating 4. $2.25
Three Settings of Kol Nidrei, arr. Henry Russotto, Louis Lewandowski, & Frederick Piket, Hebrew text, Hal Leonard (Transcontinental), 00191452, SATB, solo, & organ. All three settings of the traditional Yom Kippur prayer asking forgiveness are quite different in harmony and key signatures. They are all beautiful with florid ornaments and classic counterpoint. The first setting is the simplest of the three. The first is set in 3/4 and the last two in 4/4. All three settings use soloists that float above beautifully written counterpoint and exquisite harmonies. Difficulty rating 4. $5.00
Two Renaissance Chorals, Latin text, Belwin, OCTM04003, SATB a cappella. This piece was prepared and conducted by the editor Dr. Russell L. Robinson for the 2004 ACDA Eastern Division Honor Choir. The edition contains an Adoramus te by Palestrina and an Ave Maria by Arcadelt. They are not in the original keys, but were arranged by Robinson to encourage an unforced tone quality for the young high school singer. Performance notes are contained in the edition. The Palestrina has homophonic passages with some simple counterpoint. The Arcadelt is composed homophonically. Both pieces were selected to introduce the young singer to Renaissance music, as well as to develop the voice. This is also available SAB, SSA and TTB. Difficulty rating 3. $1.60
SACRED Collection~SATB Voices
Anthem Collection, arr. John Rutter, English texts, Hinshaw, HMB237, SATB a cappella or organ (opt. orchestra). These 11 arrangements by Rutter include some of his more popular anthems. The collection is divided into four parts: Two a cappella prayers, four accompanied anthems, four blessings, and a choral amen. Very fairly priced, the contents include God Be In My Head, All Things Bright and Beautiful, and A Clare Benediction to name three. Conductors will find this a wonderful resource at a reasonable price. Difficulty rating 3-4. $6.95
TREBLE VOICES~SACRED
Laudate Dominum, by Z. Randall Stroope, Latin text, Hal Leonard, 08501514, SSA & piano. Commissioned by the Alliance for Arts and Understanding in Phoenix, Arizona, this piece was composed at the request of Bob Chilcott, conductor of the three boy choirs participating in the concert in March 2003. It is minimalist in structure, with the three parts repeating much of the same musical gesture. Children will have great fun singing this piece on repeated rhythms and phrase shapes. The minimalist, contrapuntal passages are composed on 9/8 and 6/8 meters. The center section is more legato and remains in 6/8, with the minimalist passages returning, closing the piece. It concludes with great power on three eighth notes like a shout on "laudate." Difficulty rating 4. $1.95
Libera Me, by Kocsár Miklós, Latin text, Hal Leonard (Edito Musica Budapest), 50511029, SSA & solo a cappella. This is an absolutely beautiful piece of music composed on shifting meters of 4/4 and 3/4 that are set both homphonically and contrapuntally. The downward gesture of the phrase shapes in the sopranos to the rising phrase shapes in the two lower parts adds to the poignancy of the music. The soprano solo and the double soprano solo at the conclusion just soar above the beautifully constructed homophonic chords. It does have some doubling between the divisi sections. The piece concludes in six layers on a spectacular chord which requires the second altos to sing a low d at double piano. This is a real winner and although expensive, should enter the major treble repertoire. Difficulty rating 5. $4.25
Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, by Robert J. Powell, English text, Paraclete Press, PPM00407, SA & organ. This simple setting of the evening service is joyful and tremendously effective. The rhythms are straightforward, with some lovely counterpoint between the two parts. The unison sections are effectively set over some moving harmonies in the keyboard part. The Nunc dimittis is set homophonically and concludes with unison voices. This piece is ideal for choral evensong and can be handled quite easily with a young choir of accomplished ability. It is wonderful to see it enter the treble repertoire. It had its premiere at the National Cathedral in May of 2003 with three children's choirs singing, including one choir from the UK. Difficulty rating 3. $2.10
O salutaris Hostia, by Frank Ferko, Latin text, ECS, 5991, SSAA a cappella. Set to a text by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), this brilliant anthem is set mostly homophonically with spectacular harmonies on beautiful phrase shapes.
Treble voices will just simply ring on harmonies in both upper and lower tessituras. Ferko understands treble voices and therefore writes extremely well for this type of artistic force. A scholar of Hildegard von Bingen, Ferko uses chantlike phrase shapes and harmonies much like what you would find in the 12th century composer's music. Difficulty rating 4-5. $1.65Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus, by Antonio Vivaldi, Latin text, Lorenz, 15/1940R, unison & keyboard (opt. orchestra). Originally a solo aria for soprano, this piece is taken from Vivaldi's first Gloria (RV 588). It is good for developing accurate, melismatic singing on the middle and upper tessitura of the child's voice. This edition by Janet Galván contains editorial notes and a pronunciation guide. Orchestral parts for strings, two oboes, and continuo are available separately (30/1944R). Difficulty rating 2-3. $1.50
The River, by Ruth Watson Henderson, English text, Hinshaw, HMC1970, SSAA & piano. This is a fabulous and well crafted piece from this fine Canadian composer. When writing for treble voices, she generally writes music that can be sung by children or the advanced community ensemble. This piece does not fit into that category. It has extremes in range from low f for the altos to an upper b flat for the sopranos. Set to a text by Winston Harrison, the piece was written in memory of one of Henderson's former colleagues, John Ford. Because of the extreme ranges, this piece is really only appropriate for women's voices or the advanced treble ensemble. Beautifully set in 9/8 with some meter changes, the voice parts are written over a flowing piano part. The descending phrase shapes will take some effort to keep in tune. The piece will ring on women's voices. Difficulty rating 4. $1.60
Salve Regina, by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Latin text, Lorenz, 15/1853R, SSAA a cappella. Graceful counterpoint dominate this motet taken from Three Marian Antiphons, edited by Ray Sprague. This setting was published in Venice in 1584 in a collection entitled Motectorum liber secundus. Program notes, performance suggestions, and translation accompany this edition. The motet will work on the young singer's ability to sing long, gentle phrase shapes on elegant counterpoint with crossing voice parts. It will also help develop the mid and lower range of the child's voice. Difficulty rating 3-4. $1.75
Songs from the Book of Knowledge, Volume I, by William Copper, English texts, Hartenshield Group, 0484, SA, SSA, SSAA & piano (opt. flute). This fine extended work is set in seven movements. The texts came from "The Book of Knowledge," a multi-volume encyclopedia for children published by the Grolier Society. Some of the movements could be choreographed. Set mostly in common time, the movements are the following: Answer to a Child's Question (Samuel Taylor Coleridge); Great, Wide, Beautiful Wonderful World (William Brighty Rands); A Tragic Story (William Makepeace Thackeray); My Heart Is Like a Singing Bird (Christina Rossetti); Birds (Richard Stoddard); Good-Bye, Proud World! (Ralph Waldo Emerson); The Dance of the Flowers (Alfred Percival Graves). They are all charmingly set and vocally developing for the intermediate to advanced choir. These pieces are a wonderful contribution to the extended upper voice repertory. Difficulty rating 3-4. $5.95
SAB VOICES ~ SACRED
Domine Fili a 3, by Giovanni Battista Martini (1706-1784), Latin text, Hinshaw HMC1967, SAB & keyboard (opt. strings). Edited by Martin Banner, this edition is based off a score from Biblioteca Civica Angelo Mai. It is part of a collection by Martini called Terzetti Quartetti, e Fughe. It was originally scored for strings, continuo and SAB voices. The counterpoint in this piece is brilliantly laid out, with each voice part swapping the main theme from voice part to voice part. Set at allegro, the choir of small forces will find the counterpoint a challenge but great fun to sing. Full score and parts are available from the publisher. This is a fine opportunity for the small choir to be able to program an authentic rather than an arranged piece with orchestra. The text is traditional Latin. Difficulty rating 3-4. $1.60
Men's Voices ~ SACRED
Come In, Elliot Z. Levine, English text, Shadow Press, SP114, TBB a cappella. This is a haunting setting that is filled with elegant, imitative descending phrase shapes at the opening. There is a joyful center section that concludes quietly on simple homophonic harmonies that ends in A major. Difficulty rating 3. $1.00
Rejoice! Five Hymns for Male Voices, arr. Dale Grotenhuis, English text, Golden Music Publishers, G-170, TTBB & keyboard. This is a fine, much-needed collection of arrangements of traditional tunes.The collection includes arrangements of the following tunes: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms; A Mighty Fortress Is Our God; Rejoice, O Pure in Heart; My Shepherd Will Supply My Need; and Lord, Our Lord, Your Glorious Name. All are accessible with a lot of unison singing and straightforward four-part writing. Difficulty rating 3. $3.25
New Releases ~ Secular SATB VOICES ~ SECULAR
All Too Soon, arr. Stephen Hatfield, English text, Boosey, M-051-47507-0,
SATB & piano. Part of the CME series edited by Doreen Rao, this traditional Celtic tune is beautifully set with lyrical, off-beat rhythms set in 6/8 and 3/4. The ornaments add to the folk style of the piece. It is suggested that the 3/4 section would be more authentic if accompanied by a flute and/or fiddle. The overall text by the composer is a plea for the overlapping of time and the importance of the folksong tradition continuing in modern times. The famous tune Greensleeves is also quoted in the arrangement commissioned by the Pictou District Honour Choir, Nova Scotia. Background notes and performance suggestions accompany the edition. Difficulty level 4. $2.50The Arrow and the Song, by Elliot Z. Levine, English text, Shadow Press, SP123, SATB & piano. Set to a text by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, this is an easy piece to teach, with its imitative phrase shapes between the voice parts. The piano part cleverly supports the voices set to playful counterpoint. Composed for the Raritan Valley Youth Chorale, the piece is ideal for the small high school choir or chorus of small forces. Difficulty rating 3. $1.50
Old Dan Tucker, arr. Douglas L. Ipson, English text, Hinshaw, HMC1986, SATB, (solos), with piano, four hands, (opt. tambourine, wood block, and string bass). This lively setting was originally arranged for male chorus (TTBB, HMC1770). It is a foot-stomping romp through the American folk tradition. It opens with tenor and bass soloists, with the piano parts creating a barn dance environment. The stomping and clapping sections are extremely effective. Ipson has truly created a musical environment where you can imagine a happy barn dance reflective of the 1800's. This wonderful arrangement is perfect for the accomplished high school, college choir or choral society. It will be quite the show stopper and is ideal as a final piece on a concert or as an encore. Difficulty rating 4. $1.75
Trois Chansons, by Maurice Ravel, French text, Hal Leonard (Durand), 50600022, SATB a cappella. These three chansons - Nicolette, Trois beaux oiseaux du paradis (Three beautiful birds from paradise), and Ronde (Roundelay) - are the only choral pieces Ravel wrote. Composed between 1914 and 1915, they are a choral triumph. The first piece is dedicated to Tristan Klingsor and is filled with playful charm. The second piece, dedicated to Paul Painlevé, is sumptuous, with three breathtaking solos accompanied by the choir singing atmospheres of great beauty on "ah." The last piece is dedicated to Paul Clémenceau and uses nonsense syllables while the sopranos sing the playful melody. Ravel wrote the texts for these clever pieces filled with meter changes, clearly marked articulations, and extremes in dynamics. This collection is a must for the accomplished mixed ensemble. A comprehensive pronunciation guide and translations accompany the edition. Difficulty rating 4-5. $2.95
Trois Chansons de Charles d'Orléans, by Claude Debussy, French text, Hal Leonard (Durand), 50600017, SATB a cappella. These three wonderful chansons set to poems by the 15th century poet Charles d'Orléans were written between 1898 and 1908. It is only one of four choral works composed by Debussy with one still unpublished. Dieu! qu'il la fait bon regarder (God, how good it is to look upon her, Quand j'ai ouï le tambourin (When I hear the tambourine), and Hiver, vous n'etes qu'un vilain! (Winter, you're nothing but a villan!) are all brilliantly set. The nonsense syllables in the second piece in the lower three parts will be great fun to sing. This set of chansons is a must for the accomplished mixed ensemble. A comprehensive pronunciation guide and translations accompany the edition. Difficulty rating 5. $2.50
TREBLE VOICES ~ SECULAR
America the Beautiful, arr. Betty Bertaux, English text, Boosey, M-051-47472-1, SSA & piano (or orchestra). This particular arrangement of one of our great patriotic anthems is beautifully set. It is filled with fanfare-like chords and simple harmonies with key changes that go higher and higher with each verse. Descants and simple three-part writing dominate the harmonic structure set with both counterpoint and homophonic chords. Orchestral parts are available from the publisher. Difficulty rating 3. $1.50
Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, arr. Ronald A. Nelson, English text, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, SBMP498, SA & piano. This is a striking arrangement of this famous tune by Stephen Foster. It is vocally developing and alternates the melody between sopranos and altos in a very interesting way. This arrangement is a wonderful way to introduce your students to the music of this great American minstrel composer and certainly perfect to program on an all American program. Difficulty rating 3. $1.55
Moznost (Vainly Hoping), by Antonín Dvorak, Czech/English text, National Music, NMP-377, SA & piano. This short strophic piece is edited by Robert L. Harris. The partwriting is very straightforward and composed mostly homphonically. A pronunciation guide and editorial suggestions are included in this edition that is ideal for introducing the young choir to the Czech language. The English translation is by the editor. Difficulty rating 4. $1.25
Sakura, arr. Shirley W. McRae, Japanese text, Hal Leonard (Pavane), 08301704, SA, piano, flute, & finger cymbals. This haunting and well written setting of a famous Japanese folksong is filled with harmonies that suggest the Orient. The piano part imitates the wonderful string instrument, the koto, a 13-string instrument. This is the perfect arrangement to introduce your choir to Japanese music and language. Difficulty rating 2-3. $1.80
Some Folks Do, arr. Ronald A. Nelson, English text, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, SBMP499, SA & piano. Another wonderful arrangement of one of Stephen Foster's more popular ballades, this is ideal for teaching partsinging. The parts are written mostly in thirds with antiphonal sections between the two voices. Difficulty rating 3. $1.45
The Tiger, by Lauren Bernofsky, English text, Boosey, M-051-47478-3, SSA & piano. Set to a text by William Blake, the 5/8 measures in this piece are very challenging. The dynamics and score markings must be carefully followed to add to the dramatic quality and the ferocity of the piece. Set at the tempo of con fuoco/138 to the quarter, this piece requires a mature treble choir. Difficulty rating 5. $1.50
MEN'S VOICES ~ SECULAR
Blue Tail Fly, arr. Dwight Bigler, English text, Hinshaw, HMC1988, TTBB & piano (opt. xylophone). This is a clever arrangement of this popular American folksong. Bigler develops a musical climate filled with humor that is both challenging and great fun to sing. The "I don't care" sections will be a real crowd pleaser. It is an excellent piece to program at the end of a concert or as an encore. Although the xylophone is optional, including the instrument will just add to the overall effectiveness of the piece. Difficulty rating 4-5. $1.75