Music, Like A Radiant Light

SKU: AP.47679

UPC: 038081543727. English. Adam Podd; Matt Podd.

The shimmering winter-themed text and lilting 6/8 rhythms dance right off the page in this contemporary choral like none other. Accessible yet unexpected harmonies provide warmth, and a full dynamic range takes us on a journey from a single voice to full ensemble singing. The breathtaking add-on section weaves three independent lines into one radiant tapestry of sound and suggests that the light we search for may be found within.

About Alfred Choral Designs

The Alfred Choral Designs Series provides student and adult choirs with a variety of secular choral music that is useful, practical, educationally appropriate, and a pleasure to sing. To that end, the Choral Designs series features original works, folk song settings, spiritual arrangements, choral masterworks, and holiday selections suitable for use in concerts, festivals, and contests.

SKU: BA.BA11071

ISBN 9790006562015. 42 x 29.7 cm inches.

“Now II” is the second part of a triptych of chamber pieces entitled “Profiles of Light”. The first part is written for solo piano (Now I, BA 11073), the second for unaccompanied cello. The two instruments are then combined in the concluding third part, Uriel (BA 11013).

All three pieces were inspired by the Abstract Expressionist paintings of the American artist Barnett Newman. Newman's work has had a formative impact on Matthias Pintscher's artistic philosophy: what does it mean to reduce things to essentials while seeking maximum immediacy of expression? Several of Newman's paintings have a radiant light of uncommon intensity, yet resembling a dark illumination. The same sort of thing is found in the late works of Franz Schubert, where a comparable profundity and retrospective yearning likewise shine through the surface of even the brightest tonalities.

This is a piece about resonances, about the inward and outward givens of existence, about life itself: 'I find the cello a highly suitable instrument for depicting such existential conditions'.

SKU: PR.416413710

ISBN 9781598068214. UPC: 680160587162. 9x12 inches.

Needham's original intent with Chamber Symphony was to encapsulate the 2008 presidential election, from the Democratic primaries to the historic general election campaign and win of Barack Obama. But, says Needham, In the midst of the general election circus, I decided to broaden my inspiration and have the work's overall goal focus on the larger ideas of hope and transformation. Chamber Symphony was commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra with generous support of Paul Underwood. Additional support was from the National Endowment for the Arts.
I originally envisioned a work inspired by the political landscape of the 2008 presidential election, focusing primarily on the hard-fought Democratic Primary race. I was fascinated by the historic and hopeful spirit that both the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns embodied. Sometime later, in the midst of the general election circus, I decided to broaden my inspiration and have the work’s overall goal focus on the larger ideas of hope and transformation. Chamber Symphony is constructed in three movements (played without pause): I. Hammering Out, II. Open-ended Echoes, and III. Radiant Nation. The titles suggest a general atmosphere that each movement attempts to express. The outer movements, both quick in tempo, act as the antithesis of each other in terms of mood. “Hammering Out” employs an aggressive, relentless, pounding beat that frequently shifts, often emphasized with metallic sounds. “Radiant Nation” is much lighter and more optimistic in tone, and uses an up-beat groove throughout the movement. The middle movement, “Open-ended Echoes,” is the proverbial calm after the storm. Unlike the outer movements, “Open-ended Echoes” is almost void of any strong sense of pulse. The movement attempts to create a peaceful, contemplative mood that transforms the volatile nature of the first movement tothe radiant spirit of the last. Chamber Symphony was commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra for its Orchestra Underground Series with the generous support of Paul Underwood. Additional support for the ACO’s Emerging Composers Program comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.— November 5, 2008.

SKU: CL.RWS-2322-01

This epic fanfare will make your ensemble shine like a radiant beam of dawn’s light. Perfect as a concert opener, Dawn’s Triumph was written to bring inspiration and joy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Soaring melodies in the brass with technical passages in the woodwinds make this piece appropriate for any concert or festival performance.