Food for Thought

SKU: ST.B934

ISBN 9780852499344.

This, the ninth of a series of books begun in 1983, contains Brian Wren's 36 most recent hymns (2009 to 2012). It is nicely presented and laid out in a user-friendly way. The hymns are divided into five thematic sections: Jesus from Cradle to Cross; Easter Hymns; Church and Mission; Praise; and Metrical Psalms. This last section, rooted in (though not bound by) the Old Testament, is often influenced by Isaac Watts and will be of more use to some than others; it concludes with a tremendous rendering of Psalm 8; a paean of praise which all will love, set to a stirring tune.

Each section is prefaced with a single page introduction listing the contents and, in some instances, giving an interesting insight into Brian Wren's theology and thinking which provides food for contemplation. Each hymn is printed in words format with all the necessary information for inclusion in an order of worship. Every hymn is also printed with full score music for accompaniment interlined with the words. The book is slightly larger than A5, and there are various useful indexes.

The tunes range from ancient to modern, some very familiar, including Candler (better known as Ye Banks and Braes). A number are of a metre where alternative tunes are available. Those tunes which are new vary in ease of use; some will be readily picked up, others would prove challenging for occasional use in a small congregation but could be used as music group items.

These are hymns which need to be read as a whole and require thought. The words are chosen with care and notable as much for those not used as those included e.g.: 'Christ, untameably alive,/ breathe your life upon us - / Compass, Governor and Guide, / with us and beyond us,/ Sky and Sunlight, / spreading Vine./ Spring of Living Water,/ Truth and Wisdom, Way and Word,/ here, and then hereafter.' These hymns will be useful in worship as either sung or read pieces, and will also prove an invaluable resource for private devotion.

Robert Canham, Reform

SKU: M7.PPV-227563

ISBN 9783932275630. English.

In 'Microphone Practice', Norbert Pawera, a qualified sound engineer and microphone specialist, explains in clear and simple language the difference between the various types of microphone, filling in the scientific background and examining the interaction between instruments, room acoustics and microphones. The emphasis of the book is upon the choice and positioning of microphones in the studio and on stage, whether for classical music, jazz or rock. The author offers practical solutions to a whole range of commonly encountered problems - from the miking of lead vocals to the recording of whole choirs, from the spot-miking of individual instruments to stereo recording techniques for the entire orchestra - as well as reaching deep into his bag of tricks for ideas that should give even the experienced recording engineer food for thought. At the back, there's an overview of today's microphone market, designed to guide the consumer through the myriad of available solutions. 'Microphone Practice' spares performers and sound engineers alike the time-consuming and costly hazards of trial-and-error. With its practical approach and clear layout, 'Microphone Practice' is designed not just as a textbook but also as a quick source of reference for the sound check or the studio.

SKU: GI.G-9234

ISBN 9781622772117. English.

I don’t claim to know how to teach anybody anything, let alone something so individual and subjective as writing songs. The truth is, dear readers, you already know how to write songs. You’ve been, in a sense, studying them your whole life. My goal as a teacher, and the goal of this book, is ‘unlocking the great songs inside you.’ They’re in there. I have witnessed the births of hundreds of songs in class, some so beautiful that the class is wiping back tears by the end. These songs were written by people exactly like you: lovers of music, strummers of guitars, banjos, mandolins, people who’ve dreamed of writing songs like the ones they love. So, welcome and good luck. — Steve Dawson, from the Introduction T_x001F_ake It to the Bridge combines a_x001E_ lively, instructive dia_x001E_logue, helpful chord, key _x001E_and song-form cha_x001E_rts, _x001E_and crea_x001E_tive songwriting assignments designed to inspire _x001E_anyone who ever h_x001E_as thought of _x001E_adding songs to the world. Steve Dawson is a singer/songwriter/musician who leads the rock/folk band Dolly Varden and has taught songwriting and guitar at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music for more than a decade. Mark Caro is author of the award-winning non_x001D_iction book The Foie Gras Wars and has written about music, f_x001D_ilm, food and culture for the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, and other publications. http://www.tothebridgesongwriting.com/.

SKU: MH.1-59913-072-6

ISBN 9781599130729.

Program Notes: It was a happy coincidence that the commission for SINFONIA XVI: TRANSCENDENTAL VIENNA came from the Henry David Thoreau School located in Vienna, Virginia. Thoreau is one of the magic names in American culture: Henry David Thoreau, one of the leading figures of the Transcendentalist movement, centered in 19th-century New England, left us a body of unique philosophical and poetical writings. To utter the words, Walden Pond, is to invoke an America long past in physical actuality, but still present in the minds and hearts of many American citizens. The name, Vienna, of course, summons thoughts of the Old World: culture, fine food, wine, civilized cities. While contemplating the form that SINFONIA XVI should take, I found myself thinking of two pillars of Viennese culture: expressionism and the waltz. Musically speaking, expressionism reached a zenith in the works of Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg. It was Berg, in particular, that I wanted to invoke in the outer movements of my composition. I knew I would also have to include a waltz, and an invocation of the mysterious forces that are contained in both expressionism and transcendentalism. Thus was the structure of the work generated. The outer movements with their vision of the night sky and the stars, Aldebaran and Sirius, frame the central movements, which are essentially two versions of the same material, and are quieter and less dramatic. The outer movements are symmetrical, and share both pitch and rhythmic materials. Accordingly, I see the work as a ternary form, with the central movements forming a unit within the outer frame: A (Movement 1) B (Movements 2 & 3) A' (Movement 4). Harmonically, the work can be summarized by the two pitch-series which occur in the opening bars of Movement 1: the initial 12-note row, with a tonal center on F-sharp (measures 1-6), and the subsequent D-minor Dorian 7-note row (beginning in measure 14). Aspects of these materials occur in all four movements, but they are most strongly present in Movements 1 and 4. Note that the 12-note row is not subjected to the usual serial procedures, but instead is treated as a signifier and is left unchanged. Since the fourth movement takes up where the first movement leaves off, I can conceive of one interpretation of SINFONIA XVI as an evocation of Thoreau himself contemplating two of the brightest stars on a clear, cold night. Aldebaran is an orange, first-magnitude star, located in the constellation Taurus; Sirius, the Dog Star, is the brightest star in the sky, and is located in the constellation Canis Major. Thoreau interrupts his star-gazing to entertain some inward thoughts, waking dreams, as it were, then returns his gaze to the splendid night sky and all its treasures. Although many other interpretations of the material are possible, it is important to remember that the abstract materials of the piece -- pitch, rhythm, structure -- are what count the most. Ensemble instrumentation: 1 Piccolo, 4 Flute 1, 4 Flute 2, 3 Oboe, 1 Eb Clarinet (opt.), 4 Bb Clarinet 1, 4 Bb Clarinet 2, 4 Bb Clarinet 3, 3 Bass Clarinet, 3 Bassoon, 3 Eb Alto Saxophone 1, 3 Eb Alto Saxophone 2, 2 Bb Tenor Saxophone, 2 Eb Baritone Saxophone, 3 Bb Trumpet 1, 3 Bb Trumpet 2, 3 Bb Trumpet 3, 2 Horn 1, 2 Horn 2, 3 Trombone 1, 3 Trombone 2, 3 Euphonium B.C., 2 Euphonium T.C., 5 Tuba, 2 Timpani, 3 Percussion 1, 3 Percussion 2, 3 Percussion 3, 3 Percussion 4.