SKU: PR.165001000
ISBN 9781491129241. UPC: 680160669776. 9 x 12 inches.
Commissioned for a consortium of high school and college bands in the north Dallas region, FOR THEMYSTIC HARMONY is a 10-minute inspirational work in homage to Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon,patrons of the Fort Worth Symphony and the Van Cliburn Competition. Welcher draws melodic flavorfrom five American hymns, spirituals, and folk tunes of the 19th century. The last of these sources toappear is the hymn tune For the Beauty of the Earth, whose third stanza is the quatrain: “For the joy of earand eye, For the heart and mind’s delight, For the mystic harmony, Linking sense to sound and sight,”giving rise to the work’s title.This work, commissioned for a consortium of high school bands in the north Dallas area, is my fifteenth maturework for wind ensemble (not counting transcriptions). When I asked Todd Dixon, the band director whospearheaded this project, what kind of a work he most wanted, he first said “something that’s basically slow,” butwanted to leave the details to me. During a long subsequent conversation, he mentioned that his grandparents,Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon, were prime supporters of the Fort Worth Symphony, going so far as to purchase anumber of high quality instruments for that orchestra. This intrigued me, so I asked more about his grandparentsand was provided an 80-page biographical sketch. Reading that article, including a long section about theirdevotion to supporting a young man through the rigors of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition fora number of years, moved me very much. Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon weren’t just supporters of the arts; theywere passionate lovers of music and musicians. I determined to make this work a testament to that love, and tothe religious faith that sustained them both. The idea of using extant hymns was also suggested by Todd Dixon,and this 10-minute work is the result.I have employed existing melodies in several works, delving into certain kinds of religious music more than a fewtimes. In seeking new sounds, new ways of harmonizing old tunes, and the contrapuntal overlaying of one tunewith another, I was able to make works like ZION (using 19th-century Revivalist hymns) and LABORING SONGS(using Shaker melodies) reflect the spirit of the composers who created these melodies, without sounding likepastiches or medleys. I determined to do the same with this new work, with the added problem of employingmelodies that were more familiar. I chose five tunes from the 19th century: hymns, spirituals, and folk-tunes.Some of these are known by differing titles, but they all appear in hymnals of various Christian denominations(with various titles and texts). My idea was to employ the tunes without altering their notes, instead using aconstantly modulating sense of harmony — sometimes leading to polytonal harmonizations of what are normallysimple four-chord hymns.The work begins and ends with a repeated chime on the note C: a reminder of steeples, white clapboard churchesin the country, and small church organs. Beginning with a Mixolydian folk tune of Caribbean origin presentedtwice with layered entrances, the work starts with a feeling of mystery and gentle sorrow. It proceeds, after along transition, into a second hymn that is sometimes connected to the sea (hence the sensation of water andwaves throughout it). This tune, by John B. Dykes (1823-1876), is a bit more chromatic and “shifty” than mosthymn-tunes, so I chose to play with the constant sensation of modulation even more than the original does. Atthe climax, the familiar spiritual “Were you there?” takes over, with a double-time polytonal feeling propelling itforward at “Sometimes it causes me to tremble.”Trumpets in counterpoint raise the temperature, and the tempo as well, leading the music into a third tune (ofunknown provenance, though it appears with different texts in various hymnals) that is presented in a sprightlymanner. Bassoons introduce the melody, but it is quickly taken up by other instruments over three “verses,”constantly growing in orchestration and volume. A mysterious second tune, unrelated to this one, interrupts it inall three verses, sending the melody into unknown regions.The final melody is “For the Beauty of the Earth.” This tune by Conrad Kocher (1786-1872) is commonly sung atThanksgiving — the perfect choice to end this work celebrating two people known for their generosity.Keeping the sense of constant modulation that has been present throughout, I chose to present this hymn in threegrowing verses, but with a twist: every four bars, the “key” of the hymn seems to shift — until the “Lord of all, toThee we praise” melody bursts out in a surprising compound meter. This, as it turns out, was the “mystery tune”heard earlier in the piece. After an Ivesian, almost polytonal climax, the Coda begins over a long B( pedal. At first,it seems to be a restatement of the first two phrases of “For the Beauty” with long spaces between them, but it soonchanges to a series of “Amen” cadences, widely separated by range and color. These, too, do not conform to anykey, but instead overlay each other in ways that are unpredictable but strangely comforting.The third verse of “For the Beauty of the Earth” contains this quatrain:“For the joy of ear and eye, –For the heart and mind’s delightFor the mystic harmonyLinking sense to sound and sight”and it was from this poetry that I drew the title for the present work. It is my hope that audiences and performerswill find within it a sense of grace: more than a little familiar, but also quite new and unexpected.
SKU: PR.16500100F
ISBN 9781491114421. UPC: 680160669783. 9 x 12 inches.
SKU: WD.080689521171
UPC: 080689521171.
Imagine almost a thousand voices raised in glorious harmony, singing songs of the faith and accompanied by a grand church band and orchestra, as together they offer their adoration and worship to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! That is exactly what has happened each and every year for the past decade or more at the annual Choral Festival in Spartanburg S. C., sponsored by our friends at Christian Supply. Each year, Choral Festival has commissioned one of the church's favorite choral arrangers and personalities, Marty Parks, to arrange The Opener – a medley of hymns, praise choruses, worship songs, and gospel favorites blended together in an opening presentation that gives the event its signature launch every year! Having long been a favorite element of the conference year after year, many have asked, Where can I get those arrangements for my church? or Are those arrangements available for my choir?. Well, your wait is over! Word Music & Church Resources is excited to present CHORAL FESTIVAL FAVORITES, created, arranged and orchestrated by Marty Parks! We have joined hands with Marty and Christian Supply to bring you this highly-anticipated book of blended medleys for your choir and congregation. Taking the same arrangements created for Choral Festival, Marty has adapted them for use on Sundays with your choir, band, and orchestra, while leaving plenty of room and encouragement for your congregation to join in and sing along! We also offer a powerful DVD accompaniment and performance track to support and enhance your presentation of these proven medleys on Sunday mornings! Choral Festival Favorites...direct to your choir from the pen of Marty Parks and the platform of one of the most influential choral music conferences over the past 25 years, bringing all the parts and pieces together in one new, ministry-focused choral project that will equip your church for the ministry of music and worship worldwide!
SKU: LO.9780787779504
ISBN 9780787779504.
The arrangements in this practical collection prove that one plus one really is three. David McDonald pairs two beloved hymns in each thematic-focused arrangement, showcasing why medleys are a favorite of so many church pianists. Written at an accessible level and perfect for worship through the year, the hymn texts are included to center personal worship and musical interpretation.
SKU: WD.080689549175
UPC: 080689549175.
For more than a decade, Christian Supply’s annual church music conference, Choral Festival, has commissioned Marty Parks, one of the nation’s favorite choral arrangers and personalities, to arrange their conference “opener”…a medley of hymns, praise choruses, worship songs, and gospel-favorites, used to provide the event with its signature launch year after year!Having long been a favorite element of the conference, many have asked, “Where can I get those arrangements for my choir?” That question was first answered with the release of Choral Festival Favorites, Volume One. On the heels of the success of that first volume, Word Music is excited to present CHORAL FESTIVAL FAVORITES, VOLUME 2, arranged and orchestrated by Marty Parks.CHORAL FESTIVAL FAVORITES, VOLUME 2...direct to your choir from the pen of Marty Parks and the platform of one of the most influential choral music conferences in the nation! We also offer a powerful audio-visual tool to support your presentation of these proven medleys in the form of a DVD Accompaniment and Performance Track, guaranteed to enhance your Sunday morning service options.
