Shenandoah: TTBB: Vocal Score

Traditional Chantey freely arranged for TTBB Choir A Cappella (Men's Voices) by Marshall Bartholomew.

American Traditional-The ?VOCES8 singles? series includes songs for which the group is particularly well known in choral arrangements produced specifically for VOCES8. This beautiful folk song was commissioned as part of our fifth anniversary celebrations in 2012 and was included in our EP ?In the Beginning? and on our US concert tour. It has always been a fun challenge to perform with gorgeous flowing lines and a great opening solo for the bass. Our annual visit to sing for friends in the Shenandoah Valley is never complete without a rendition of this arrangement; performing it at Abbey Road Studios (the film can be found on YouTube) was also an unforgettableexperience.

Shenandoah is a simply beautiful and enchanting American folk song and has been arranged by James Erb for an eight-part chorus of mixed voices (SSAATTBB). This arrangement is to be performed a cappella and a piano accompaniment is scored but to be used for rehearsing only.

An arrangement of great richness of an American folksong for upper voices flute oboe and piano Technically accessible to school and amateur choirs the instrumental parts add tremendous atmosphere while remaining well within the range of younger players. Versions for SATB and TTBB are also available.

Monteverdi’s opera “L’Orfeo”, based on the legend of Thracian singer Orpheus and his love of Eurydice, is a masterpiece of musical declamation and ornamentation. It was first performed during the 1607 carnevale in the “Palazzo Ducale” in Mantua. When an edition remains true to its sources, this certainly does not mean that it is not also practical to use, as is demonstrated in this Bärenreiter edition of Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo”. Edited by Rinaldo Alessandrini, the new publication follows the Bärenreiter edition of Monteverdi’s “Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria”. Two contemporary prints of “L’Orfeo” from the years 1609 and 1615 have been passed down to us. Four copies of each of these prints still survive today in public libraries. The later print includes many corrections to the earlier edition and was accordingly used as the primary source for this Bärenreiter edition. However, when solving musical problems the editor frequently follows the more coherent style of the earlier print. The numerous interesting variants, not only between the two editions but also amongst the eight surviving copies, are listed in the critical commentary. This edition of “L’Orfeo” offers in addition to Monteverdi’s somewhat sparse original figures also figures added to the bass line by the editor. The continuo player should, however, feel free to follow his own judgment. The notation has been, when necessary, adapted to suit modern practice, for example with regard to the clefs. The sections that were originally written in “chiavetta” have been transposed a fifth lower. In the appendix these sections also appear in their original notation in facsimile as well as transposed a fourth lower. - Detailed introduction by the editor (Ital/Eng/Ger) on the work’s genesis and performance practice - Comprehensive critical commentary (Eng) in the score - Idiomatic piano reduction Edition no.: BA 8793-90 ISMN: 9790006533121 Composer / Author: Monteverdi, Claudio Title: L'Orfeo Favola in musica in one prologue and five acts Detailed instrumentation: Soprano solo (7), Tenor solo (4), Bass solo (3), Mixed choir: SSATTB, Male choir: TTBBB, Orchestra Librettist: Striggio, Alessandro (junior) Editor: Alessandrini, Rinaldo Foreword / Introduction: Alessandrini, Rinaldo Product format: Piano reduction, Urtext edition Language(s) of work: Italian Language(s) of text: German, Italian, English Publisher: Bärenreiter Binding: Paperback Print run: 1st printing 2012 Pages / Format: XIV, 143 S. - 27,0 x 19,0 cm Weight: 428 g