Format : Sheet music + Audio access
SKU: PR.41641431L
UPC: 680160603756. 11 x 14 inches.
After spending months looking, my wife and I bought a home in the suburbs. While looking, I increasingly became intrigued by the overall funkyness of the insides of a number of houses we were shown by our realtor. From the crazy wallpaper, to the downright hideous paint colors, to the do-it-yourself projects gone wrong, to the fresh smells of wacky tobacky, some of these homes were real standouts. After seeing so many of these homes, I began to imagine who these current homeowners were. I started picturing them moving about their homes, doing these crazy projects, and dancing a quirky new dance I called the urban sprawl (think Nixon dancing in Nixon in China). Urban Sprawl is a 6 1/2 -minute funky, jazzy, kitschy, and hopefully fun ode to Suburban Life (which was the working title). The work was written for and premiered by Alarm Will Sound at the 201111 Mizzou New Music Summer.
SKU: PR.416414310
ISBN 9781598064834. UPC: 680160603749. 9x12 inches.
Urban Sprawl grew directly from the composer's months-long search for a new home. In looking over many prospects, he began to wonder about the variety of home owners and their approaches to their wildly different dwellings, resulting in this funky, jazzy, kitschy, and hopefully fun ode, as he describes it. Duration: 6'30.After spending months looking, my wife and I bought a home in the suburbs. While looking, I increasingly became intrigued by the overall “funkyness” of the insides of a number of houses we were shown by our realtor. From the crazy wallpaper, to the downright hideous paint colors, to the do-it-yourself projects gone wrong, to the fresh smells of wacky tobacky, some of these homes were real “standouts.” After seeing so many of these homes, I began to imagine who these current homeowners were. I started picturing them moving about their homes, doing these crazy projects, and dancing a quirky new dance I called the “urban sprawl” (think Nixon dancing in “Nixon in China”). Urban Sprawl is a 6½-minute funky, jazzy, kitschy, and hopefully fun ode to “Suburban Life” (which was the working title). The work was written for and premiered by Alarm Will Sound at the 201111 Mizzou New Music Summer.
SKU: PR.114422360
ISBN 9781491133828. UPC: 680160683321. 9 x 12 inches.
Based on an Armenian troubadour song, I WILL NOT BE SAD IN THIS WORLD is a uniquely beautiful work for alto flute (or bass flute) accompanied by a pre-recorded audio track made purely from the composer’s own singing. The result is a fluid interplay between the live flute and the composer’s multi-tracked and processed vocal sonorities. The work was created for Marya Martin’s “Eight Visions” collection (published by Presser), and is now available as a single publication.I will not be sad in this world is based on the song “Ashkharumes Akh Chim Kashil” by the legendary 18th-century Armenian troubadour Sayat Nova. The song is often played on the duduk, and your flute playing should respond to the ornamentation, intonation, and vibrato of traditional duduk playing.In playing this piece, you will want to be flexible with time: the 32nd notes are mostly notated grace notes coloring the following note, and can be compressed towards that next note for effect. Similarly, the meter should be downplayed: use the pre-recorded part to give you guideposts, and then shape your phrases quite freely around those guideposts.I strongly suggest that you listen to my demo recording of the piece, as it will give an indication of what I am looking for. I have not transcribed every note that I sang on the demo, and similarly, once you feel comfortable with the playing style, you can ornament the melody with some flexibility yourself. The notated turns are meant to indicate places where it is most natural to do some ornamentation.The piece can be played on either alto flute or bass flute. I am hoping for a certain vulnerability in your playing, so choose the flute that will help you most with that. If you are playing in a dry hall, you might consider slight amplification, not for volume, but to allow you to add reverb to your sound. It will then be easier to blend well with the tape part.Optionally, one (or even two) additional flutists may double the lines called “voice” that are part of the tape part. The additional player(s) should play more softly than the soloist, and get even softer as the piece progresses and the electronics take over.* * *Thanks to Marya Martin who commissioned the piece. Many thanks to my friend and colleague Margaret Lancaster, who tried out the piece for me and advised me about notation. Thanks also to the Civitella Ranieri Foundation who were my generous hosts while I was writing I will not be sad in this world.The audio accompaniment and the demo are available for free download from the “Additional Downloads” tab at www.presser.com/114-42236.
SKU: AP.24791S
UPC: 038081280196. English.
Three Christmas pop classics are seamlessly woven together in a delightful musical change of pace for your winter concert by Douglas E. Wagner. Featuring Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland and Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow, the arrangement is designed to highlight your vocal soloist (or with optional instrumental solo for trumpet or alto saxophone). Not technically difficult, and a guaranteed audience pleaser. You'll also want to take a look at Doug's similarly scored setting of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (CBM05001) to complete your holiday program.
