How valuable would it be to be able to listen in on a conversation among three of the most influential figures in choral music of the past thirty years - composer Morten Lauridsen and conductors Paul Salamunovich and James Jordan? Recorded in 2008 over a two-day period at the Hollywood Hills home of the composer, these colleagues and friends participated in a discussion to help conductors and choirs understand the music of Morten Lauridsen. Lauridsen and Salamunovich share details of their friendship and collaboration of almost thirty years. All three share important information about the performance, rehearsal, conducting, and interpretation of Lauridsen's works, which have become central to the canon of choral literature.

Listen in on a fascinating conversation as one of America's great choral conductors, Weston Noble, shares his ideas and beliefs with other notable choral conductors Charles Bruffy and James Jordan. This inspirational volume contains comprehensive and far-reaching dialogue on the principles that have guided Weston Noble throughout his rich and illustrious career spanning more than sixty years. It is the first time he has documented in a recording those facets of his journey as a choral conductor that he feels have been both life changing and life enriching. Also included are in-depth discussions among these renowned choral conductors concerning the nature and importance of spirituality for musicians and the music-making journey-an issue important not only to them but to any musician. Among the topics covered are: spirituality-the Body, Mind, Spirit connection; vulnerability-the role of feeling function; the teachings of Karl Jung and their importance to musicians-to name just a few. Also, James Jordan summarizes Rene Girard's Mimetic Theory and its relevance to choral ensembles and conductors. This audio CD set will be an invaluable resource for both conductors and choral singers who desire to explore more deeply the inner journey necessary for any musician.

Contents: Britten: A New Year Carol; Custer: Innisfree; Lauridsen: O magnum mysterium; Hassler: Verbum caro factum est; Gibbons: The Silver Swan; Copland: Sing Ye Praises to Our King; Mendelssohn: Verleih uns Frieden; Brahms: Geistliches Lied, Op. 30; Sweelinck: Venite exultemus Domino; Schein: Christ lag in Todesbanden; Leavitt: Ose Shalom; Dilworth: I've Been 'Buked, Children!; Churchill: Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair; Ames: Choral Reflection on Amazing Grace; Ames: Down by the Riverside.

Titles include: I Am Soft Sift; O Magnum Mysterium; Richard Crashaw's Carol; Winter's Cold; Balulalow; Selections from A Yeats Triptych: Farewell; The Fiddler of Dooney; Orpheus with His Lute; The Silver Swan; O Mistress Mine; How Can I Keep from Singing?; When Jesus Wept; Come Down, O Love Divine; Jerusalem, My Happy Home; Hineh Mah Tov and Deep River.

Contents: Dickau: If Music Be the Food of Love; Deimer: Three Madrigals (O mistress mine, where are you going; Take, O take these lips away; Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more); arr. Parker/Shaw: Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier; Aitken: Flanders Fields; Howells: Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing; arr: Chilcott: MLK; Ticheli: There Will Be Rest; MacGillivray/Calvart: Song for the Mira; arr. Chilcott: Buffalo Gals; Stroope: Amor de me alma; Britten: Time and Concord; Pfautsch: Musicks Empire; Karlsons: Rotola; Hogan: Jericho.

Written, researched, and compiled by choral scholars and educators with a wealth of teaching and conducting experience, "Teaching Music through Performance in Choir, Volume 2" aids conductors and educators on their quest toward full musical awareness. This book is an ideal tool for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the preeminent music composed for choir and a wonderful opportunity to learn from some of the most expert voices in the choral profession. Volume 2 uses the choral repertoire grading system developed for Volume 1 and contains thorough analyses of more than 100 of the most significant works for choir ever composed, Levels 1-5. Repertoire Resource Guides include information on the composer and composition, historical background, technical requirements, stylistic considerations, musical elements, suggestions for additional listening, and a guide to selected references. This is an essential resource for choir directors at all levels and a major contribution to the choral field.

This book is an ideal tool for anyone who seeks a deeper understanding of the choral repertoire and wishes to learn from leading conductors and educators in the choral profession. In Part I, noted choral directors and teachers Frank Abrahams, Anton E. Armstrong, Joseph Flummerfelt, Graeme Morton, and Weston H. Noble cover such topics as breath control, stylistic awareness from polyphony through the Classical period, the challenges of modern music, "Performance Practice in the African-American Slave Song," and "Meeting the National Standards Through Choral Performance." Part II establishes a new system for assessing the difficulty level of choral literature, and contains nuts-and-bolts analyses of more than 100 of the most significant works from levels 1 through 5. Repertoire Resource Guides include information on the compositions and their composers, historical background, technical requirements, stylistic considerations, musical elements, suggestions for additional listening, and a guide to selected references. Also included is an in-depth analysis of the choral masterwork "Requiem" by Gabriel Faure. "Teaching Music through Performance in Choir" is a major contribution to music education and an essential resource for choir directors at all levels!