Mark Taylor

Audio Available

Component

Delivery

Eprint Folders

Format

Grade

Instrument

Item Sequence

Large Print Edition

Marketed Status

Minimum Sell Quantity

MINTS Data Available

Product Line

Prop65

Score Available

Video Available

<p>Adventuresome and exuberant, Upward! captures the spirit of those looking to take on the world! Like the title, the main musical idea and its variations effortlessly ascend throughout the work. Performers are able to master each new challenge in stride, from simple quarter note bow strokes to optional double stops to energized eighth notes. Playable with open strings and a one octave D major scale, a first position bass part, and simple phrasing, Upward! is easily accessible for musicians and audiences alike! Upward! should be performed with controlled, energetic bow strokes. On quarter notes, performers can think the word "zing" to energize and emphasize bow changes. Slight space ("zip") may help articulate repeated notes in larger ensembles like those found in measure 28. Eighth notes should be played with "sticky" bows that do not leave the string, using no more than half the bow. Half notes are a perfect place to check for straight, controlled bow strokes. Beautiful left hand position is required to play this piece. Fingers should hover above the string when not in use, so they are ready to play in tune and in time. Double stops are most effectively performed non-divisi but may be divided at the discretion of the director. Musicians may need to practice playing double stops on open strings before adding fingers.</p>

Upward!

String Orchestra Score & Parts

<p>Ulysses' Quest uses a bold theme to take performers and audience members alike on an exciting musical journey. After stating the theme in the opening bars, performers expand their range to explore the motive's possibilities. A descent into the mysterious middle section stretches ears and finger patterns before control is tested in the slower section. Finally the piece comes home as the return of the theme is presented in one final round. Ulysses' Quest by Mark A. Taylor captures the heroic determination of a literary character with deep roots. Ulysses (Greek: Odysseus) has been a staple in literature dating back over 2,000 years. His quests have been recorded in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Dante's Divine Comedy, Tennyson's poem Ulysses, and Joyce's novel Ulysses (among others).</p>

Ulysses' Quest

Writings, artwork, and stories of angels date back thousands of years spanning time, space, and religions. Divine messengers, they connect people to God. An Angel on Earth is dedicated to my daughter, Jacqueline Louise Taylor. With her birth, God sent me the message of His love.
     Piano is required for this piece, but should be treated as section of the orchestra rather than a separate entity or soloist. Any questions of balance should defer back to this rule and the piano lid should be adjusted accordingly. Phrase markings found in the piano part may be used as a reference for the conductor when deciding on an interpretation for the work.
     Performers may approach the piece in a romantic style. The performers and conductor, with clear artistic intent, may decide on the use, speed, and width of vibrato throughout the work. Each phrase should be given definite direction. Repeated notes should be given slight space in order to distinguish them unless marked with ties or in the case of the bass harmonics. Instructions for how to produce the bass harmonics and the resulting pitches are provided in the bass part.
There is a broad spectrum of harmonies. Triadic harmonies should be identified and tuned accordingly. Non-triadic harmonies can be approached from a contrapuntal perspective or simply aligned with the piano.

An Angel on Earth

Score & Parts

Fanfares have traditionally been written for trumpets and other brass instruments (many times with percussion) for leaders, special occasions, or celebratory subjects.      Fanfares have been used for the entrance of kings, for "the common man", and more recently in video games to mark the accomplishment of a major task by the gamer. Fanfare for the Dreamkeeper is a piece that allows the developing string player to experience the excitement of performing a fanfare. The title is based on the idea that a leader should be the dreamkeeper of the people.
     Piano and percussion are recommended to heighten the fanfare effect but are optional. For string players, attention to right hand technique will ensure an energetic performance of the fanfare. All performers in the ensemble must adhere to the bowings marked to produce the intended tone and a uniform sound. Dynamics should be realized with bow placement, weight, and control.
     It is important that performers set up their left hand before each entrance. Performers should let their fingers hover above the opening notes, while checking for good left-hand framework. Though the familiar D major finger pattern is used throughout the piece, first violins may need to be reminded of E string low 2nd fingers. Basses should be allowed time to look over the shift in measures 9 and 16 (these sections may be rehearsed with the cello section for intonation).

Fanfare for the Dreamkeeper

Imagine flying amongst magnificent, magical creatures in Soaring with the Dragons. Uplifting major melodies contrasted by explorations into darker minor modal sections take performers and audience members on a high-flying musical adventure. The piece remains in the key of D major, yet provides plenty of variety through accents, pizzicato, dynamics, and a contrasting modal section without the need for extensions or slurs. Suited for young musicians, Soaring with the Dragons is an attainable string serenade with level-appropriate doublings, ranges, and techniques.
     Second violins and violas support each other with only D and A string notes. Close attention should be paid to left hand position to help with fourth finger E and A intonation. Fourth finger E and A are marked in places that will minimize string crossings and soften tone but may be used more often by advanced players. First violins will need to be comfortable playing on the E string with low second finger G, marked as a reminder each time it occurs. The cello and bass parts complement each other. In more technical cello passages, the bass lays chordal foundation structure without needing to shift.
     Rehearsal E will require some practice as performers gain confidence in their entrances and switching from pizzicato to arco. Cello and bass players may use a left hand pizzicato on the repeat from rehearsal B to the beginning if they are unable to recover from using their bow in time for a solid pizzicato entrance. Performers can gain confidence and uniformity in bow distribution by using the common eighth and quarter note combinations found in the piece set to the D major scale as warm-up.

Soaring with the Dragons

The fairytale of the frog prince has captured imaginations for centuries, first published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812.  Midnight Waltz of the Frog Prince is a whimsical waltz inspired by the amiable frog.  The lyrical melody is an enticing memorable foreground for the fully engaging accompaniment.  Students get the chance to explore the many timbres their instruments produce as col legno, pizzicato, and flautando make this beautiful piece come alive.

Midnight Waltz of the Frog Prince

Arias are melodic vocal works found in operas. They serve to both heighten drama in operas and highlight the talents of the performers who sing them. For centuries, composers like Handel, Mozart, and Puccini have used arias to feature famous singers, to the delight of audiences.
Aria for String Orchestra was composed to highlight the artistry of Rachael Gladys Altekruse and her students. Operatic style melodies are passed across the ensemble, providing performers in each section opportunities to showcase their skills and step into the spotlight. Loosely based on da capo aria form, all voices unite to display the strength of the orchestra when the opening melody is reintroduced (in the da capo section).

Aria for String Orchestra

The phoenix is a mythical bird that rises to life from ashes. Colorful and majestic, the phoenix lets out cries that are said to sound like music. After a lifetime that spans centuries, death comes to the bird by fire. According to Greek mythology, death for the phoenix is only temporary as a new phoenix rises from those ashes to fly and sing once more.
     The rebirth of the phoenix has captivated and inspired humanity for thousands of years. Legends of the bird are found in different forms with various names across cultures. In music, The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky was inspired by the Russian tale of such a bird. It is considered one of the greatest works of the 20th century and is still performed as a ballet and as an orchestral suite over one hundred years later.
     Rise of the Phoenix contains melodic fragments that assemble into full melody. This material is then cycled throughout the piece and across the orchestra. While form and driving rhythms embody the "rise of the phoenix" in myth, introductory level octatonic leanings and mixed meter provide a nod to the 20th century masterwork by Stravinsky.

Rise of the Phoenix

Mission to Mars invokes the wonder of what it might be like to journey to the fourth planet from the sun, the "Red Planet," which has captured the imagination of stargazers for thousands of years. It is exciting to think one among us may someday reach the planet that has inspired mythology, driven technological advances, and emboldened our quest into "the final frontier." Mission to Mars broadens horizons with original melodies and contemporary harmonies, while paying homage to interstellar themed masterworks that have come before.
     The piece was commissioned for the Vienna Summer Strings 2019 tribute to outer space. It is dedicated to the director, teachers, and students of the program. May their imaginations be as ever expansive as the universe.
     The divisi sections in Mission to Mars may either be played outside/inside or more advanced/less advanced. If divided by ability level, top part players should alternate stands with lower part performers for a more unified sound. For rehearsal (and even performance) purposes, use a pencil instead of a bow in the col legno battuto passages. If there are advanced cellists in need of a challenge, measures 4-9 provide an 8va option. The Violin I lower part in measures 26-27 is intended to be played as an open harmonic A, but can be played closed on the E string if shifting to the harmonic proves to be too much of a technical challenge.

Mission to Mars

Guardians of the Realm is a lionhearted work reminiscent of times long ago. Contrasts in styles and modalities make explorations of both right and left hand technique engaging and relevant. Divisi strings parts challenge performers comfortable with shifting, while providing a more accessible role for those solidifying fundamentals. With fierce themes and aspirations of valor, orchestras will enliven in audiences and awaken in themselves, the Guardians of the Realm.
     The Franklin Band &amp; Orchestra Camp commissioned Guardians of the Realm in honor of its 30th anniversary. The piece is dedicated to the directors and students for whom the piece was composed. Musical ideas for the piece were inspired by the life and times of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), namesake of the camp.
Franklin was a contributor to the Age of Enlightenment, a period during the 18th century when people in Europe and America turned towards rational and scientific explanations. He was an author, inventor, philosopher, politician, and printer. A varied skill set, inquisitive mind, and problem-solving ability enabled him to become one of America's Founding Fathers.
     A contemporary of both Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a young Ludwig van Beethoven, Franklin's experiments extended into the realm of music. One of his inventions was the glass armonica, a keyboard of ringing glasses, filled with water to produce the correct pitches. Scores of composers wrote for the glass armonica, including Mozart, Beethoven, and Saint-Saens.
     The opening of the piece calls for glass armonica or singing glasses to accompany the harmonics heard in the upper strings. These sonorities become a foundation for the piece on multiple levels. Structure and styles stemming from the composers and ideals of the Age of Enlightenment are also found throughout the work. The opening soli is given to the low strings as a tribute to Franklin, who played the viola da gamba.

Guardians of the Realm

Global Sections - CORE [DO NOT TOUCH]*

Favicon

Need Help? Contact Us or call 1-800-345-6296    Live Chat

Header

Don't have a business account? Create one

Products