The text for this piece comes from an autobiographical essay by Kent Meyers, who grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota. The piece is a meditation on the effects, both physical and psychological, of
An oblique homage to J.S. Bach's C Major Prelude from the Well-Tempered Clavier, this selection takes a whimsical upside-down view of the famous prelude and moves it to 7/8 for an extra challenge.
Seinn O comes from the Gaelic tradition of "mouth music," a style of vocal music intended to accompany dancing. Mouth music appears in every Gaelic culture in the world, from Ireland to Cape Breton
A popular Israeli song of peace in a gentle folk song treatment, featuring a solo duet. Accompanied by piano or guitar.
Set to a text by the English composer William Byrd, this piece is a comically earnest list of the many health and social benefits of learning to sing. The conclusion: "Since singing is so good a thing,I
This piece evokes an air of deep contentment and friendship at day’s end. The words are from a scene from "The Merchant of Venice," during which two lovers are strolling through the evening, enjoying
The metaphor of darkness is immediately evocative and also indefinite; a listener could take it to depict a stepping into the unknown, fear, loss, death, or literal darkness. In this setting, the soloist
A sentimental love letter to the composer's wife, this gentle waltz in D moves from 3/4 to 5/4 for a measure, back to 3/4 and ends in 4/4.
A 19th-century spiritual re-consecrated by Pete Seeger and The Weavers as the best known anthem for the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Arranged to be sung on the march, this version begins
Bright, shimmering, Coplandesque sonorities, and rhythmic lyricism. A shape note-inspired mashup of two Presbyterian hymns of discipleship, Beach Spring and Dunlop's Creek, featuring a
This original round sends a joyful message to singers and listeners alike. Composed for flexible voicing, the round is successful in two or three parts giving beginning choirs a chance to stretch their
This wildly popular arrangement is a favorite with choral festivals all over the country. Beginning in the style of a bluegrass trio, the piece opens into a four-part gospel celebration of the power of song
Here is a vigorous spiritual from the Georgia Sea Islands, traditionally sung on New Year's Eve but can be programmed at any time of year. In an a cappella setting for mixed choir and featured soloist(s),