What do Cypress Choral Music and Alfred Publishing have in common?

As of March 2014, composer / arranger Kate MacColl!

 

In the spring of 2013, Elektra Women’s Choir (www.elektra.ca) premiered a commissioned arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s “The Circle Game” from Kate MacColl and this arrangement will become available for purchase through Alfred Music (www.alfred.com/‎) in March 2014…the single recorded by Elektra will also be available at that time through iTunes, and those attending the regional ACDA conference in Seattle in March 2014 have the opportunity to hear the piece live in concert on Saturday, March 15th.

 

You may know that last June 2013, also at the regional ACDA conference in Seattle, concert attendees heard another of Kate’s arrangements being performed by Elektra, a piece called “Changed Forever”, written by BC folksinger, Shari Ulrich.  This arrangement is available for purchase through Vancouver-based Cypress Choral Music (www.cypresschoral.com/).

 

~~Lana Penner Tovey (wife of maestro Bramwell Tovey of the VSO) says of the piece: “Changed Forever has been set sensitively and effectively…I also want to say a special thank-you for giving the alto section a chance to shine in the melody. I am amazed how infrequently arrangers trust the lower voices to communicate a melody, and so we are hugely enjoying ourselves.  It feels amazing to have the sopranos accompany us for once!”

 

For more information about these pieces and the composer / arranger, please visit: www.katemaccoll.com

 

Other pieces that may be of interest:

1)  “Counting The Ways”; an ideal choice for year-end ceremony music!  This original composition has been arranged to feature your school choir, 1-3 soloists, and a smaller select group able to take on the additional challenge of learning a 3-part descant harmony part for the last chorus. If you’re looking for something new to try with your choirs, “Counting The Ways” is written in a simple pop song style, which means you can teach your choir this crowd-pleasing, upbeat song in just a few classes – perfect for award or year-end ceremonies and all ages of students, “Counting the Ways” is sure to become one of your students’ favourite songs.
 
 2)  “Almost Didn’t Think of You Today” by Sam Masich (www.sammasich.com); this incredibly romantic song is written in the style of a classic jazz ballad, and while Kate’s arrangement was intended for an SSAB a cappella group, the men’s part could just as easily be played on an instrument in order to accompany a female group. The vocal ranges will suit many levels of choirs, and the beautiful melody and bittersweet lyrics will stay with your singers and audiences long after the song has been sung.
 
For sound clips, score previews and lyrics of these pieces and more, visit www.katemaccoll.com / click on the Choral Arrangements tab.  Kate MacColl is a music educator, director, performing songwriter, composer and arranger based in Vancouver, BC, Canada.