New Publications

Over the last several months Cypress Choral Music Publishing has worked to put together a collection of pieces by songwriter Robbie Smith and his writing partner Kathleen Glauser. Several of Canada’s top composers answered the call and contributed beautiful arrangements to the “Robbie Songs Project”. Today we feature Donna Rhodenizer’s beautiful arrangement of “Why Can’t We?”. Enjoy!

Available for purchase here

WHY CAN’T WE?

The groundbreaking and new conducting text, The Elements of Expressive Conducting by Michael Haithcock, has a new Choral Excerpts Supplement!

Eugene Rogers review of the book is here –

This is a remarkable resource for conducting students of all levels. The attention given to musical leadership and the alignment of the mind and body in the text is such a rare gift to our field. In addition, I found the choral supplement examples to be a wonderful resource pedagogically, but equally beneficial for exposing students to a broad range of important composers. The Elements of Expressive Conducting is an essential text that choral and instrumental conducting instructors alike should have in their library.

Eugene C. Rogers, D.M.A.
Director of Choirs & Associate Professor of Conducting, University of Michigan
Artistic Director, The Washington Chorus
Founding Director, EXIGENCE

Information on the text can be found here: https://conway-publications.com/product/conducting-978-1-7332287-9-4/

And the Choral Excerpts can be found here: https://conway-publications.com/product/choral-excerpt-supplement-to-the-elements-of-expressive-conducting/

“Abendlied” has been widely regarded as Josef Rheinberger’s best known sacred composition which he wrote in 1855 at the age of 15. Cypress Choral Music curator Zimfira Poloz added this wonderful arrangement by the outstanding Nadezhda Averina to her Cypress series last year. Featured here is the Ponomaryov “VESNA” Children’s Choir under the direction of Nadezhda herself.

Available at Cypress Choral Music Publishing

ABENDLIED

Last month Edition Dohr in Germany published my Requiem written in 2002. My Requiem is in seven movements and mixes the traditional Latin Requiem Mass text with poetry by Bridges, Whitman and Keats. The work has no dramatic tension; it’s like a lullaby for the dead and a means of comfort for those who remain. It’s very much a work wishing the person a peaceful journey into the after life following the examples of the Brahms, Fauré and Rutter Requiem’s. The fifth movement sums up the whole meaning of the work. It’s a scherzo movement (in a Requiem?), which reminds us that the dead will always live on in the memory of the people they leave behind them.

First performance: 4 December 2004, St Francis of Assisi Church, Ravenswood Avenue, West Wickham, Kent. John Ruskin Choral Society, Ruskin Sinfonia, Soloist Tracey Bacon conducted by the Composer.

The work is 25 minutes long and is scored for an orchestra of 2 Flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns, Timpani and Strings.

Score covers and sample pages can be found at https://www.dohr.de/edition_dohr/einzeltitel/ismn9825.htm

A recording of the work is available on www.soundcloud.com https://soundcloud.com/user-696680274/remembered-with-love-requiem-introit

This week Dr. Joel Tranquilla celebrates Indigenous People’s Day by sitting down with composer Andrew Balfour and discussing his remarkable sonic and spiritual piece “Vision Chant”.

Available at Cypress Choral Music Publishing

Vision Chant

John McRae’s famous poem – written in 1915 – has been set by composers many times. David’s creation goes straight to the heart with a lovely marriage between the music and text. Choirs at all levels of ability will love to convey this truth in such a fitting musical way. Sweet spot vocal registers and intuitive voice leading make this a great choice.

Available through Cypress Choral Music Publishing

IN FLANDERS FIELDS