Search Results for: “GOD WILL REJOICE OVER YOU”


Loading...

Results: 1 Song
Results: 2 Pages
Benjamin Britten Article | Hal Leonard Distributed by Britten Home YouTube Festival Biography Choral Publications Article: Explore the Choral Music of Benjamin Britten by Paul Spicer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was a unique force in British music. Of the fine composers among his contemporaries, none wrote such a wide variety of music across such a broad spectrum of genres and for such a range of ages and abilities. In many ways, though he might have been surprised by the comparison, he was the natural successor to Vaughan Williams, whose instincts for community and the nurture of amateur musicians brought him an almost cult-like status in Britain. Britten did not devote himself so wholeheartedly to these things, but a sizeable proportion of his choral music is easily within the reach of a good ordinary choir, another part is well within the grasp of a reasonable church choir, and there is, of course, all the music he wrote specifically for children. Among the 60 or so non-operatic choral works there are also works which are exceptionally demanding and perhaps best left to professionals and outstanding amateurs. The range of this output and the frequency of performance of the better-known works underline Britten's ubiquity in the world of choral singing, not just in the English-speaking community but far beyond. As with many composers who have devoted themselves to writing a large corpus of music for one particular genre, Britten has suffered from being too well-known for a few familiar pieces. Rejoice in the Lamb, A Ceremony of Carols, Hymn to the Virgin, Hymn to St Cecilia, Jubilate Deo in C and others have tended to obscure the fuller picture of Britten's choral output and, if nothing else, I hope that choral directors will look beyond their favourites and explore the rich variety of music which is still almost undiscovered. Schools, or choirs of upper or lower voices, will find music here of wonderful quality which rarely sees the light of day. Similarly, there is a genuine mix of sacred and secular and some useful blurring of the edges where words can be equally appropriate in either context. I hope that the corresponding online guide will also be of real practical help to those who aim to build programmes which may be structured in specific ways - thematically, by voice type, by religious or non-religious setting, or by the balancing of a well-known piece by a less-familiar or almost unknown work. It is a spirit of discovery and adventure which should fire the imagination, and it is a love of all this music which has inspired the commentary writing. Britten was a practical composer. He knew that the music he wrote was performable because he himself was an accomplished professional musician. This is, again, where the Vaughan Williams analogy holds true. To be there, in among those doing the singing, directing the performance, advising other conductors and acquiring great expertise and experience over a creative lifetime, gave him an unusual insight into what choirs enjoy singing. He discovered what levels were attainable by different types of group, and did much to encourage that sense of ambition which has led to a genuine rise in the quality of amateur choral music-making. Britten was also a practical composer because he gave his performers all the information they need to deliver a convincing and 'authentic' performance - his scores have clear and unambiguous performance directions throughout. He is known to have remarked that, if musicians follow his instructions to the letter (and can play or sing the notes in an accurate and musical fashion), they will give a performance of which the composer would approve. So the principal instruction to choral directors is to prepare the score thoroughly prior to embarking on rehearsals. Read the words in order to understand Britten's setting of them, and mark, learn and inwardly digest Britten's clear instructions about speed, dynamics, phrasing, and, often most importantly, articulation. The mood of a piece so often comes from the composer's approach to the text. Britten tended to choose texts which were not widely set by other composers. But to compare, for instance, his two connected settings of Gerard Manley Hopkins' "God's Grandeur" in A.M.D.G. and "The World of the Spirit" with Kenneth Leighton's version is to clearly demonstrate the point. No two responses could be more different and yet each excitingly shows the composer's individual reaction to the poem. To examine Britten's popular Jubilate Deo in C alongside Howells' Collegium Regale setting of the same words written some fifteen years earlier is, again, to emphasize how their idiomatic interpretations of the text helped shape each piece. Britten's style grew out of the English choral tradition he knew so well. He had not been a cathedral chorister but had boarded at Gresham's School from the age of 14. There he was exposed to the standard repertoire of the Anglican Church and his earliest well-known piece, "A Hymn to the Virgin," was written when he was only 16 and still a schoolboy. It unequivocally shows his feeling for the beauty and potential of choral sound, so it is no wonder that such precocious talent should develop to the extent it did. While there are pieces from his output which are more stylistically searching, this early gem sets the scene for a choral output that is essentially approachable, tonal, lyrical, and pleasing to both performer and listener. It is a remarkable legacy.
A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS - Broadway Junior | Hal Leonard Menu LEARN MORE About Broadway Junior What Comes With the Showkit®? How to License a Broadway Junior Musical Order an Audio Sampler Frequently Asked Questions 60-Min.ute Musicals [JR.] 60-Minute Musicals 13 Jr. Alice In Wonderland Jr. (Disney) Aladdin Jr. (Disney) Annie Jr. Beauty and the Beast Jr. (Disney) The Big One-Oh! Jr. Bugsy Malone Jr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. Dear Edwina Jr. Doctor Dolittle Jr. Dot & The Kangaroo Jr. The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. Elf The Musical Jr. Fame Jr. Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Finding Nemo Jr. (Disney) Finian's Rainbow Jr. Flat Stanley Jr. Frozen Jr. (Disney) A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr. (Magic Tree House) Godspell Jr. Guys and Dolls Jr. Hairspray Jr. High School Musical Jr. (Disney) Honk! Jr. Into the Woods Jr. James and the Giant Peach Jr. (Roald Dahl) Junie B. Jones Jr. Legally Blonde Jr. The Lion King Jr. (Disney) The Little Mermaid Jr. (Disney) Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. Mary Poppins Jr. (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh) Matilda Jr. (Roald Dahl) Mean Girls Jr. Moana Jr. (Disney) The Music Man Jr. My Son Pinocchio Jr. (Disney) Newsies Jr. (Disney) Oliver! Jr. Once on This Island Jr. Peter Pan Jr. (Broadway) The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. The Pirates of Penzance Jr. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Seussical Jr. Shrek Jr. Singin' In The Rain Jr. Sister Act Jr. Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. (Roald Dahl) Xanadu Jr. 30-Min.ute Musicals [KIDS] 30-Minute Musicals 101 Dalmatians KIDS (Disney) Aladdin KIDS (Disney) Annie KIDS Aristocats KIDS (Disney) Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS (Magic Tree House) Finding Nemo KIDS (Disney) Frozen KIDS (Disney) The Jungle Book KIDS (Disney) The Knight at Dawn KIDS (Magic Tree House) The Lion King KIDS (Disney) The Music Man KIDS Pirates Past Noon KIDS (Magic Tree House) Seussical KIDS Willy Wonka KIDS (Roald Dahl) Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Disney) A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS Product Information Musical Numbers Cast of Characters Credits Book and Lyrics by Willie Reale Music by Robert Reale Based on the books by Arnold Lobel Overview / Synopsis Adapted from the three-time-Tony-nominated Broadway hit comes A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS. Based on Arnold Lobel's well-loved books, the jazzy, upbeat score bubbles with melody. Part vaudeville, part make-believe, and all charm, this musical tells the story of a friendship that endures throughout the seasons. This whimsical show follows two great friends - the cheerful, popular Frog, and the rather grumpy Toad - through four fun-filled seasons. Waking from hibernation, Frog and Toad plant gardens, swim, rake leaves, go sledding and learn life lessons along the way. Throughout the year, two best friends celebrate and rejoice in the differences that make them unique and special. A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS is a great first choice for young performers, with plenty of ensemble roles, accessible music and minimal sets and costumes. Audio Sampler - HL00200524 $10.00 ShowKit - HL00200511 $545.00 This ShowKit includes: 30 - Student Books 1 - Director's Guide 1 - Piano/Vocal Score 1 - Accompaniment CD 1 - Choreography DVD 1 - Media Disc 30-Minute KIDS Request Individual Components 00200515 - Director's Guide $100.00 00200516 - Piano/Vocal Score $40.00 00200517 - Student Book $10.00 00200518 - Student Book 10-pak $75.00 00200519 - Performance/Accomp CD pack $75.00 00200520 - Student Rehearsal CD $10.00 00200521 - Student Rehearsal CD 20-pak $100.00 00200522 - Choreography DVD $50.00 00200523 - Media Disc $10.00 00200524 - Audio Sampler $10.00 Hear A Sample A Year with Frog and Toad The Letter #1 Getta Loada Toad The Letter #2 Cookies Leaves: A Year with Frog and Toad He'll Never Know The Letter #3 Down the Hill Merry Almost Christmas Merry Almost Christmas (Reprise) Finale: A Year with Frog and Toad Frog Frog is a friendly, confidant, positive and caring character. This leading role requires a strong actor and singer. He should always seem comfortable solving Toad's problems and reacting to Toad's traumas. When auditioning, mix and match your Frog and Toad hopefuls into different pairs and determine the best chemistry. Gender: Male Vocal Range: B3-D5 Toad Toad is serious, irritable, self-conscious yet an oddly charismatic character. The friendship that he shares with Frog must appear loyal through and through. This role requires a good actor and singer and should be one of your stronger students. Auditioning several pairs of Frogs and Toads will enable you to cast actors that can have fun with this "tight yet quirky" friendship. Gender: Male Vocal Range: Bb3-D5 Turtle Turtle is a "rabble-rouser" and loves to get the whole gang to tease Toad in fun! This actor should be a strong singer and be able to be a comedian at the same time. He (or she) only has a solo in one number. Audition this student along with Mouse and Lizard to achieve a good trio for "Getta Loada Toad". There are solo singing lines for this role. Gender: Both Vocal Range: B3-C5 Mouse Mouse is always able to ask all the right questions like a talk-show host. Mouse, like Turtle, is full of fun and they should have a good chemistry because of their call/response dialogue and song. This could be a good place to use a smaller child that can perform with mouse like qualities. Gender: Both Vocal Range: B3-C5 Lizard Lizard is definitely the most confused of the Turtle, Mouse, Lizard trio, but eventually joins in the fun. He (or she) should be able to confidently sing the short solo and be a strong addition to the ensemble as an actor and singer. Gender: Both Vocal Range: B3-C5 Snails The Snails are simply unflappable. They will deliver without fail "in the rain or sleet or snow." Cast actors that can deliver their songs with personality, confidence and musical accuracy. They have few spoken lines but their singing entrances are the comedic relief of the show. Gender: Both Vocal Range: C4-D5 Birds The Birds communicate the passage of time (seasons) and set the stage for the story to follow. This is a great opportunity to cast children that have a good sense of musical timing and can sell their songs like cabaret singers! Have visual fun with your "bird family" and cast all size actors. Enjoy the "diva moments!" Gender: Both Vocal Range: B3-D5 Moles The Moles should have expressive faces to convey the excitement in "Down The Hill" as well as sincerity in their angelic solo "Merry Almost Christmas". The Moles should be singers more than actors as their lines are few. A good choral blend sets them apart! Gender: Both Vocal Range: Bb3-D5 Squirrels The Squirrels are full of mischief and the actors should be comfortable moving, talking and singing with squirrel like qualities. Cast actors that have good diction, as their soft shoe rendition of "He'll Never Know"" is wordy and quick. Play up the wonderful contrast between the Squirrels and Frog and Toad in this ballad! Gender: Both Vocal Range: Bb3-C4
Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Follow Us on Twitter Follow Us on TikTok Subscribe To Us on YouTube Follow Us on LinkedIn