Rise Above - J. Reese Norris

In this episode, you'll hear from J. Reese Norris, composer of "Rise Above" - available for SA through MusicSpoke. Reese and I discuss the conception of the piece, the impact of Joan of Arc, the common vocalisms of the adolescent treble singer, the part of this piece that singers refer to as "getting crunk up again", and the non usual banter. Thank you for listening and I hope you check out "Rise Above" and Reese's entire choral music catalogue! http://www.jreesenorris.com/ https://musicspoke.com/downloads/rise-above/

In this episode, you'll hear from Ryan Main, composer of "Dies Irae" - available for SATB, SSAB, SAB, SSA, TTB, and TB through his website (http://ryanmain.com/). Ryan and I discuss the conception of the piece, the fire and brimstone that students love to sing (mixed with some heavy metal), the importance of kinesthetics in rehearsal, and the usual non-musical banter. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you check out "Dies Irae" and Ryan's choral music catalogue! http://ryanmain.com/ https://www.ryanmain.com/store?store-page=Dies-Irae-p223393265

In this episode, you'll hear from David Brunner, composer of "Yo le Canto Todo el Dia" - available for SA, TTB, and SATB through Boosey & Hawkes. David and I discuss the conception of the piece, the virtuosic piano part, the dangers of rushing, and the usual non-musical banter. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you check out "Yo le Canto Todo el Dia" and David's choral music catalogue! http://davidbrunner.com/ SA - https://www.boosey.com/shop/prod/Brunner-David-Yo-Le-Canto-Todo-El-Dia-SA-piano/698958 TTB - https://www.boosey.com/shop/prod/Brunner-David-Yo-Le-Canto-Todo-El-Dia-TTB-Piano/2072285 SATB - https://www.boosey.com/shop/prod/Brunner-David-Yo-Le-Canto-Todo-El-Dia-SATB-piano/695513

In this episode, you'll hear from Susan LaBarr, composer of "Hold Fast to Dreams" - available for SATB and SSA through Santa Barbara Music Publishing. Susan and I discuss the conception of the piece, dotted quarter notes, commissioning, and the usual non-musical banter. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you check out Susan's choral music catalogue! https://www.giamusic.com/store/walton-music-editor SSA - https://sbmp.com/SR2.php?CatalogNumber=1426 SATB - https://sbmp.com/SR2.php?CatalogNumber=1136

In this episode, you'll hear from Sarah Quartel, composer of "Sing, My Child" - available for SATB, SSAA, and TTBB through Oxford University Press. Sarah and I discuss the conception of the piece, Sarah's style of composition, mixed meter, singing over the bar line and through the rests, and the usual non-musical banter. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you check out Sarah's choral music catalogue! https://www.sarahquartel.com/ SATB - https://global.oup.com/academic/product/sing-my-child-9780193517912?q=sing%20my%20child&lang=en&cc=us SSAA - https://global.oup.com/academic/product/sing-my-child-9780193530249?q=sing%20my%20child&lang=en&cc=us TTBB - https://global.oup.com/academic/product/sing-my-child-9780193560758?q=sing%20my%20child&lang=en&cc=us

In this episode, you'll hear from Mike Engelhardt, composer of "Victimae Paschali Laudes" - available for SATB and TTBB and self-published through his website (provided below). Mike and I discuss the conception of the piece, the dramatic nature of this antiquated text, vocoders, and the usual non-musical banter. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you check out Mike's choral music catalogue! https://www.michaelengelhardt.com/ https://www.michaelengelhardt.com/store/victimae-satb https://www.michaelengelhardt.com/store/victimae-paschali-laudes-ttbb-bass-percussion-opt-electronic-tracks

In this episode, you'll hear from Dr. Zanaida Robles, composer of "Veni Sancte Spiritus"- available for SATB and self-published, available through her website (provided below). Zanaida and I discuss the conception of the piece, mixed meter, progressive rock, and the usual non-musical banter. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you enjoy our conversation about "Veni Sancte Spiritus".  Please be sure to explore more of Dr. Zanaida Robles' catalogue! https://zanaidarobles.com/

In this episode, you'll hear from Kevin Memley, composer of "There Will Come Soft Rains" - available for SSAA through Pavane Publishing. Kevin and I discuss the conception of the piece, Sara Teasdale, synesthesia, polyrhythms, and the usual non-musical banter. This episode honors Sara Teasdale during Women’s History Month in March but is also dedicated to those impacted by the atrocious events that are currently taking place in Ukraine.  The text of this piece centers around the subject of war and its futility to the world around us.  Thank you so much for listening and I hope you enjoy our conversation and go check out "There Will Come Soft Rains" and Kevin's additional compositional library. https://kevinmemley.com/ http://www.pavanepublishing.com/2x2pdf/P1448There2X2.pdf

In this episode, you'll hear from Robert T. Gibson, composer of "This Little Light of Mine" - available for SSA and Two-Part through Walton Music. Robert and I discuss the conception of the piece, the accessible yet unpredictable nature of his arrangement, how important it is to let our own individual "light" shine, and the usual non-musical banter. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you enjoy our conversation and go check out "This Little Light of Mine"! https://roberttgibsonmusic.weebly.com/ https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/this-little-light-of-mine-print-ww1682 https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/this-little-light-of-mine-twopart-print-ww1874

In this episode, you'll hear from Josh Sparkman, composer of "Here We Come A-Caroling" - available for SATB through Beckenhorst Press. Josh and I discuss the conception of the piece, the old English tradition of wassailing, polyrhythms, and the usual non-musical banter. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you enjoy our conversation! https://www.joshsparkman.com/ https://beckenhorstpress.com/here-we-come-a-caroling/ Check out Episodes 11-13 that feature choral repertoire that could work well in a holiday concert!