The Choral-Orchestral Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams: Autographs, Context, Discourse combines contextual knowledge, a musical commentary, an inventory of the holograph manuscripts, and a critical assessment of the opus to create substantial and meticulous examinations of Ralph Vaughan Williams’s choral-orchestral works. The contents include an equitable choice of pieces from the various stages in the life of the composer and an analysis of pieces from the various stages of Williams’s life. The earliest are taken from the pre-World War I years, when Vaughan Williams was constructing his identity as an academic and musician—Vexilla Regis (1894), Mass (1899), and A Sea Symphony (1910). The middle group are chosen from the interwar period—Sancta Civitas (1925), Benedicite (1929), Magnificat (1932), Five Tudor Portraits (1935), Dona nobis pacem (1936)—written after Vaughan Williams had found his mature voice. The last cluster—Thanksgiving for Victory (1944), Fantasia (Quasi Variazione) on the ‘Old 104’ Psalm Tune(1949), Sons of Light (1950), Hodie (1954), The Bridal Day/Epithalamion (1938/1957)—typify the works finished or revisited during the final years of the composer’s life, near the end of the Second World War and immediately before or after his second marriage (1953).

"This guide consists of annotated listings of more than twelve hundred works for chorus and orchestra by 250 composers of the Western Hemisphere. The listings are intended for conductors of professional, community, church, and educational organizations, including those at the high school and collegiate levels, with the purpose of aiding the conductors in the selection of works for programming and in ascertaining important information about the works. ... Five appendices further aid the conductor by listing works in categories of choral scoring, orchestral scoring, duration, textual subject, and publisher contact information."--p.xi

The Classical era, from 1751 to the 1830s and beyond, is one of the most revolutionary and creative times in the history of music. However, critical details about the performance of music during this extraordinary time have too often been lost to generations of re-interpretation, opinionated colorings, and changes in fashion and taste. In this remarkable volume, noted scholar and choral conductor, Dennis Shrock brings together in one place writings from more than 100 Classical-era authors and composers about performance practices of music during their time. These primary sources represent the entire time span of the Classical era, writings from throughout Europe and the United States, and details on virtually every type of performing medium and genre of composition common in the era. Dr. Shrock quotes from diaries, instruction books, dictionaries, letters, biographies, and essays all written during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Dr. Shrock organizes all of these comments - complete with detailed music examples - in sections devoted to sound, tempo, articulation and phrasing, metric accentuation, rhythmic alteration, ornamentation, and expression. What emerges is an insightful and colorful portrait certain to assist anyone who seeks to better understand the music of Mozart, Haydn, and other noted composers. Performance Practices in the Classical Era is a vital resource for any conductor, performer, or aficionado of classical music.

A new book from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the award-winning songwriters of the hit Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen. When Benj Pasek and Justin Paul set out to write a pivotal song for Dear Evan Hansen, a musical they had been working on for years, they knew it had to be big and emotional and genuine. So they tapped into their main character's loneliness and allowed him to sing his way out of it. The result was "You Will Be Found," a song that sets in motion a moment that goes viral in the world of the show and in turn helps Evan find connection. And then something happened in the world outside the show: Fans loved the song. It connected. It went viral. People who had never even seen Dear Evan Hansen found the song, and found comfort in its message of hope. This beautifully illustrated edition of the "You Will Be Found" lyrics is for them, and for anyone on the edge of a new chapter in life. It serves as a reminder to anyone who feels lost or uncertain that, as the song says, you are not alone.

Conductor, chorus director, airplane pilot, educator, activist, mentor, and advocate Margaret Hillis blazed a trail upon which many continue to tread. The first woman to regularly conduct a major symphony orchestra, she was the founder of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and served for thirty-seven years as its first director, winning nine Grammy Awards. In Margaret Hillis: Unsung Pioneer, author Cheryl Frazes Hill--a longtime colleague and associate--examines how Hillis was able to overcome the many challenges she faced, navigating a career in ways relatable not only to musicians but also to women in all professions. Margaret Hillis's story is one of resilience, determination, and passion for music. Her journey is an inspiration, a portrait of what it takes to succeed at the highest level in any field.

From the author of the critically acclaimed "Choral Music in the Twentieth Century" comes an indispensable resource for choral conductors, choral singers, and other music lovers, and an essential text for educators and their students. Strimple covers repertory by Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and lesser figures.