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God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Flute Choir
Beginning simply with solo flute 4, flute 3 then takes the melody and the alto and bass flutes add a chromatic bass line setting the mood of this well known carol. A brief canon leads to the middle section, brighter in tempo, and using fragments of the carol. And then, a rollicking 3/4 version (in one) with the carol joyous and unexpectedly Lydian.
Christmas is a celebration of joy and exuberance and this clever arrangement will absolutely delight your audience.
The Ohio State University Flute Troupe, directed by Katherine Borst Jones, recorded this piece. The full version is available for your listening pleasure under Hear an Excerpt.
Composer: Anne McGinty
Instrumentation: Piccolo, 4 Flutes, Alto Flute & Bass Flute
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 4:00 / 25 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A -
Illusions – Flute Choir
Illusions make us think we are seeing something we’re not, a deception, which is quite magical; and this piece is based on magic.
The first movement, Wild Card, depicts the journey to find one’s own way in life. The individual parts go this way and that, sometimes at peace with decisions made and sometimes filled with the unease that comes with fear of the unknown.
A wizard can be someone clever and skilled, as a computer wizard, and can also be synonymous for obsessions, including bewitchment and enchantment. Wizardz, the second movement, gives every instrument its own voice within the ensemble, sometimes clever and skilled, sometimes filled with enchantment and motivation with a little sorcery for good measure. Juggling, the third movement, sonically juggles the sound back and forth, up and down among the players, trying to keep all the balls in the air at the same time.
The sample score shows the first page of each of the three movements. At this time there is no recording available.
Composer: Anne McGinty
Instrumentation: Piccolo, 4 C Flutes, Alto Flute & Bass Flute
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 10:15 / 74 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A -
Tuba & 12 – Mixed Large Ensemble
Tuba & 12 was inspired by a Bedouin proverb that states: “While the words are yet unspoken, you are master of them; when once they are spoken, they are master of you.”
Proverbs, in general, state a general piece of advice. This piece assumed that words were spoken, resulting in tension and an apology. Relationships, the first movement, has brass vs. woodwinds, tonality vs. dissonance, duples vs. triplets, et al. as well as the synergy and cooperation among all. Unspoken Words is the second movement and the dissonant opening theme in the piccolo and flute is presented three times. The third movement is Resolution. Over a constant low pedal G, the horn ostinato adds tranquility as all the themes from the first two movements return in fragmented form, before all is finally resolved.
Although tuba has top billing in the title, each instrument is equally important.
The sample score shows the first page of each of the three movements. The complete recording is available for free.
Composer: Anne McGinty
Instrumentation: Piccolo, Flute, 2 Clarinets, Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, 2 Trumpets, 2 Horns, 2 Trombones & Tuba
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 11:00 / 75 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A
