Par L'ESTRANGE ALEXANDER (Arr.). Auld Lang Syne (meaning ‘old long since’) recalls days gone by, promising always to remember them with friends. A popular New Year’s Eve song in many parts of the world and a perfect encore piece for any New Year or celebratory concerts. This piece is part of the Faber Choral Singles series, offering a selection of beautifully crafted arrangements in a diversity o…

Raising the curtain on Christopher Norton's Micromusicals - exciting and accessible musicals for schools based on popular classroom teaching topics from the creator of the internationally-acclaimed Microjazz series. Designed for children aged 6-12, each production lasts around 30 minutes and can be learned, rehearsed and performed in as little as 2 days.Stage a real class act with this comprehensi…

Par L'ESTRANGE ALEXANDER (Arr.). The poignant words of The Last Rose Of Summer, by Thomas Moore, match this Irish song’s mournful, drooping melody. After a temporarily uplifting modulation for the third verse, where the men of the choir echo the melody two measures behind, the arrangement ends as it began – in a solitary mood, with an empty, bare fifth. This piece is part of the Faber Choral Sing…

The struggle and suffering described in spirituals go hand in hand with an overwhelming sense of hope for a better life. Deep River is one of the most popular spirituals; its long-phrase melody calls for sustained breath control and a real sense of shape. Much contrast can be made between the first and second sections of the melody, and enjoy the more adventurous harmony around the words ‘where al…

Par L'ESTRANGE ALEXANDER (Arr.). Oh Shenandoah dates back to the early nineteenth century, with possible origins in Virginia. Sometimes referred to as a ‘shanty’ song because of its refrain (‘away, you rolling river,’ etc.), its lyrics exist in many versions and can be seen as a paean either to the river itself, or perhaps to the (mythical?) daughter of an Indian chief of that name. Regardless of …

Par L'ESTRANGE ALEXANDER (Arr.). Danny Boy (the melody of which is also known as Londonderry Air), is often assumed to be an old, traditional tune, however its structure and meter do not fit any of the known Irish folksong forms. As for the words most commonly associated with it for the last hundred years or so, they were written by an English lawyer who apparently never set foot in Ireland! Still…

Par L'ESTRANGE ALEXANDER (Arr.). Low-down on the Hoe-down is a rollicking romp through a selection of light-hearted line-dance tunes. It’s a tribute to Ward Swingle, founder and arranger of the legendary vocal group The Swingle Singers, whose idea it was to make a show-stopping concert-piece out of a number of barn-storming American square-dance songs, using a song called The Arkansas Traveler to …

Par L'ESTRANGE ALEXANDER (Arr.). Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal entreats a lover to emulate nature’s patterns, imploring that they first waken like the firefly and then ‘slip into my bosom and be lost in me’. Alexander L’Estrange was inspired by composers Gerald Finzi and Roger Quilter, two of the most prominent figures in English song in the first half of the twentieth century, and the poem is by T…

Par FORBES L'ESTRANGE JOANNA (Arr.). Wade in the Water is a lively and infectious spiritual. Its features include a call-and-response texture, jazz ‘scat’ vocalization and finger clicks on beats 2 and 4 of the measure. This arrangement by Joanna Forbes L’Estrange remains true to the spirit of Eva Cassidy’s well-loved version, adapting the instrumental improvisation on the recording to create a fun…

Par L'ESTRANGE ALEXANDER (Arr.). The Skye Boat Song is perhaps one of the best-known Scottish melodies of all. It refers to the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie who, still only a boy, was smuggled out of Scotland to France after the Scots’ defeat by the English at the Battle of Culloden in 1745. Despite there being a huge reward on his head, not one of his faithful Highlanders would betray him to th…