Matthlas Becke r ~EE'
(.horalli{erature's affinity for {he spheres of jazz and pop shows no signs of waning. As rhe American market expands further, more and more producers are releasing arrangemems that draw on popular srylistics. (In addition to the enablished firms of Hal Leonard, Warner Brothers. U C Jazz Press and Sbawnee Press, there arc rhose who hold the rights to rhe original compositions.) Bur in Germany, rh is rrend is on rhe decline. Producers continue fO recruit an increasing number of ambitious choral line-ups. bur, as a general rule. quality is being overlookedarrangements are being scrurinized solely on rhe basis of their markerabiliry. There are plenty of people making good arrangements here at home - and no shortage of capable choirs - but the copyrighr situation bas manifested in such a way that foreign producers are ralcing a huge financial risk. Obtaining the rights ro an arrangementprovided that you manage re get them at all - has become so expensive that ir's hardly possible to recoup rhe invesrment. This seClor of the mllsic industry has fallen inro a precarioll!o situarion, one in which the artistic component is completely being bypassed. Hence arrangemcnrs of jazz and pop titles come almost exclusively from Americafrom precisely [hose companies that have the righes to the composirions.
The Long & Winding Road A Lennon/McCanney classic from 1970 - rhe Bcarles' last # 1 hit before the quanet ultimately splir up. The rext's message of wistful longing and despair, rogether with the multiple chord changes, make this a hearHvrenching composition. In thiS SATB arrangement, Mac Huff succeeds in pulling off a balancing acr between ourright tear-jerker and ambirious (I cnppt'lIa choral literature. At rimes rhe
Lt
)ICrln
melody is supporred by backing chords of "ooh" from the choir; at Olhers, homophones offour.part jazz chords chime in. By foregoing even the slighresr alteration here. Mac Huff remains true [0 style within the pop idiom. He limits himself to a maximum of four voices. avoiding extreme pitches and yet maimaining the tension with unexpected harmonic turns, leuing the melody wander through rhe voices and building up a kind of doublc·choir quality berween the male and female voices. This piece is an easy to inrermediare arrangement, sure ro awaken rhe feelings of singers and listeners alike. A wonderful a capp~lIa ballad in tempo rubaro. ("]1)t' Long & Winding Road. "SATB, arr.: Mac Huff. Hal Leonard. #08711440. Also released as three-parr a cnppt'lIa composition for women's choir, #08711440.)
Voice Dance Listeners will be swept away by the spirired dance of pure voices in this original composition from Grc:g Jasperse. Jasperse organically changes the $tress of rhe 618 time from double (doned quarters) to rriple (quarrers) or quadruple (doned eighths), thereby generating rhe forward-moving force of a dance that seemingly refuses to end. The harmonies, ahhough mostly tonally constrllcred, always sOllnd refined; ninths and sixths supplement the rone, with the bass line frequently conducted independenrly of the keynote. I n addition, rhe me\od)" which alternates between soprano and tenor, is a first·class piece of ear candy, the underlying rexr playing wirh scar syllables and onomaropoeric sounds. This sm,llt masterpiece - in no way ilHended for expert choirs - was wrinen to be sung wirh enthusiasm by any collcen choir capable of producing an unfcncred, vibraro-free sound. The range goes from Eb in bass to Bb ill
soprano, bur ir manages to stay within a comforrable register over long stretches of tbe composition. The a l ~o part is mosrly divided. and there are phrases where tenor and bass are as welt. Bur the six-voice limit is never exceeded; by cbanging parrs. even smaller ensembles will be able to perform the piece. Recommended, without a doubt. ("Voia DallCt', "SAATB, camp. & arr.: Greg Jasperse, Shawnee Press, A 2226.)
I Could Write a Book This arrangement of the Rodgers I Harr s(3ndard by Kirby Shaw sounds like a rypical medium-paced swing, with 144 quarrer notes a minure. Faithfull), adhering to the sryle of a COUnt Basie big band arrangement, it starrs OUt with a single vocalist and accompanying trio. Horns arc added (fill-ins) to syllables or scar. while counrer melodies sung in unison develop thc arrangemenl inro a four- to five-part "shout chorus" in which rhe choir can showcase such refined jazz srylings as diverse glissandi (fall-offs, smears). brearh accents, forte piano crescendo effects, plops. do it's, Aips and shakes. Harmonically speaking. Kirby Shaw stays predominanrly in the conal realm. Even when he utilizes the higher optional fOnes of the chord. by and large he avoids alterations. In its harmonic language, the arrangemenr is certainly moderate. but rhe jazz·rypical phrasing and sound efrecrs shouldn't be undereSlimated. For a choir well-versed in the srylistics of jazz and, above all, swing. rhis piece is pure fun, sure to srrike the audience - in the besr sense of the word - as an "'amusing" highlight of the concert program. ("/ Could Write a Book. "SSATB with trio accompanirnenr, arr.: Kirby Show. Hal Lconard 08621324.) Each choral score also contains the piano pan. In addition, an insrrumcmal packet is available. 08621327 with notes for guitar,
lea Repenoire
31