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BOOK OF THE MONTH Artist: Various (Kemp & Pegler – eds) The Language of Song Comment: The advanced editions (three volumes for low, medium and high voices) of this excellent series provide a wealth of classic repertoire, selected and presented to develop the skills needed to sing in a foreign language, and will doubtless prove a prime resource for teacher and students. Each song comes with a detailed pronunciation guide (using the International Phonetic Alphabet) and background information on the song. The CDs provide a spoken text read by a native
speaker as well as a recording of each song’s accompaniment on piano (by Iain Farrington). These three books focus on Italian, German, French and Russian. The Association of Teachers of Singing are quoted in the blurb for these editions as saying that singing teachers have been waiting for a publication of this nature for a very long time and that they offer the best introduction to singing in other languages that it had come across. Which is certainly high praise.
CHRISTMAS Artist: Donald Sosin (arr) Baching Around the Christmas Tree Target: Sax, woodwind, brass, strings Comment: A selection of well worn Christmas songs (14 in all) from The First Noel to Go Tell It on the Mountain, but intriguingly arranged in the styles of 14 composers from Purcell to John Williams. The book is available for ten different instruments, comes with backing CD and will be a lot of fun for the learner soloists. HAL LEONARD (DE HASKE): 01536 260981
Artist: Richard Harris (arr) Play Christmas Target: Violin & piano Comment: Ten modern festive classics from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to Wham’s Last Christmas, arranged for piano and violin and targeting the Grade 3 to 5 player. Full backing is on the CD – as are the piano accompaniments in pdf version. A simple, yet extremely effective book that does what it says on the tin and supplies young learners with valuable seasonal repertoire. The focus on popular tunes gives it that bit of extra appeal at this time of year. FABER: 01279 828989
Artist: Timothy Roberts & Jan Betts Sing Nowell
Artist: Katherine & Hugh Colledge A Yuletide Suite
Target: Education, PVG, general Comment: Something of a breath of fresh air in the season of trying to make everything new and different: 34 Christmas carols arranged for simple piano, with guitar chords and all lyrics. Ring and hard bound for easy placement on the piano music stand, attractively illustrated for the younger player, and with two CDs of demo and backing, it’s everything a Christmas carol book should be. A&C BLACK: 020 7758 0200
Series: Simply 4 Strings Target: Elementary string ensembles Comment: Not a new publication, but certainly Christmas relevant, the Colledge family’s series of ‘modular’ arrangements of songs that can be used with almost any mix of instruments available. Four pieces (from the Czech Republic, Gasconym Cornwall and Wales) all arranged to give even the earliest beginner something to do and enjoy. BOOSEY & HAWKES (SCHOTT): 020 7534 0744
Artist: Furlong/Milburn/Norton The Little Cradle Rocks Target: Vocal/piano Comment: Two of Boosey & Hawkes’ top educational composers (plus the introduction of Andrew Milburn to the ranks) get together to create 14 new Christmas songs for two, three or four upper voices (and full piano accompaniment). The idea is to put contemporary styles and rhythms before the singers, who can be accompanied by piano or by the backing CD included. An excellent edition for all of those busy choirs out there this Christmas. BOOSEY & HAWKES (SCHOTT): 020 7534 0744
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That ends the details. The reason these books take the Book of the Month slot is that the precision in every aspect of this book – the most valuable publications for the serious singer for some time – simply ooze with care and attention. The purpose is functional – aimed squarely at the highest level of education, but the pages carry a lot of the emotion of the editors, as well as that of the composers. Put simply: quite superb editions. FABER: 01279 828989
CLASSICAL Artist: Various (Artem Vassilev – arr) Classical Play-along Series: Master Play-along Target: Violin, flute, clarinet, trumpet, sax (Grades 3 to 5) Comment: This book and CD focuses on 12 works from classical masters (Beethoven Haydn, Mozart and Gluck) with live recordings of the orchestra for all of the above instruments. Piano notation is on the CD as pdfs. Fun for younger students. SCHOTT: 020 7534 0744 miPRO DECEMBER 2008 61