by Mark Jauss, Advertising Associate and Choral Director
The Christmas season is often coined the busiest time of the year. If
you're a music educator, however, Christmas doesn't hold a candle (pun
intended) to the months of January through May. With the start of the
new year come preparations for solo and ensemble, contest, musicals, and
spring concerts, not to mention fundraisers for all of the above.
With
all that you have going on, the last thing that you have time for is an
extended search for the perfect, hand-selected contest piece. Because
we want you to be able to spend more time rehearsing and less time
reviewing, we've selected five pieces of music that we're confident will
inspire your singers and captivate the judges.
Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho
André J. Thomas
André
Thomas was at his creative best when he wrote this energy-driven
setting of the spiritual standard. The repeated material makes for quick
memorization, allowing you to easily and effectively showcase your
singers in a vibrant program pleaser that utilizes a cool jazz piano
accompaniment.
SATB, TTB/TBB, and Three-part Mixed
Cool Moon
Richard A. Williamson
With limited horizontal movement in the vocal parts and no awkward melodic skips, Richard Williamson’s
Cool Moon offers an easy and effective introduction into contemporary
a cappella singing. Soothing harmonies enhance this beautiful pairing of words and music.
SATB, a cappella
Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn
Bryan Sharpe
Cool
vocal jazz elements in a relaxed swing style bring this traditional
African-American text to life in a fresh, original work. With
independent parts and spontaneous twists and turns throughout, it would
be equally effective programmed with a full choir or a smaller ensemble
drawn from your best singers.
SATB, a cappella
Down by the Salley Gardens
Douglas E. Wagner
This
beloved Irish folk song includes the words of William Butler Yeats in
an unusual arrangement for women's voices. The vocal parts combine with
the masterfully written piano part to add a depth to the musical fabric
that will make this piece a lasting and substantial contribution to the
concert and contest repertoire.
SSA and TTB/TBB
And Music Shall Untune the Sky
Douglas E. Wagner
Showcase the fullness and strength of the male voice with this robust setting of a powerful passage from Dryden’s
A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day.
An exceptional opener, this selection would make a dramatic first
impression at any concert or contest. "The trumpet shall be heard on
high and music shall untune the sky."
TTBB and SATB
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Mark is
a graduate of Wright State University in Dayton, OH, having received a
bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in choral
conducting.
Before
coming to Lorenz, Mark was the director of choirs at
both Howard W. Blake High School for the Performing Arts in Tampa, FL, and
Monroe Jr./Sr. High School in Monroe, OH.
Mark is also currently the director of the KCC Concert Choir, an advanced
treble choir within the Kettering Children’s Choir organization. The group has
toured extensively, and recently sang in the National Cathedral in Washington,
D.C. and with the South Cape Children’s Choir and various performing ensembles
on a tour throughout South Africa. In the Spring of 2015, Mark also had the
privilege of preparing the choir for performances
of the Britten War Requiem under the baton of Keith Lockhart, conductor of the
Boston Pops. In addition, Mark
has been the music director at his church since the age of 18, and regularly
travels throughout the country giving workshops on conducting and worship leading.
Mark is the blessed
husband of Jennifer and proud father of Michael and Ellie.