Mixtures
This collection contains 10 new organ solos based on old favorite hymn tunes. It includes works by Lothar Bandermann, Michael J Glasgow, Carolyn Hamlin, Howard Helvey, Frederick Steffen and Mark Thewes, and is edited by Deborah Governor.

O God Beyond All Praising
Charles Callahan’s imaginative arranging skills are applied; the result is a volume of noble and useful music–these settings are tremendous.

Shine On Us
Gilbert M. Martin offers us a new collection of organ settings of these awe-inspiring hymns associated with the ardent, prayer-filled singing. If you’re looking for a prelude, offertory, or rousing postlude, you’ll find something special in this book of hymns that are loved and sung the world over.

For more suggestions for any time of year, contact our keyboard department!

CHORAL DEPARTMENT (ex. 1)
Church Choral Music
School Choral Music
Elementary Classroom Music
Classical Solo Vocal
Handbell

BAND DEPARTMENT (ex. 2)
Concert Band
Marching Band
Jazz Ensemble
Orchestra
Solos for all concert instruments
Instrumental Method Books
Music Software/Technology

POP/KEYBOARD (ex. 3)
Sacred & Secular Piano
Organ
Piano Method Books
Popular/Broadway Solo Vocal
Contemporary Christian Vocal
Guitar Solos and Methods
Music for Folk Instruments

BILLING AND ACCOUNTS (ex. 4)

You can direct emails to the exact department you need by clicking the links above, or press the appropriate extension when you call 1-800-42-MUSIC (1-800-426-8742). If you’re unsure of which department to choose, we’re always happy to direct you to whoever can best address your needs; press “0″ to have your call directed, or send a general email. At Stanton’s, it is important to us that you receive the most educated answers to your questions and the finest music recommendations.

Marches are a staple of concert band repertoire, and as such remain a standard part of school band curricula and community band performance.  The Stanton’s band staff is pleased to recommend the following new marches for your next concert or adjudicated performance program.

The choices for advanced level groups are dominated this year by Karl King, however, be sure not to overlook the arrangement of John Philip Sousa’s The Lambs’ March, and Larry Clark’s Refining the March Style will be an invaluable tool for developing and improving your band’s understanding and performance of any march.  We highly recommend this item regardless of whether you teach middle or high school, or direct a community band.

All of these arrangements are available from Stantons.com, or give us a call (1-800-426-8742).  We hope that you find these suggestions helpful.  If you intend to use any of these titles for adjudication, don’t forget to order your judges’ scores – ordering now can save you stress come contest time (avoid them being out-of-stock, or worse, temporarily out-of-print). Thanks for reading, and keep following the Stanton’s blog for more concert band recommendations.

Refining the March Style – Larry Clark – Grade 2
Improve your band’s march performance and concept with these 10 exercises/lessons designed to develop and reinforce characteristic march-style elements including specific patterns, phrases, rhythms, and articulations within familiar, stylistically harmonized scale patterns.

Fidelity March – Karl L. King/arr. Andrew Glover – Grade 2.5
One of Karl King’s easier marches, this excellent arrangement is a great way to introduce your advancing band to his music. All of the standard style and formal elements are here plus dotted rhythms and a slight ragtime type syncopation in the A section melody. Great as a contest selection, and solid prep. for the transition to high school music.

Aces of the Air – Karl L. King/arr. James Swearingen – Grade 3
Karl King had a true gift for crafting flawless marches for bands of all levels. This splendid, straight-ahead march is solid, clean & uncluttered, with just the right amount of technical decoration, and marvelous low brass countermelodies that just make it sing.

Georgia Girl – Karl L. King/arr. Gene Milford – Grade 3
You say you’re looking for something different? How about Karl King with a touch of ragtime? Exemplifying his ability to write whatever his circus band needed, King captured the ragtime craze with relish in this vivacious “rag-march.” A truly distinctive gem from the vault of a musical king.

The Lambs’ March – John Philip Sousa/arr. Loras John Schissel – Grade 3
Lead the way to discovering the “unknown Sousa” with this sprightly, effervescent march that absolutely sparkles with creative nuances. It’s pure Sousa, with a few charming surprises around every phrase: catchy syncopations, delicate glissandi, witty echoes, and infectious melodies they’ll be whistling all the way home!

The Victor March – Karl L. King/arr. Gene Milford – Grade 3
As clean, crisp, and perfect as a march can be! Every instrumental line in this highly playable, flawless Karl King specimen is masterfully crafted to exemplify the classic American march. Lovely, singable melodies, ear-catching countermelodies, and an overall sparkle combine in a genuine joy for players and listeners alike.

The Viking – Karl L. King/arr. Andrew Glover – Grade 4
Count on Karl King to define the timelessness of a great march–this magnificent specimen is 100 years old! Composed in 1911 when King was playing in his first circus band at the tender age of 20, it rose to prominence almost immediately whenIndiana Universityborrowed its heroic, singable trio for their school fight song. Incomparable King at his best.

Lenten Reflections
Composer Dr. Ashdown’s newest volume for organ includes free-compositions as well as hymn-based settings on well-known hymns for Ash Wednesday, Lent, and beyond. The variety contained in this collection will aid organists in selecting appropriate music for the season. This also includes a lovely setting of “Beautiful Savior”! These are wonderful, contemplative settings for the Lenten season.

Sacrifice and Splendor
Mary McDonald has done it again! This three-part suite is designed for a joyful Easter Sunday celebration, beginning with the fanfare-like prelude “Christ Is Alive,” followed by a meditative offertory medley reflecting on the cross, and concluding with a classical-style arrangement of “Jesus Christ is Risen Today.” Enjoy a service full of new arrangements with this memorable “Sunday Suite.”

Loving Spirit
David Maxwell of Portland, Maine, is warmly welcomed to the AFP organ catalog. Of moderate-level difficulty, the collection includes settings of tunes for Lent, Easter, and general Sundays with fresh imagery, perfect for worship voluntaries.

For more suggestions for Lent, Easter or any time of year, contact our keyboard department!

*FREE*
SPRING CHORAL READING SESSION
Saturday, March 3rd from 10-11:30

James E. Strouse Workshop Hall
Stanton’s Sheet Music
330 South Fourth St
Columbus, OH 43215

We will read selected titles for SATB, men’s and women’s ensembles appropriate for high school spring concerts and graduation. Because we will be reading music directly from our large inventory and sharing the expertise of the Stanton’s school choral staff, we are able to offer this reading session at no cost to you!

For more information, email us or call 1-800-426-8742 ex 1.

For advanced SATB groups, Kevin Memley’s Ave Maria is beautifully orchestrated for a cappella divisi voices, and features tasteful programmatic effects throughout the musical structure.  Andrea Ramsey’s On Some Solemn Shore is a stunning choice for developing groups, with graceful simplicity in the vocal lines and an expressively hopeful 19th century text.  Add some light-hearted fun to your program with a folksong like Old Dan Tucker, arranged by Neil Ginsberg with an inventive, hoedown-like accompaniment, or a classic choral standard such as Ralph Vaughan Williams’ glorious O Clap Your Hands.

Capable treble choirs will excel with Zoltan Kodaly’s Dancing-Song, an exuberant and intricate arrangement of a Hungarian folksong, and younger groups can work on part-singing and ensemble skills with the expressive The April Rainbow by Laura Farnell or Benedicamus Domino, a buoyant setting by Cristi Cary Miller.  Travelin’ Train is another strong choice – the incorporation of blues, gospel and jazz styles will be immediately appealing.

A Red, Red Rose is an artistic an expressive a cappella setting of a Robert Burns text – a great choice for accomplished men’s ensembles – or try an arrangement of Mozart’s famous Dies Irae from the “Requiem,” specially adapted for men’s voices.  For younger ensembles, try the Hebrew song Ani Ma’amin or original settings A Thousandfold or My Bonnie Anne Marie.

Click here for all of our suggestions for select pieces for adjudicated events – while we have specifically geared these selections to be appropriate for Ohio Music Education Association events, this quality repertoire is sure to be successful on any spring concert or other event as well!  For even more recommendations, please contact us.

Veteran actor and educator David Ladd has created “Footlight Dreams – Following Your Passion for a Career in Musical Theatre”, a practical guide for performers, teachers and parents to help the decision-making process for aspiring performers as they contemplate their futures in the theatre.

Drawing on his experience as a singer/dancer, including a sabbatical year in New York where he chronicled his challenges and successes, Ladd presents the full range of information a student would need before setting their sights on a music theatre career, including a full range of interviews from professional actors detailing the significant obstacles to success in the field, statistics on costs of housing, transportation and training, and the audition/casting process for a new, non-Equity performer.

The final section of the book guides the reader as he/she explores their own career options, with thought-provoking questions, journaling opportunities and career resources, making this chapter especially useful for teachers working one-on-one with students or in the classroom.

It’s not an easy path, but if performing is your passion, pursue it with an open mind and listen to your heart – the successes can be glorious!

Contact Stanton’s for more valuable musical theatre resources!

Marches are a staple of concert band repertoire, and as such remain a standard part of school band curricula and community band performance.  The Stanton’s band staff is pleased to recommend the following new marches for your next concert or adjudicated performance program.

We are pleased to feature two original marches for beginning and young bands alongside new arrangements of Harold Bennett and Karl King titles.  In addition, Larry Clark’s Refining the March Style will be an invaluable tool for developing and improving your band’s understanding and performance of any march.  We highly recommend this item regardless of whether you teach middle or high school, or direct a community band.

All of these arrangements are available from Stantons.com, or give us a call (1-800-426-8742).  We hope that you find these suggestions helpful.  If you intend to use any of these titles for adjudication, don’t forget to order your judges’ scores – ordering now can save you stress come contest time (avoid them being out-of-stock, or worse, temporarily out-of-print). Thanks for reading, and keep following the Stanton’s blog for more concert band recommendations.

March of the Champions – Timothy Loest – Grade 0.5
Courage, character, and the indomitable human spirit are conveyed using only six notes. Solid percussion writing (including a tam-tam) really adds color, and the triumphant style works as a beginning concert opener, or even a processional.

Pinnacle of Distinction – Larry Clark – Grade 1.5
Quality, traditional marches are not the providence of upper level bands alone. Larry Clark has written an exciting original march loaded with teaching opportunities that could be right out of the turn-of-the-last-century. A strong melody, counter lines in the low brass, bells, 8th note based rhythms, trio section, dynamic contrast, call and response, a fantastic “shout” section, a “stinger” – it’s ALL here!

Precision – Harold Bennett/arr. Larry Clark – Grade 2
Larry Clark’s arrangements of Harold Bennett marches have become educational and performance staples. Precision is no exception. Its stop-time style initial melody, call and response figures, mix of legato and staccato articulations, and break-strain make this a perfect teaching piece. Your horns, baritones, and saxes will love the counter line in the “shout” section, and your audience will enjoy its “fight-song” type sound.

Refining the March Style – Larry Clark – Grade 2
Improve your band’s march performance and concept with these 10 exercises/lessons designed to develop and reinforce characteristic march-style elements including specific patterns, phrases, rhythms, and articulations within familiar, stylistically harmonized scale patterns.

Fidelity March – Karl L. King/arr. Andrew Glover – Grade 2.5
One of Karl King’s easier marches, this excellent arrangement is a great way to introduce your advancing band to his music. All of the standard style and formal elements are here plus dotted rhythms and a slight ragtime type syncopation in the A section melody. Great as a contest selection, and solid prep. for the transition to high school music.

Aces of the Air – Karl L. King/arr. James Swearingen – Grade 3
Karl King had a true gift for crafting flawless marches for bands of all levels. This splendid, straight-ahead march is solid, clean & uncluttered, with just the right amount of technical decoration, and marvelous low brass countermelodies that just make it sing.

Stanton’s strongly suggests that when you order your music for Adjudicated Events, you order the copies or scores for your judges at the same time. Solo & Ensemble events have one adjudicator, and Large Group events have three – each adjudicator needs their own copy of each score. Please do not wait until the week of (or the DAY of) your event to order – every year we get many panicked calls from directors at the last minute! If we don’t have the piece you need in stock it may take as long as two weeks to order it in, and if it is Permanently Out-of-Print, receiving photocopy permission may take even longer.

Still searching for the perfect contest piece? Our website is up-to-date with this year’s Large Group required lists for high school choir, concert band, and orchestra, junior high choir, concert band, and orchestra, and Solo & Ensemble lists for high school instumental and vocal ensembles

Adjudicated Events can be an exciting and rewarding time for you and your students. Let Stanton’s help you by placing your orders early!