FROM "AN ALASKA BESTIARY":
Cost: $5.00
The poetry for this cycle of Alaskan songs comes from the pen of a former
Alaska Poet Laureate, Sheila Nickerson from Juneau, and represents selections
from Feast of the Animals: An Alaskan Bestiary, Vols. I and II. Music for the
song cycle was written 1990 and is scored for solo mezzo soprano (or baritone)
accompanied by piano. It utilizes the musical technique of wordpainting, in that
each song describes musically a particular animal's appearance and/or behavior.
Listen for the graceful, sweeping flight of the Great Blue Heron, the majestic
march of the Caribou, the frantic Ground Squirrel gathering winter food and then
hibernating in a deep, silent sleep. The song cycle is classically based, and
the songs are very short. Performance time: Approx. 12
minutes. Eighteen pages inc/cover
Download PDF file that includes one of the songs: "Heron" (File size 1.3
MEG)
Download MP3 audio file of: (NOTE: All files have voice played by piano
in addition to accompaniment) Price: $5.00
-
Great Blue Heron (1
MEG)
-
Caribou (.7
MEG)
-
Alaska Little Brown Bat (.4 MEG)
-
Ground Squirrel (.8
MEG)
-
Dragonfly (1
MEG)
-
Mallard (1.3
MEG)
-
Puffin (1.5 MEG)
-
Raven (1.3 MEG)
"AND THE TREES DO MOAN"
Cost: $5.00
This arrangement is based on a Southern Mountain folksong. It is scored for
mezzo soloist with piano and flute accompaniment. A women's chorus, preferably
off stage, provides the "moaning" of the trees in the background.
Vocal score with piano and flute parts. Performance time: Approx. 5 minutes. Price: $5.00
Download free PDF file that includes the first two pages of the score.
Download free WMA audio file of entire score. (1.0 MEG) (Voices are represented by piano)
"I
CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOU"
Cost: $3.00
A fun song which Tamara Hann and I wrote for my daughter Amy's wedding
reception. Amy commented that it sounds kind of like The Carpenters piece,
"Top of the World". I've always been a
fan of The Carpenters, especially their close harmonies; so the comment made may
very well have grounds! Solo piece with piano accompaniment; a trapset with
brushes would be a nice touch to add. This is not particularly meant to be a
religious song; it's more a fun way of a person's saying how much he/she loves
their mate, and should be played and sung in pop music style, with plenty of
"bounce". Performance time: 2-3 minutes. Price: $3.00
Download free PDF file that includes the first two pages of the score.
Download free MP3 file of entire score.
(.75 MEG) (Voices are
represented by piano)
"MEMORY
LULLABY"
Cost $3.00
In the summer of 1979, I was asked to compose a special song for an LDS
women's conference in Anchorage, Alaska. I asked Tamara Hann to write the words,
and thus began our collaboration which has continued for more than a quarter
century so far. The subject of the song was rather unusual: We were to write a
song to be sung by a mother to her grown_up daughter! With the gorgeous voice of
our friend Sue Tubbs to perform the piece for the conference, it could hardly
fail. The same sentiments expressed by the mother in the words of this lullaby
apply to many, many mothers and daughters around the world. I used the piece
with a soloist and added an SSA chorus on the last refrain of the song. I know
that others have heard this song performed at funerals leaving out the last
verse, especially services for female children or teenagers. It's a beautiful
song, but one warning: Whether you're a mother or a daughter, or maybe both,
keep your Kleenex handy! Performance time:
5-6 minutes. Price: $3.00
Download free PDF file that includes the first two pages of the score.
Download free MP3 file of entire score.
(1.5 MEG) (Voices are
represented by piano)
"MY
FRIEND FOR LIFE"
FREE
Here's something that's different from every other piece of music on this
website. I was asked many years ago to write a theme song for a special program
about the Fairbanks (AK) North Star Borough Animal Shelter! This turned out to
be a very interesting task, since I had never written music about cats and dogs
before. :-) Again, I relied upon my collaborator (or should I say, "partner
in crime") Tamara Hann to come up with just the right words. It's a nice
little song, albeit it would only be useful in very special circumstances. I
decided to put it on this website just in case there are those of you out there
(teachers, pet docs, or whatever) who may run into these very special
circumstances and could perhaps make use of this song. PRICE: Free. Performance
time: 2-3 minutes.
Download free PDF file that includes all pages of the score.
Download free MP3 file of entire score.
(1.0 MEG) (Voices are
represented by piano)
"RAINBOWS
AND RIBBONS"
FREE
In the 1980s we lived in the beautiful coastal community of Sitka, Alaska,
where there was a wonderful cedar log chapel and a small branch of the LDS
Church. One of the children in our branch, a beautiful young girl named Sadie
Clontz, passed away while we were there. My husband Thayne and son Kyle felt
especially close to Sadie since they had been the Clontz family's home teachers.
Another lady in the branch, Tammy Crosby, wrote some lovely words about Sadie
and asked me to set them to music, and the results are this song. It is written
for solo soprano voice and piano. And I might mention here that we have been
looking for the Clontzes (Bob and Linda) for years, ever since we moved from
Sitka and lost touch with them. So, Clontzes, if you're out there and by some
quirk of fate happen to see this website, please remember that your daughter was
and is loved by many people; and each time someone sings this song, it will be a
tribute to her memory.
PRICE: Free. Performance time: 2-3 minutes.
Download free PDF file that includes all pages of the score.
Download free MP3 file of entire score.
(.6 MEG) (Voices are
represented by piano)
"WELCOME
HOME"
Cost: $3.00
This song is probably the most personal to me of anything on this website. It
was originally meant to be just a "welcome home" song for my dear
friend and boss, Paul Verhagen, who had been out of town for several weeks; but
as I wrote the first verse, I felt prodded to add a second verse, which is a
"welcome home" for a son or daughter who has also been away for a
period of time, perhaps serving a church mission or serving in the military. As
I completed that verse, the song still seemed incomplete, as if it still needed
a third verse to bring it full circle. So I added the third verse, which
describes the "welcome home" we may receive when, after this mortal
life, we return to our Father in Heaven. The song is a pop ballad, and is a
vocal solo accompanied by piano. Performance time:
3-4 minutes. Price: $3.00
Download free PDF file that includes the first two pages of the score.
Download free MP3 file of entire score.
(1.3 MEG) (Voices are
represented by piano)
Play MP3 of entire music with voice included.