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Cloudburst (Whitacre)
''Cloudburst'' is a composition by Eric Whitacre for eight-part choir, with piano and percussion accompaniment. Whitacre began writing the piece in 1991 (when the composer was 21), at the request of conductor Dr. Jocelyn K. Jensen for her high school choir - the final version of the piece was published in 1995. The text was adapted from Octavio Paz's poem ''El cántaro roto'' (The Broken Water-Jar), and inspired by the experience of the composer witnessing a desert cloudburst. The first section is a cappella, notable for its dissonant tone clusters. Whitacre notates long, sustained notes with text to be spoken at random by each individual singer. Following the opening section is a baritone solo, which is then followed by the development of a new a cappella theme. This section continues into a spoken, arrhythmic incantatory solo with background. In the section titled "The Cloudburst", handbells (which are directed to be hidden from the audience) play a written two bars, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Musical Composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called composers. Composers of primarily songs are usually called songwriters; with songs, the person who writes lyrics for a song is the lyricist. In many cultures, including Western classical music, the act of composing typically includes the creation of music notation, such as a sheet music "score," which is then performed by the composer or by other musicians. In popular music and traditional music, songwriting may involve the creation of a basic outline of the song, called the lead sheet, which sets out the melody, lyrics and chord progression. In classical music, orchestration (choosing the instruments of a large music ensemble such as an orchestra which will play the different parts of music, such as the melody, accompaniment, counte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bass Drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. The heads may be made of calfskin or plastic and there is normally a means of adjusting the tension either by threaded taps or by strings. Bass drums are built in a variety of sizes, but size does not dictate the volume produced by the drum. The pitch and the sound can vary much with different sizes, Del Mar, Norman (1981). ''Anatomy of the Orchestra''. . but the size is also chosen based on convenience and aesthetics. Bass drums are percussion instruments and vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. * The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum (in Italian: gran cassa, gran tamburo). It is the largest dr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Choral Compositions
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which spans from the medieval era to the present, or popular music repertoire. Most choirs are led by a conductor, who leads the performances with arm, hand, and facial gestures. The term ''choir'' is very often applied to groups affiliated with a church (whether or not they actually occupy the quire), whereas a ''chorus'' performs in theatres or concert halls, but this distinction is not rigid. Choirs may sing without instruments, or accompanied by a piano, pipe organ, a small ensemble, or an orchestra. A choir can be a subset of an ensemble; thus one speaks of the "woodwind choir" of an orchestra, or different "choirs" of voices or instruments in a polychoral composition. In typical 18th century to 21st century oratorios and masses, 'chorus' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Compositions By Eric Whitacre
Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature * Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include visuals and digital space *Composition (music), an original piece of music and its creation * Composition (visual arts), the plan, placement or arrangement of the elements of art in a work * ''Composition'' (Peeters), a 1921 painting by Jozef Peeters * Composition studies, the professional field of writing instruction * ''Compositions'' (album), an album by Anita Baker * Digital compositing, the practice of digitally piecing together a video Computer science * Function composition (computer science), an act or mechanism to combine simple functions to build more complicated ones *Object composition, combining simpler data types into more complex data types, or function calls into calling functions History * Composition of 1867, Austro-Hung ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Concert Band
A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion families of instruments, and occasionally including the harp, double bass, or bass guitar. On rare occasions, additional, non-traditional instruments may be added to such ensembles such as piano, synthesizer, or electric guitar. Concert band music generally includes original wind compositions, concert marches, transcriptions of orchestral arrangements, light music, and popular music. Though the concert band does have similar instrumentation to the marching band, a marching band's main purpose is to perform while marching. In contrast, a concert band strictly performs as a stationary ensemble. Origins The origins of concert band can be traced back to the French Revolution, in which large bands would often gather for patriotic festivals and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grammy Award For Best Choral Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance has been awarded since 1961. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award over this time: *In 1961 the award was known as Best Classical Performance - Choral (including oratorio) *From 1962 to 1964 it was awarded as Best Classical Performance - Choral (other than opera) *In 1965, 1969, 1971, 1977 to 1978 and 1982 to 1991 it was awarded as Best Choral Performance (other than opera) *From 1966 to 1968 it was awarded as Best Classical Choral Performance (other than opera) *In 1970, 1973 to 1976 and 1979 to 1981 it was awarded as Best Choral Performance, Classical (other than opera) *In 1972 it was awarded as Best Choral Performance - Classical *From 1992 to 1994 it was awarded as Best Performance of a Choral Work *1995 to the present the award has been known as Best Choral Performance Prior to 1961 the awards for opera and choral performances were combined into a single award for Best Classical Performance, Operatic or C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polyphony (choir)
Polyphony is a small English choir formed by Stephen Layton for one particular concert put on in King's College, Cambridge in 1986. They have released many critically acclaimed recordings, the most recent of which is '' Esenvalds - Passion & Resurrection''. They record and perform a wide range of music mainly on Hyperion Records. Every year they perform Handel's ''Messiah'' and Bach's ''St John Passion'' in St John's Smith Square to sell-out audiences. Many of their recordings have been ''Gramophone'' editor's choice. Including many talented musicians such as Tom Williams (English counter tenor), Polyphony have performed many times in the BBC Proms and performed works by John Tavener on his 60th Birthday in the Barbican as part of its ''Great Performers'' series. They have also premiered and released prominent recordings of the music of Arvo Pärt. Stephen Layton The director of Polyphony, Stephen Layton founded the choir in 1986 and has directed it since. He is also the direc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stephen Layton
Stephen David Layton (born 23 December 1966) is an English conductor. Biography Layton was raised in Derby, where his father was a church organist. He was a chorister at Winchester Cathedral, and subsequently won scholarships to Eton College and then King's College, Cambridge as an organ scholar under Stephen Cleobury. Whilst studying at Cambridge, Layton founded the mixed-voice choir Polyphony in 1986. He was appointed the musical director of the Holst Singers in 1993, replacing Hilary Davan Wetton, who had founded the group in 1978. Layton has been assistant organist at Southwark Cathedral, and musical director of Wokingham Choral Society. From 1997, he was organist and subsequently director of music at the Temple Church. From 1999 to 2004 he was chief conductor of the Netherlands Kammerkoor. From 2000 to 2012 he was chief guest conductor of the Danish National Vocal Ensemble. In 2006, he became director of music at Trinity College, Cambridge. In November 2009, the City ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Block Chord
A block chord is a chord or voicing built directly below the melody either on the strong beats or to create a four-part harmonized melody line in " locked-hands" rhythmic unison with the melody, as opposed to broken chords. This latter style, known as Shearing voicing, was popularized by George Shearing, but originated with Phil Moore. Block chord style (also known as chorale style) uses simple chordal harmony in which "the notes of each chord may be played all at once" as opposed to being "played one at a time (broken or arpeggiated A broken chord is a chord broken into a sequence of notes. A broken chord may repeat some of the notes from the chord and span one or more octaves. An arpeggio () is a type of broken chord, in which the notes that compose a chord are played ... chords). For example, a guitarist can strum the chord (this would be a "block" chord) or use a picking style to play "broken" chords". Notes Sources * * Further reading * Chords ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wind Chimes
Wind chimes are a type of percussion instrument constructed from suspended tubes, rods, bells or other objects that are often made of metal or wood. The tubes or rods are suspended along with some type of weight or surface which the tubes or rods can strike when they or another wind-catching surface are blown by the natural movement of air outside. They are usually hung outside of a building or residence as a visual and aural garden ornament. Since the percussion instruments are struck according to the random effects of the wind blowing the chimes, wind chimes have been considered an example of chance-based music. The tubes or rods may sound either indistinct pitches, or fairly distinct pitches. Wind chimes that sound fairly distinct pitches can, through the chance movement of air, create simple songs or broken chords. __TOC__ History Ancient Rome Roman wind chimes, usually made of bronze, were called ''tintinnabulum'' and were hung in gardens, courtyards, and porticoes where ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suspended Cymbal
Classical suspended cymbal A suspended cymbal is any single cymbal played with a stick or beater rather than struck against another cymbal. Common abbreviations used are "sus. cym.," or "sus. cymb." (with or without the period). Most drum kits contain at least two suspended cymbals: a crash cymbal and a ride cymbal. History The term comes from the modern orchestra, in which the term ''cymbals'' normally refers to a pair of clash cymbals. The first suspended cymbals used in the modern orchestra were one of a pair of orchestral cymbals, supported by hanging it bell upwards (''i.e.'', with concavity opening downward) by its strap. This technique is still used, at times, but has largely been replaced by specialised cymbals with larger mounting holes that can be mounted on a cymbal stand. Occasionally the term ''suspended cymbal'' is still used in the original sense of one of a pair of orchestral cymbals hung by its strap, and this is the usage in older scores and may be the wish ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thunder Sheet
A thunder sheet is a thin sheet of metal used to produce sound effects for musical or dramatic events. The device may be shaken, causing it to vibrate, or struck with a mallet. It is also known as a thunder machine, though this can also refer to a large drum used for a similar sound effect. Thunder sheets are available from some cymbal makers including Paiste and Sabian, or can easily be made out of any scrap metal sheet. The thinner and larger the sheet, the louder the sound. The thunder sheet needs to be "warmed up" before the actual sound is desired to be heard. The player(s) will need to start slowly shaking the sheet a few seconds before quickly shaking the sheet. Usage Dramatist John Dennis devised the thunder sheet as a new method of producing theatrical thunder for his tragedy ''Appius and Virginia'' at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London. His invention was stolen by another theater play, and that gave rise to the phrase: "stole my thunder". Notable orchestral works i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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