In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

Sheet Music Series

Galaxy Music

Galaxy Music Corporation was founded in 1930 in New York by Marshall Kernochan, a cultivated New Yorker who had a great love of classical music. Kernochan quickly surrounded himself with experienced editors, and the company took off with choral and vocal music, moving into other genres along the way. Among its first composers were Katherine K. Davis, John Work, and Douglas Moore. As the firm expanded its catalog to take a more educational focus, there were also new agreements with overseas publishers, such as Stainer & Bell of London, which gave access to the music of composers like Vaughan Williams, Delius, and Jacob. By mid-century, Galaxy composers included Ivan Galamian, George Rochberg, Alice Parker, and Donald Waxman, as well as composer and Galaxy editor Robert Ward, who would go on to write the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, The Crucible. John Kernochan, Marshall’s son, ran the company from his father’s death in 1955 until 1989, when he retired from his day job as a professor and authority on intellectual property at Columbia University Law School. At that time, he sold to E. C. Schirmer Music Company, an enterprise with similar scope and history, and the acquisition came under the name of ECS Publishing.

A Cappella Folios

Individual Folios

SSAA

Displaying 1-3 of 3 items.

Kyle Pederson : Exsultate! Jubilate!

This unique setting pairs the iconic Latin text with a new, original English text, which is a response to the question, "Why do we rejoice and shout our praises to God?" The music captures the energy, rhythm, and exuberance inherent in the phrases "Exsultate Deo" and "Jubilate Deo," but also reflects the quiet joys found in gratitude for the daily gifts of breath and light. The piano accompaniment is rhythmic and lively.

Composer: Kyle Pederson

Shirley Whitecotton : Two Old Spanish Carols

Traditional Spanish

Composer: Shirley Whitecotton

Paul John Rudoi : Yonder Come Day

Paul John Rudoi's narrative arrangement is not just another medley of spirituals. Paul's choice to combine Yonder Come Day, a spiritual championed by Bessie Jones and the Georgia Sea Island Singers, with specific spirituals, including "Hush, Hush," "Somebody's Calling My Name," "Steal Away," and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," well known for coded messages was intentional, shedding light on the hope required to move beyond the horrific atrocities millions encountered because of American slavery, Jim Crow era tactics, and more. The unused parts of these spirituals are no less important, and should be mentioned along with Bessie, the Singers, and other parts of this history when learning this piece. Ultimately, it is built to serve as a testament to the courage of those enslaved, a statement of hope for anyone marginalized, and a small part in the continuing conversation about our shared American history.

Composer: Paul John Rudoi

New Sheet Music