Robert Southwell, English poet, priest and missionary, was arrested in 1592 under a law banishing members of the Jesuit order from the England of Queen Elizabeth I. He was imprisoned and tortured and in 1495 was tried for treason and hanged. While Southwell's life ended on a gloomy note, the poem is sublime in its simplicity and strength. This setting by Mr. Tucker matches the character of the poem beautifully and makes for a wonderful Christmas anthem.

Duration 2:15

Composer: Dan Tucker

Ave Maria was composed for the University of Kansas Choirs, and dedicated with appreciation to Simon Carrington (Kings Singers). It was premiered by the Oread Consort at Edington Priori Church in Wiltshire, England in May of 1997. The Gregg Smith Singers brought new life to this work at the 2000 Adirondack Festival of American Music in Saranac Lake, and followed with a recording on the Living Artist series. This piece was inspired by Gy?? Ligetis setting of Lux Aeterna (1966), as well as by Giuseppe Verdis Ave Maria, the scala enigmatica armonizzata a Quattro voci (1898). It is shaped by a series of breath-like harmonic swells leading to climactic homophonic statements of the text, with strident voice pairings yearning for resolution. New York writer Watson Bosler describes the work as an iridescent wash of color as an intricate web of interrelated melodic and rhythmic themesThis Ave hymns not the sugar-water Virgin of Gounod or Scott, but rather the powerful Goddess Yeats depicts: The

Composer: Andrew Bonacci

Of special significance are the qualities of vocal orchestration in this motet. The principle of contrasting high and low sonorities may be effected in this piece by grouping the top three and bottom three voices on opposite sides of the stage (or auditorium), thereby creating the antiphonal effect which is fundamental to this music. The publication contains scholarly performance notes with text and translation. Music is barred between the staves with accented syllabels of text in bold type.

Duration 3:00

Composer: Dale Jergenson

Utilizing a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, this piece is completely improvised with detailed performance directions included. The chorus members evenly space themselves around the perimeter of the auditorium with the seven soloists on the stage. The singers pass sounds around the hall, from one to the other, as well as perform many sections tutti. The final performance effect is to be a musical/dramatic reading.

Composer: Dale Jergenson

This arrangement combines both the traditional Appalachian Folksong melody that one associates with this title with the original pentatonic mode melody, collected from Mrs. Lizzie Roberts in 1916, that forms the middle section of the arrangement, thus giving the piece and ABA form. Duration 3:00

Composer: Laura Ann Horwitz

From the Continental Harmony of 1794. Anonymous text: Arise and hail the sacred day, Cast all low cares of life away... Music is as originally printed by Billings except for the use of modern notation and a line of text for each voice; however, the piano reduction reverses the positions of the tenor and soprano parts, and should the conductor elect, this piece may be performed in this manner. Contains editors performance suggestions.

Composer: Dale Jergenson

These 16 Concert Rounds are a perfect addition to the concert repertoire of advanced children's choirs, middle and high school choirs, college choirs and adult community choirs. In true Gregg Smith fashion, they are filled with sharp dynamic contgrasts, hormonic layering and rhythmic srprises ringing through tongue-in-cheek settings of old sayings. Performance suggestions are included for each round. Contents: 1. Birds of a Feather 2. Don't Counmt Your Chickens 3. Big Oaks! 4. It's All Water 5. The Oak and the Ash 6. A Rolling Stone 7. If You Can't Say Anything Nice 8. A Penny Saved 9. The Grass is Greener 10. A Bird in the Hand 11. Too Many Cooks 12. It's Six of One 13. Give 'em and Inch 14. If At first 15. Two's Company 16. Every Dog

Duration Various - 16 different rounds

Composer: Gregg Smith

This rhythmically dynamic composition uses the complete Latin text, but has been conceived as a concert piece for good choral ensembles. It received its first performance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale and was subsequently used on tour by the Roger Wagner Chorale. Note: A full orchestra score exists, but is not available at this time.

Duration 4:37

Composer: Dale Jergenson

Commissioned for the 1993 Children's Choral Festival at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, Barbara Tagg, artistic director.

Includes:
1. In Praise of Christmas
2. Green Grows the Holly
3. On Christmas Eve the Bells Were Rung.

Percussion includes Glock & Chimes (or 5 octave Handbells), Celeste. Duration 5:00

Composer: Gregg Smith

This Traditional American melody is arranged in unison, homophony and canonic sections to bring the text to life: Come ye sinners, poor and needy, weak and wounded, sick and sore; Jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity, love and power. American Folk Hymntune. Duration 1:35

Composer: Nick Strimple

This compelling Christmas anthem begins with alternating solos in the basses and then sopranos. It builds throughout the setting with choral color first in the men's section and then the women's section, and finally full SATB with some divisi and double forte for a very dramatic ending. Works well as a processional. 12th Century Advent Chant/Plainsong

Duration 2:36

Composer: William Clarke

Mostly traditional notation with sections of episodes of contrasting, yet complementary music. A welcome change from the traditional setting of the Pater Noster.

Duration 4:30

Composer: Vytutas Miskinis

The music source is Trier MS: Piae Cantiones, 1682. Text: Puer Nobis (in Latin). Translation provided: Now a son is given birth, by the angels cherished... The music is written in a style reminiscent of 16th century poloyphony.

Duration 2:50

Composer: Dan Tucker

Steal Away marries the text and melody of the original spiritual with more contemporary colors and harmonies using unaccompanied voices. The effect these tonal colors achieve suggests both a deep desire to leave their present condition and a strong hope of finding the home where they belong. Traditional Spititual.

Duration c. 3:00

Composer: Eli Villanueva

Originally called As Fair As Morn, this piece is a simple example of three-part imitative counterpoint. The lowest part was originally written in the tenor clef and was intended for the tenor voice. The text is one of the earliest of the Ambrosian hymns, 6th century or earlier, this hymn is used from Easter Sunday until Ascension. In the Breviary revision of 1632 by Pope Urban VIII the hymn was so greatly altered that only three lines of the original remained and thus is really a different hymn entirely. The revised hymn can be found under the title of Ad regias Agni dapes.

Composer: Stephen DeCesare

"The Song of the Red Dove" was composed in the immediate aftermath of September 11; it is dated September 25, 2001. Often divisi, the choral writing is particularly intricate in the middle section with interweaving sixteenth note runs simulating the flames (that) stain the white moon red in what at times is an eight-part texture. The dynamics are varied throughout, but the only fortissimo comes at the vocal high point of the middle section (...through endless night...), and the opening and closing A sections describing the strange red dove are marked no louder than forte (in the opening measures) and piano (at the close). The text comes to us from the poet, Kim Rich. It was expressly written to commemorate the awful tragedy that was 9/11. Kim, working in a nearby building was an eyewitness to the monstrous event. She barely escaped with her life.

Composer: Dale Jergenson

Two part (melody and accompaniment vocal parts) Carol. May be done by Adult of Children's Choir.

Duration 1:30

Composer: Paul Stuart