This is a song of hope--of building a bridge of peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. Their trees (Jaffa Orange in Israel, Olive on Arab lands) reach out their branches as hands across the sky. The musical setting presents the opening verses in dialogue between women's and men's voices. A combative middle section introduces words such as oppressor and jailor. Reference is made to poisoned gases and scud missiles. And then the music heals. There is a shift to the major tonality. The voices soar with the phrases "let us build a strong bridge of jasmine understanding, where each shall sit with her child, and none shall make them afraid." Duration: 4:00

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

A musical play written to help congregations arrive at a more ample vision of their mission in their own communities and throughout the world. Offers wide range of performance opportunities for children and adults alike. Involves Orff instruments.

Composer: Libby Larsen

Composer: Leo Nestor

This is a prayerful, homophonic setting of texts from three sources: Psalms 4:8, Psalms 5:8, and the final line from John Greenleaf Whittier's "Divine Compassion." Set for SATB chorus (divisi) unaccompanied, the music is approachable and sensitive. Moments of reflection give way to moments of grandness, "Only by your Grace, not by my merit, no praise be mine." The piece ends quietly, "Let me keep a heart that still can feel, and eyes that still can weep." In today's world, a prayer for us to remain sensitive to suffering is never out of place. Duration: 1:45

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Composer: Libby Larsen

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

A moving setting of original words dealing with the loss of a beloved friend and lover of music.

Composer: Robert Kyr

Composer: Libby Larsen

Angels Singing," is based on the carol "Angels We Have Heard on High." This new arrangement opens with shepherds (Tenor and Baritone soli) hearing angel voices, "o'er the mountains, guided by a Holy light." A few angels (Tenor voices) sing in the distance. The carol now shifts to full chorus. Often, the Basses portray the shepherds, and the Tenors sing as angels. The Clarinet plays a featured role, enhancing the message of the lyrics. Duration: 4:30

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Angels Singing," is based on the carol "Angels We Have Heard on High." This new arrangement opens with shepherds (Tenor and Baritone soli) hearing angel voices, "o'er the mountains, guided by a Holy light." A few angels (women's voices) sing in the distance. The carol now shifts to full chorus. Often, the men portray the shepherds, and the women sing as angels. The Clarinet plays a featured role,  enhancing the message of the lyrics. Duration: 4:30

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

This choral arrangement of a vocal work is a love song with alternating women's and men's voices that culminates in a rich 4-part harmony with the text"...ours together as our lives entwine." It may be sung at any time and is well-suited to weddings.

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Be Thou My Vision has a dimension of an entreaty to the Lord, as if asking for the Lord's presence to be there at all times. Thus, the phrase "Be Thou" repeats as a background during the singing. Even the opening piano introduction speaks the two-note pattern which will fill the entire song. The men's and women's voices are paired in dialogue throughout much of the music. Duration: 4:00

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Single diatonic melody with optional harmony (divisi in last 6 measures only). Perfect for children or the choir with limited rehearsal time. This piece would be a fine addition to any evening service.

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Extracted from"Bethesda Evensong," this is a lyrical setting of the traditioinal text along with an excerpt from the"Prayer of St. Francis." Starts out in unison expanding to two parts half-way through, and becomes three-part at the very end. Moderate difficulty.

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

"Born in Bethlehem" is a numbers song, similar to "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Each group traveling to the Nativity, or associated with Jesus, is presented in ascending numerical order, from one to twelve. ("One for the little bitty Baby...Twelve for the Twelve Apostles") Once the complete set has been introduced, the numbers are performed in reverse order, in a frantic race (prestissimo) from twelve to one. This is an energetic song! The Clarinet plays a featured role, enhancing the message of the lyrics. For example, the phrase "Children, go where I send thee" is matched by the Clarinet scampering up a scale as children setting forth on a trip. And the next line, "How shall I send thee?" has the Clarinet/children coming back down the scale, returning home. Duration: 4:15

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Composer: Leo Nestor

Arranger: Leo Nestor

The stark hymn tune VERNON from the Mennonite shape note hymnal Harmonia Sacra is set to four verses of Charles Wesley's eleven verse retelling of the story of Jacob's struggle with the angel. For Tenor Solo, SATB, and Keyboard, this music began as movement VIII of the composer's cantata Melodious Accord. (1974) Duration: 3:00

Composer: Alice Parker

This serene music is an arrangement of Scene XIV from the composer's oratorio Paradiso, which is a setting of the third part of Dante's Divine Comedy. The music is an evocation of Dante's passage into the hightest realms of heaven. The vocal parts are wordless, unaccompanied, and sublime, representing a song that accompanies his transformation of consciousness as he is surrounded by "love that moves the sun and other stars." Duration 5:45

Composer: Robert Kyr

Touching the Infinite Sky is a choral adaptation (for Men's Chorus with Tenor Soloist) of the composer's solo song cycle, Songs from the High Sierra, for High Voice and Piano. The original songs were completed in 2014. The new work was commissioned by Louisiana State University for the Tiger Glee Club, which premiered the music on October 3, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The new choral adaptation employs the additional voices as an expansive background to the soloist. As the chorus joins in the accompaniment sonorities, a sense of space and depth is created, well-suited to songs about the wilderness. The chorus also shares melodic material with the soloist, in dialogue or in unison.

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

A challenging work for skilled women's chorus featuring ethereal harmonies and soaring melodies. The soloists' lines are stunning. Duration: 6:00

Composer: Robert Kyr

Composer: Libby Larsen

The text for this piece about the charm of possibilities is a composite of words by Emily Dickinson and Robert Kyr with an excerpt from "In Paradisum" from the Requiem Mass. The music is dramatic, featuring sweeping melodic lines.

A celebration of life, unity, and music, this is a setting of a poem by the 19th-century British author John Addington Symonds (1840-1893). The text speaks of the future with hope: "A loftier race then e'er the world has known shall rise." The healing and transforming power of music is essential to this hope. "When every life shall be a song, then all the earth is a paradise." Throughout, the message is triumphant: "These things shall be! "The musical expression alternates between added-tone chords (representing building for the future) and melodic phrases for the more tender passages of the poem: "we will be gentle, brave, and strong "). Commissioned and premiered by the Boston Gay Men's Chorus. Duration: 3:30

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Focuses on the transcendence of faith over sorrow and of peace over suffering and pain.

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Arranger: Leo Nestor

Beginning with a soprano solo of the familiar text, this work quickly turns to a unique and effective use of repetition, both musically and vocally. It"ends" in a series of continuous"for ever"s that suggest eternity.

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Composer: Leo Nestor

Composer: Leo Nestor

From Dusk to Dawn tells the story of the Liberian women protesting the civil war which engulfed their country until 2003. The musical language for this choral setting is rhythmic, energetic and powerful. The voices sing, "Gather, gather," in repeated 8th notes, as the calls for protest gain in strength. Tremolo chords in the accompaniment bring increased energy. The final section is emphatic, with accented chords in the voices and piano to express "Mighty women!"

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Composer: Libby Larsen

Commissioned by Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to celebrate the service of William H. Mathis, Minister of Music and Fine Arts. It was first performed on June 11, 2017. The noble spaciousness of this wonderful poem by Catherine Cameron is set to original music expressed in the nature of an arpeggio, which can take us to the heights in just an instant. Trumpet calls echo through this arrangement: you'll find them in all the parts. For SATB chorus, sometimes in unison, sometimes in two parts, the piece moves to its soaring conclusion, "Great Creator, give us guidance, Till our goals and yours are one." Duration 2:45

Composer: Alice Parker

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

A very poignant song. Phrases such as "Hush little baby, don't you cry, you know your mama was born to die," or "Oh my brothers, I must leave you here behind," view the approach of death in terms of those left behind.

The accompaniment of repeated 8th-note chords is marked as if trembling or sobbing. Although the harmonic language is tonal and consonant almost entirely throughout the song, a few dissonances appear near the end, reflecting the pain of parting. Duration: 4:30

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

This new arrangement focuses on several, specific aspects of the lyrics, and of the "journey." Envisioning that one is walking to that land, the piano introduction, in a swing rhythm, is marked At a strolling tempo. When the chorus enters, there is a bounce to their step, with the staccato dots coming each time on the word with- Come and go with me to that land... This is a jaunty expedition. One sees one's parents waiting in that land. Loving friends are there as well. A bit of scat singing and finger snapping adds to the energy. A slower middle section, in blues style, affirms that They'll be no slavery in that land. Shackles are thrown to the ground, and freedom breaks forth. This leads to a quick and energetic return to the gospel song, with a final refrain of They'll be singing in that land, voices ringing in that land! This is very American music, in a gospel, blues, and folk style.

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Steal Away interprets the traditional spiritual, "Steal Away to Jesus," as a song of alternating sorrow and strength. The refrains are presented quietly and mournfully: "Steal away to Jesus. I ain't got long to stay here." In contrast, the verses are sung with conviction: "My Lord calls me, calls me by the thunder." Similarly, the accompaniment varies from florid arpeggiations (for the refrains) to rhythmic chordal entrances (for the verses).

Of special interest is the use of scale patterns. In the opening refrain, and on every occurrence of the words "steal away," the scales descend, marked as falling tears, or stealing away. At the conclusion of the song, the scales rise, as the soul ascending to heaven. "My Lord calls me, calls me home." Duration: 3:40

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

A very popular setting of the most popular Quaker hymn c. 1800.<

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

Using Rilke's text"The Possibility of Being," Larsen's work mimics the bird's clear cry and children's play. Both textually and musically this work combines unusual tonal and rhythmic gestures to create a whole.

Composer: Libby Larsen

The music of this piece using the text of"St. Patrick's Breastplate," reflects the broad affirmation of God's strength and ever-presence described in the text in solid harmonic statements throughout."I arise today, through God's strength" as shown in nature and Christ. It may be sung at any time and is well-suited to the Easter season.

Composer: Libby Larsen

Composer: Libby Larsen

Text adapted from E. E. Cummings "I thank you god for most this amazing." This piece was the 1999 Raymond W. Brock Commission from the ACDA, and has become wildly popular since its premiere at the 1999 national convention.

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

The original SSA version of this piece (#5331), based on the text by E. E. Cummings, was the 1999 Raymond W. Brock Commission from the ACDA, and has become wildly popular since its premiere at the 1999 national convention. This version was arranged for the Alexander Dreyfoos School of the Arts Singers, performed by them at the ADCA 2002 Southern Division Convention in Charlotte, NC.

Composer: Gwyneth Walker

I Will Arise comprises vocal lines which may be divided among the chorus according to voice range-with melody, harmony and descant designations. It might be possible to perform this song with either just men or women's voices, or in any combination, including adding the children. A roughhewn style of singing and playing would be appropriate. Duration: 4:30

Composer: Gwyneth Walker