An English/American folk standard, this arrangement of 'Aura Lee' is a group feature and begins as a ballad with octave unison, then some traditional harmony continues with ever-increasing reharmonization and works its way into a medium-swing setting with tight, rich harmony. 'Amazing Grace' is a traditional gospel, shuffle arrangement with jazz harmonies is sure to satisfy. The larger the ensemble, the better this one will sound. The 6/8 meter keeps the gospel flow and the harmonic structure will keep the jazz ears awake with its reharmonization. The opening and closing solo melody may be as free as your gospel ear desires. The 'Shenandoa' arrangement is here in a spiced up ballad setting. It begins with a tenor solo with later group entrance featuring diverse, harmonic settings, key changes, soprano solo, short tenor/soprano duet and, at the end of the group harmony, gently fades just like the ol' river. Close harmony chords and arpeggiated textures combine to make for a lush, complex, and moving rendering of, the Irish ballad, Danny Boy. A tenor solo and baritone duet share the melody with the ensemble. The simple folk melody in 'The Water is Wide' is the foundation for this complex choral work. Each verse has its own flavor, ranging from flowing arpeggiated textures to rich close harmonies. |
