"Casita de Campo" is one of the most popular love songs from the Dominican Republic. It describes a modest, and yet beautiful, little rural house in the Cibao region where the composer evokes the consummation of a passionate and virginal love. It is a "cancion-bolero," a typical Caribbean romantic song form in quadruple meter, slow-paced, which is also a centerpiece of serenades. "Chanflin" is a typical Dominican merengue in its melody and form. Chanflin is a young woman, very good looking. The merengue section refers to a "neighborhood gossip." The jaleo section refers to Chanflin dressing in a finicky manner. "La Lluvia" is a folk melody from Ecuador traditionally played on the siku - the double row of panpipes that have been used in the high Andes for over a thousand years. With percussion. "Son de Camaguey" is a Cuban folk song from which the composer takes the refrain and then frames it with kaleidoscopic patters of ostinati inspired by the song, and by Afro-Cuban music in general. "O Sapo" - In this irresistible Brazilian song setting, vocal lines imitate percussion patterns to create a truly infectious groove. Newly arranged for SSATB chorus. With optional percussion.

Songlist: O Sapo, Maquerule, Casita de Campo, Chanflin, La Lluvia, Son de Camaguey

"La Lluvia" is a folk melody from Ecuador traditionally played on the siku - the double row of panpipes that have been used in the high Andes for over a thousand years. Hot-blooded and haughty, a mixture of delight and disdain. The central paradox of performing "Las Amarillas" it that the rhythms must be very incisive and exact, yet the precision must be combined with the devil-may-care festive attitude that prevents the precision from sounding clinical. Mangulina is a dance derived from Zapateado Espanol (a Spanish heel-tapping dance). "Guayacanal," originally written in the 1950's by Dominican songwriters Luis Kalaff and Bienvenido Brens, embodies what is known as the Mangulina today, and is so famous that when asked, people often think it's a folk song. This piece is best accompanied with tamborra (a double-headed drum from the Dominican Republic) and guira (a metal scraper from the Dominican Republic, scraped with a metal fork.) These delightful miniatures are wonderful for concert, contest and small ensembles. Careful part-writing and attention to range make these a good choice for younger treble groups. Includes: "A la puerta del cielo (At the Gate of Heaven)," "El Senor nacio en Belen (The Lord Was Born in Bethlehem)," and "Gloria a Dios en las Alturas (Glory to God in the Highest.)"

Songlist: La Lluvia, Gloria A Dios, Guayacanal, Las Amarillas