Burton: Grandeur and Glory - Volume 12
Chorale Preludes on African-American Spirituals
Expected to ship in 1-2 weeks.
Shipping Policy- Composer: Daniel Burton (1944-)
- Instrumentation: Organ
Description
Rising from a terrible era in United States history, the African-American spiritual expresses an upward longing, an outward reach from the human soul toward its creator that remains singular in its impact on Christians everywhere. The sentiments expressed in the spirituals vary widely, but what most seem to have in common is a powerful magnetism to draw humans closer to their divine origins.
Spirituals' melodies are typically simple and often hypnotically repetitive, while the harmonies can be quite complex in their structure and direction. Rhythms range from driving and strong to gentle and seductive, depending on the subject.
All spirituals, as is true also of all hymns, are designed to be sung, and any success in transferring a spiritual's essence to an instrument, especially one as potentially abstract as the organ, depends largely on the melody's association with the text. What the organist will discover, however, is that in the case of each of the songs in this collection, the theme as reflected in the spiritual's title summarizes the content of the entire spiritual. While an examination of the full text will reveal a variety of content, one need only know the title to grasp the essence of the whole.
These arrangements attempt to recreate some of the beauty and power of the originals, focusing on the organ's various strengths and perhaps shining a new light on the spirituals' content.
-Daniel Burton, San Ramón, Costa Rica
Publishers use a lot of words to describe what they sell, and we know it can be confusing. We've tried to be as clear as possible to make sure you get exactly what you are looking for. Below are descriptions of the terms that we use to describe the various formats that music often comes in.
Choral Score
A score for vocalists that only contains the vocal lines. The instrumental parts are not there for reference. Generally, cheaper than a vocal score and requires multiple copies for purchase.
Facsimile
Reproductions of the original hand-written scores from the composer.
Full Score
For ensemble music, this indicates that the edition contains all parts on a single system (there are not separate parts for each player). In larger ensembles, this is for the conductor.
Hardcover
Hardbound. Generally either linen-covered or half-leather.
Orchestral Parts
Similar to a wind set, this is a collection of parts. In the case of strings, the numbers listed are the number of copies included, though generally these are available individually (often with minimum quantities required).
Paperback
When publishers offer multiple bindings (e.g. hardcover) or study scores, this is the "standard" version. If you're planning to play the music, this is probably what you want.
Performance / Playing Score
A score of the music containing all parts on one system, intended for players to share. There are not separate parts for each player.
Set of Parts
For ensemble music, this indicates that there are separate individual parts for each player.
Solo Part with Piano Reduction
For solo pieces with orchestra, this is a version that contains a piano reduction of the orchestra parts. For piano pieces, two copies are typically needed for performance.
Study Score
A small (think choral size) copy of the complete score meant for studying, and not playing. They make great add-ons when learning concertos and small chamber works.
Vocal Score
A score prepared for vocalists that includes the piano/organ part or a reduction of the instrumental parts.
Wind Set
For orchestral music, this is a collection of wind and percussion parts. The specific quantities of each instrument are notated.
With Audio
In addition to the printed music, the edition contains recordings of the pieces. This may be an included CD, or access to files on the internet.
With / Without Fingering (Markings)
Some publishers prepare two copies - a pure Urtext edition that includes no fingering (or bowing) suggestions and a lightly edited version that includes a minimal number of editorial markings.
Digital Download
Digital, PDF version of the score.