American Carillon Music Editions
The 2012 American Carillon Music Editions new collection is now ready for purchase.This collection comprises 24 pieces of music (168 pages), and provides a balanced offering of original compositions, arrangements, and duets, which we believe reflect the diversity of our customer’s carillon music preferences. The 2012 collection includes music suitable for a variety of instrument sizes, a range of technical difficulty, many familiar pieces that audiences will recognize (and love), music suitable for festive occasions, and even Christmas. We think you will find the music not only fun to play, but very useful when planning concerts for the upcoming year.
Original Compositions We are pleased to feature two pieces commissioned by the Rees Carillon Society for the 50th International Carillon Festival in Springfield, IL, Resoundings by Neil Thornock, a three-movement work meant to “resound from the beginning but echo far into the future”, and John Knox’s Springfield Fantasies, where the musical mood of the four movements resembles that of the four seasons. We are excited to offer several pieces by John Courter, a 2-octave Sarabande for 26 Bells, a rendition of a well-known spiritual Peter, Go Ring Them Bells, Deborah Payne’s In God’s Hand (arranged for carillon by John Courter), and Kortjakje, a set of variations on Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. You may have heard one of John Knox’s newest pieces, Fleeting Memories, written in memoriam to seven carillonneurs Ronald Barnes, James Lawson, Marilyn Clark, Jim Smith, Sally Slade Warner, and John Courter when it was premiered by Dennis Curry during the congress host recital at the Kirk this summer. We are delighted to include a piece by Ronald Barnes, Capriccio 3, which was commissioned in 1993 by Princeton University for Robin Austin to perform at the re-dedication of the “Class of 1892 Bells”, a new piece by Geoffrey Cook, Tempus Fugit (“Time Flies”), and a rollicking Carillon Klog Dance (“Paraphrase on Wilson Clog”) by Karel Keldermans.
Pete Olejar has composed two pieces for carillon, Oudenaarade 1510 (Variations on “Salve Regina”) to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the carillon and Epicedium for 9/11, as a memorial to those who lost their lives during the tragic events in 2001. Linda Dzuris’s Shengshiu Lament , is a musical expression of mourning for the innocent children whose lives were lost in an attack on the Shengshui Temple Kindergarten in northwest China in 2010. We feature two new pieces by Marcel Siebers, Toccata in Schizophrenia Mode, a piece that can’t make up its mind whether to be agitated or calm, and Daneel’s Lullaby, dedicated to Marcel’s new grandson, Daneel. Johan Adriaenssen’s Vaesteraas-Sonate, is a four- movement piece commissioned by the city of Vaesteraas Sweden to celebrate the city’s millennial anniversary in 1990
Arrangements When creating a concert program with the “audience in mind”, include at least one piece that is either familiar or that can easily capture the attention of the listener. Vegar Sandholt has provided an arrangement of Ciacona in F Minor, a beautiful set of variations, and one of Pachelbel’s best known organ works. You will wow your audience when you play Karel Keldermans’ arrangement of Paganini’s spectacular La Campanella with its gypsy feel and enchant them with Elizabeth Vitu’s arrangement of Schumann’s Wiegenliedchen (“little cradle song”) , originally written for piano. You will get your crowd stirred up with Carlo van Ulft’s arrangement of Fucik’s Entry of the Gladiators, originally composed as a military march but now commonly used in circuses to “introduce the clowns”. His arrangement of Strauss Jr’s Trish Trash Polka will have your audience dancing with their neighbors.
Collections No carillon library should be without some lovely hymn arrangements by John Courter. Hymns of Faith II includes Abide With Me, Lift Every Voice and Sing, Old Hundredth, and Precious Lord. Carlo van Ulft has provided some easy to play arrangements of some popular Christmas carols that can be worked up quickly. Christmas Carols VIII includes Silent Night, Still Still Still, I Saw Three Ships, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and Jingle Bells.
Duets We are offering a collection of crowd-pleasing duets arranged by . Bill De Turk including Waltzes from Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss Jr, a Sousa march, The Washington Post, The Parade of the Tin Soldiers by Léon Jessel, and Melody in Waltz Time by Borodin. These duets are easy to put together and lots of fun to play, making them ideal for many occasions.
Sue Bergren - Music Editor
Mark Bergren - Publications Editor