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After many months I finally got all 19 arrangements done for my new songbook! It is now published and available at the link below. On that page you'll find audio recordings of ALL the songs (linked individually).
https://www.cimarronmusic.com/intern...okforeuphonium
If you prefer videos, this playlist should have all of them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dFr...Rnuo2LwlNt1XWh
The titles are in the photo below, but you should also know about the book's title reference to "International." There are songs from the USA, England, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, and Austria. Solo parts in TC and BC. Here is the foreword to explain more about the purpose:
INTERNATIONAL SONGBOOK FOR EUPHONIUM
In grateful memory of Henry Charles Smith for his inspiration. Special thanks to Sara Brunk, my collaborative pianist, who helped me work out many issues in the piano parts and provided her sensitive piano playing as we recorded the songs.
For as long as I have played an instrument, one fact was constant: I played my best when I was playing a beautiful or spirited melody. Even when I was a youngster with no confidence, I could feel how a wonderful melody caused me to play with more expression.
My love of playing songs grew when I studied with Henry Charles Smith. After going through whatever difficult material we had for the day, we would invariably end the lesson with Henry at the piano and me reading over his shoulder. He chose songs from his books of oratorios that were perfect for the euphonium's capabilities. Even though I could usually sight read the notes, the power of the music drew me out (and he would offer suggestions as he sensed the need).
For this book, I chose pieces that are at their core fine music, from simple (or folk) songs to pieces by master composers like Schubert and Mozart. Some are so simple that almost any high school player can perform them, but those same songs contain enough depth that an advanced player can find excellent outlets for their musical ideas.
A recitalist might choose to group songs according to the "themes" shown here.
Folk Songs / Nationality: Among the composers and countries of origin for the folk songs, there is fine material from the USA, England, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, and Austria. This book could help you build a national or international theme for a recital. There are ample choices to program a "folk song" segment.
Stephen Foster: The three songs by Stephen Foster would make a nice feature during a recital. (Foster is known as "the father of American music".) Note that there is an "Easter egg" (a hidden treat) within "Some Folks / Some Folks Polka." In that song, the piano plays three additional Foster songs during interludes: "Mr. & Mrs. Brown", "We are Coming, Father Abraham", and "Village Bells Polka".
Pop culture: The old song "Aura Lea" (or "Aura Lee") was used with a few melodic modifications to make the Elvis Presley hit "Love Me Tender." The simple beauty of its melody has charmed listeners for over a century and a half. The theme I used from a Schubert sonata for piano was the main theme for the early episodes of the sitcom "Wings." This melody also wore well for over a century and a half. Its smooth, moving lines worked very well with the "Wings" opening video of a small plane flying over a New England island.
Hidden children's song: Within "Alle Vögel Sind Schon Da" you may notice I have included a bit of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." The structure of the two songs is very similar. I also used some of Mozart's variations on the same children's song in the piano part.
Encore/utility potential: I include in the collection four songs that could easily be used as last-minute encores. There have been times when I needed one more encore than I had prepared. In those situations, it is useful to have a piece or two that you can play without having planned to. One selection is the Gervaise “Allemande,” inspired by hearing trumpet artist Maurice Andre use it as an unaccompanied encore. This songbook includes a version for unaccompanied solo and one for solo with piano. The other two encore songs are unaccompanied, based on my own version of "The Last Rose of Summer," which I have used a few times as a final encore. The first version I wrote is in the standard key of Eb (the key found in the Arban book). For occasions when you need to play an encore with very tired chops, the same song is printed for you in a lower key!
Worship services: I have used four of these pieces as part of a church service. The ones I used are Mozart's "Alleluia," Bach's "Bist Du Bei Mir," Mendelssohn's "If with All Your Hearts," and “Theme from Schubert Sonata in A Major.” Others could be used as well, depending on the service. For a Christmas season song, "Hacia Belen va una Burra" is often sung at Christmas in Spain.
The road less traveled: Two songs in the collection are mostly unknown. I initially heard them from two very different sources. "Homing" is a song I heard on an out-of-print LP of Joan Sutherland. (It is quite hard to find any other recordings of "Homing.") Its melody drew me in from the first time I heard her sing it. And I surely would not know "Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes" if I had not heard Andy Griffith sing it on his courtroom drama "Matlock." The melody for this British lullaby was written in the 1800's. (The song’s words originated 200 years before that, later used in part by the Beatles.)
This project consumed a great deal of time over several months, a measure of my enthusiasm for such a book! I hope you get as much enjoyment from these pieces as I did while selecting, arranging, and recording them.
David Werden
https://www.cimarronmusic.com/intern...okforeuphonium
If you prefer videos, this playlist should have all of them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dFr...Rnuo2LwlNt1XWh
The titles are in the photo below, but you should also know about the book's title reference to "International." There are songs from the USA, England, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, and Austria. Solo parts in TC and BC. Here is the foreword to explain more about the purpose:
INTERNATIONAL SONGBOOK FOR EUPHONIUM
In grateful memory of Henry Charles Smith for his inspiration. Special thanks to Sara Brunk, my collaborative pianist, who helped me work out many issues in the piano parts and provided her sensitive piano playing as we recorded the songs.
For as long as I have played an instrument, one fact was constant: I played my best when I was playing a beautiful or spirited melody. Even when I was a youngster with no confidence, I could feel how a wonderful melody caused me to play with more expression.
My love of playing songs grew when I studied with Henry Charles Smith. After going through whatever difficult material we had for the day, we would invariably end the lesson with Henry at the piano and me reading over his shoulder. He chose songs from his books of oratorios that were perfect for the euphonium's capabilities. Even though I could usually sight read the notes, the power of the music drew me out (and he would offer suggestions as he sensed the need).
For this book, I chose pieces that are at their core fine music, from simple (or folk) songs to pieces by master composers like Schubert and Mozart. Some are so simple that almost any high school player can perform them, but those same songs contain enough depth that an advanced player can find excellent outlets for their musical ideas.
A recitalist might choose to group songs according to the "themes" shown here.
Folk Songs / Nationality: Among the composers and countries of origin for the folk songs, there is fine material from the USA, England, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, and Austria. This book could help you build a national or international theme for a recital. There are ample choices to program a "folk song" segment.
Stephen Foster: The three songs by Stephen Foster would make a nice feature during a recital. (Foster is known as "the father of American music".) Note that there is an "Easter egg" (a hidden treat) within "Some Folks / Some Folks Polka." In that song, the piano plays three additional Foster songs during interludes: "Mr. & Mrs. Brown", "We are Coming, Father Abraham", and "Village Bells Polka".
Pop culture: The old song "Aura Lea" (or "Aura Lee") was used with a few melodic modifications to make the Elvis Presley hit "Love Me Tender." The simple beauty of its melody has charmed listeners for over a century and a half. The theme I used from a Schubert sonata for piano was the main theme for the early episodes of the sitcom "Wings." This melody also wore well for over a century and a half. Its smooth, moving lines worked very well with the "Wings" opening video of a small plane flying over a New England island.
Hidden children's song: Within "Alle Vögel Sind Schon Da" you may notice I have included a bit of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." The structure of the two songs is very similar. I also used some of Mozart's variations on the same children's song in the piano part.
Encore/utility potential: I include in the collection four songs that could easily be used as last-minute encores. There have been times when I needed one more encore than I had prepared. In those situations, it is useful to have a piece or two that you can play without having planned to. One selection is the Gervaise “Allemande,” inspired by hearing trumpet artist Maurice Andre use it as an unaccompanied encore. This songbook includes a version for unaccompanied solo and one for solo with piano. The other two encore songs are unaccompanied, based on my own version of "The Last Rose of Summer," which I have used a few times as a final encore. The first version I wrote is in the standard key of Eb (the key found in the Arban book). For occasions when you need to play an encore with very tired chops, the same song is printed for you in a lower key!
Worship services: I have used four of these pieces as part of a church service. The ones I used are Mozart's "Alleluia," Bach's "Bist Du Bei Mir," Mendelssohn's "If with All Your Hearts," and “Theme from Schubert Sonata in A Major.” Others could be used as well, depending on the service. For a Christmas season song, "Hacia Belen va una Burra" is often sung at Christmas in Spain.
The road less traveled: Two songs in the collection are mostly unknown. I initially heard them from two very different sources. "Homing" is a song I heard on an out-of-print LP of Joan Sutherland. (It is quite hard to find any other recordings of "Homing.") Its melody drew me in from the first time I heard her sing it. And I surely would not know "Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes" if I had not heard Andy Griffith sing it on his courtroom drama "Matlock." The melody for this British lullaby was written in the 1800's. (The song’s words originated 200 years before that, later used in part by the Beatles.)
This project consumed a great deal of time over several months, a measure of my enthusiasm for such a book! I hope you get as much enjoyment from these pieces as I did while selecting, arranging, and recording them.
David Werden
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