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| Sally DeFord Music |
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(Some links on this page may be outdated. Check the Alphabetical or Recordings lists for current links. :) |
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Happy 2003 everyone! (Anyone else still writing 2002 on their checks?) Several new scores and recordings have been added since the last update: For Easter: An SATB arrangement of "It Was for Me" has been added. This is a very easy arrangement, and choirs should learn it fairly quickly. A demo recording of the solo version has also been added, with vocals by Katie Brandt. An accompaniment-only (minus track) version is also available. Also for Easter: A hymn-style version of "In the Silent Garden" has been added for those of you who prefer things simple. This one was done by request. (I actually do get around to some requests, but I'm afraid it's rather hit and miss... :) For anytime: A new recording of the duet "How Great is the Miracle" performed by a local husband/wife duo, Marc & Leilani Johnson. (I wonder if they auditioned each other before they decided to get married...) An accompaniment-only (minus track) version is also available. For LDS YW organizations: A melody titled "Alleluia," designed to be sung as a counterpoint to hymn #81, "Press Forward Saints." This is a simple one-page melody for use on the last verse. It's printed on a half-sheet so it can be tucked inside the hymnbook for performance. Last but not least: A dear friend, Amy Lauritzen, has recorded and released a professional CD of some of my compositions. If you enjoy classical vocals you're in for a treat, as she is an amazing vocalist. A couple of samples are available here--"Gethsemane" and "Lift Up Your Heart." (Older versions of these had been previously available--these are the new recordings.) To order her CD, visit her website at http://www.simplysoprano.com. |
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Of all the various things that users of this site write to request, the most common request by far is for more piano duets. My usual response is, "It's on the to-do list." Believe it or not, this week I actually get to put a check-mark by that item. A new piano duet based on the children's song "I Am a Child of God" has been added to the site. Both the primo and secondo are intermediate level, but not too difficult. A demo recording is available here. One other small change this time--a topical list of music appropriate for Easter has been added for your convenience. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! |
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The updated 2002 CD Edition of this site is now available. You can read all the details here, or order it directly from this page. Just like last year, the new CD edition will be available for $10 through January 1. After that time, the price will be $20. Thanks to all of you who have supported this site by purchasing the CD Edition. During 2002, this site has transferred around 50 gigabytes of data. You've helped to keep me out of debt! :) In the Ooooops!! category: A few accidentals were, er... accidentally omitted from the "Born is the Light of the World" sheet music. I have posted corrected copies, but the first 2,000 or so copies (yikes!) downloaded before 11/5 need two small corrections: SATB version: In the piano line, add a natural to the treble A on beat one of measure 71. Add a flat to the treble A on beat three of measure 89. Solo version: In the piano line, add a natural to the treble A on beat one of measure 53. Add a flat to the treble A on beat three of measure 71. |
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Happy November! The composing bug bit me again this week--blame it on the snow!--and the result is that my 2002 Christmas Card Carol titled "Born is the Light of the World" is now available. (I guess that means I should eventually send some Christmas cards... ;) It's voiced for SATB choir or Solo voice, and also as a simple, one-page SATB hymn. A demo recording with vocals by Becki Madsen is available, as well as a piano accompaniment track (both in MP3 format). Many of you have written to ask when the updated CDROM Edition will be available. (I know, I know... the CD Edition page says "this fall." That means I have until Dec. 21 before I'm late as usual, right?) The artwork and disk are actually at the publisher and should be available within a week or so. I'll send a separate update when it's ready. Thanks for your patience! |
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There are several new additions to the site this time... --a new arrangement of "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing." This is a Piano/Organ score that can be used either as a duet or as an accompaniment for choir/congregation. I've also included a half-sheet for congregation. An MP3 demo is available here. --two new arrangements of the solo titled "Peace is Born on Earth," one for SATB choir and one for SSA women's chorus, both with optional flute obbligato. --and finally, a new CD titled "The Riches of My Soul" is now ready, featuring some very talented young people. I hope you enjoy it, and give a few away for Christmas! There's also an Accompaniment Only (minus tracks) version available. For all the details, see this page. Happy October! |
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Just this past week a local hobby store hauled out the Christmas ornaments, Christmas trees, Christmas lights, Christmas you-name-its. I know it's not the usual reaction to blatant commercialism, but when I see such displays--even in August--I get teary-eyed and my kids have to drag me away and shake me out of my Miracle-on-34th-Street daze. (What they don't understand is that when the hobby stores start preparing for Christmas, so do choir directors, and sometimes you just gotta let the atmosphere soak in. :) The new offering this time is "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," for SATB choir and for medium-voice solo, with an optional flute obbligato that works with either one. A recording of the solo version (vocals by Micah Lorenc) is available, as well as a minus track (accompaniment only), both in MP3 format. Three other new recordings have been added also: "A Heaven on Earth" and "Stay With Me, Lord Jesus, Stay" (both with vocals by Becki Madsen), and "To Those Who Came Before Me" (vocals by Brady Lorenc). A request: Quite awhile ago I received a candy-gram and a wonderful recording from a youth group. If you are (or know) the person responsible for sending this to me, please drop me an e-mail? |
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Happy Father's Day to all you great dads out there! Since 1910, Father's Day has been celebrated in the US on the third Sunday in June. It seems to have been inspired by a Mother's Day sermon--a good lady named Sonora Smart Dodd figured if moms got a day of their own, dads should too. (I agree, but don't tell my son. He's still stuck on the "Kids' Day" concept, and it might give him big ideas.) The new offering this time is centered on home and family (and yes, it's part of the upcoming "Built Upon the Rock" program), so Father's Day seemed like an appropriate time to post it. It's called "A Heaven on Earth," and is available for Low- and Medium-voice solo, as well as SATB Choir. An accompaniment track in MP3 format is also available. |
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Just a few additions to the recordings on the site this time. Many of you have written to request vocal recordings for specific songs. Slowly but surely I'm getting them done. Eventually I hope to have demos for every song on the site, but it takes awhile! I hope you enjoy these: "I Come to Him," "I Need Thee Every Hour" and "The Greatest Among Us" -- performed by Brady Lorenc "An Angel to Watch Over Me" -- Performed by Marc Johnson and "The Riches of My Soul" -- Performed by Becki Madsen Off topic (but timely!): Windows Users, there's a nasty computer virus/worm going around right now called "klez." I've received it in my inbox at least 20 times in the last couple of weeks--thank goodness for antivirus programs! Since some of the infected e-mails were addressed to me as the "Yahoo!Groups DeFord Music Update List Moderator," I suspect that there are some of you reading this who've been bitten by it. So I thought I'd just pass along this link--http://www.ku.edu/~acs/virus/viruses/klez.shtml--and reiterate the warnings every internet user should memorize: --NEVER open an attachment unless you're expecting it or you have checked with the sender (even if it's someone you trust) to make sure it's legitimate. --Install an anti-virus program and keep it updated. --Visit the Windows Update site (it's in your Start menu) regularly to download the latest critical updates and security patches. |
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My son occasionally demands to know, "Why is there a "Mother's Day" but there isn't a "Kids' Day?" Funny, I remember asking the same question when I was 10, and getting the same answer I now give my son--"Every day is Kids' Day. Moms only get one." Since the celebration of Mother's Day is coming up soon in several countries (including the US), the new offering this time is a song for Mom called "An Angel to Watch Over Me." There's no vocal demo yet, but a sing-along piano track is available. |
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Happy Spring! Well, at least it's spring in my half of the world... at any rate, I hope you've got some sunshine. Here in Colorado it's 78F one day, snowing the next. A cold day verging on snow yesterday led to the completion of a new piano solo, "How Gentle God's Commands." It's been in the works for some time, a measure or two now and then, and the sulky weather finished the job. It's not a showy rendition--it's probably more suitable for a prelude than for a performance selection. A demo recording is available here. Also new this time is a solo recording of the choral selection "Come, Lord Jesus," performed by Brady Lorenc. I hope you enjoy it! |
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One of the most enjoyable things about the internet music business is giving people an opportunity to be heard. There are two new selections available this time, with demo recordings by a couple of tremendous local voices. First... a medium- or high-voice solo titled I Have Not Seen, Yet I Believe, a simple testimony of Christ, suitable for any time, but particularly for Easter. The demo recording includes vocals by Brady Lorenc. An accompaniment track without vocals (high voice) and a piano track (medium voice) are also available. Next... an easy two-part, written for the LDS Young Women's program, titled In That Holy Place. The vocals on the demo recording are performed by Angie Jack. A piano accompaniment track is also available. The sheet music for this song is found in the March 2002 New Era Magazine. Because the background for the song is a bit dark in the magazine it may not photocopy well, so I'm also including the score here. A modulation with an extended ending (as in the recording) is also available. |
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Well, the tree is down, the lights are all neatly coiled in boxes (they worked when I put them in--any bets on whether they'll work when I take them out?) and the kids have vowed they'll never eat turkey again. It must be time to write non-Christmas music. Two new items have been added this time: ...a solo for medium voice titled "The Riches of My Soul." It's part of--you guessed it--the "Built Upon the Rock" program, and is sung from the point of view of a parent describing some things that are worth more than worldly wealth. An accompaniment track and a piano track are available, but no vocal track this time. ...an arrangement of the traditional Easter hymn "He is Risen!" for SATB choir. This is an extremely easy selection for the choir, but it's rather challenging for the pianist. A piano accompaniment track is available here.
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****Long drum roll... the CDROM version of this web site is now available--later than I had intended, but hopefully still in time for those of you who wanted to use them for Christmas presents. Read all the details here. It was more work than I imagined it would be, but I hope you'll be pleased with the results. This past weekend marked the fourth anniversary of this site and it's been fun to see how it has grown. It was trial and error at first, as there really weren't other sites distributing music yet to use as patterns. I'll admit I made some dumb mistakes. It started out on the (**gasp**) Geocities server and for the first few weeks it contained only a few songs--now it contains 167 individual scores and four cantatas. The first month the site was up I had 28 visitors (some of whom e-mailed much-needed encouragement to me... I've met some wonderful people this way!)--this past year, my site tracker reports over a million page views, not including the actual scores. (Okay, okay... it's not Microsoft numbers, but I think a million of anything is kinda cool. :) |
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Merry Christmas--a bit early. (Is it ever too early for Christmas? :~) The carols arranged for intermediate piano that I promised in the last update are now available. Since there are quite a few scores, I put them all on one page for easier access--and included a couple of existing piano arrangements there as well. From this page you can download them individually or as a single .zip file containing all the .pdf scores. You'll also find information there on the recordings for each arrangement available in MP3 format and also on CD. I hope you enjoy them! |
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This year's Christmas Card Carol (only a bit behind schedule!) is now available, an easy SATB hymn titled "Love Knows No Borders." This hymn was inspired by all of the wonderful people around the world who have shown such compassion and kindness over the last few weeks. An arrangement for solo, duet or SSA women's chorus (all on the same score) is also available, and the SATB may be sung using this accompaniment if desired. A demo recording with vocals by Becki Madsen, an accompaniment track, and a piano track are available in MP3 format. Another addition this time is a beautiful recording of "What Child is This?" sung by Roberta Stark of Overland Park, Kansas. She used harp instead of piano on the written accompaniment, and I think you'll enjoy the result. Coming up in the next week or so: a set of Christmas carols arranged for intermediate piano. The "Web Site on CD" is almost ready--hopefully it will be available by the first week in November. |
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 In light of the tragedies of this week, it seems somewhat trivial to post new material here. But as I thought about it I realized that we all need to continue doing the little good we are capable of in this world, and maybe someone, somewhere will gain some peace and comfort from the small things we contribute. So I'm posting music, though an update through Yahoo will not be sent at this time. Insignificant as it is, here's what's new: "When Hope Was Born," a simple Christmas lullaby, telling of the hope we find in Jesus Christ. A demo recording with vocals (it's just me again--I was the only one around at 3 a.m.) can be found here, and the accompaniment track without vocals is found here. A new SSA arrangement of "When Mary Sang Her Lullaby." A new arrangement of the children's song "If I Had Been in Bethlehem" for SATB choir. This arrangement includes an optional TTBB men's section and optional flute. My heart goes out to all those who have been personally affected by the events of this week. I pray that our Father in Heaven will bless the suffering with peace in this time of grief, and direct us all in our efforts to help.
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Some of my most memorable composing experiences have come as a result of working on Church assignments. My latest assignment is an hour-long program designed to be used as an evening presentation centered around home and family. Any of you who follow this site regularly will probably hear rather a lot about it over the next year. My first offering from said program is a simple prayer for our children, titled "Safe in Thy Loving Arms." It's voiced moderately, for solo or mezzo/baritone duet. A demo recording with vocals by Katie Brandt can be found here. An accompaniment track
and a piano only track are also available.
If the Savior Stood Beside Me Accompaniment Only Peace is Born on Earth (Christmas) Peace is Born on Earth Accompaniment Only Piano Accompaniments Volume I (General)
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More odds and ends...
| Sometimes, just to make sure we humans know who's boss, the internet asserts its authority and will simply do nothing we ask. Such was my lot for the past couple of weeks.
After a frustrating battle with server problems, things seem to be back on track. (Those temper tantrums and violent explosions you heard? That was me.) However, I have emerged victorious (knock on wood) and can finally offer a few new things...
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One of my favorite hymns in praise of our Savior is "How Great the Wisdom and the Love." For the last couple of weeks I have been enjoying myself thoroughly in arranging this beautiful melody for SATB choir, with the congregation joining on the last verse. This arrangement includes verses one, two, four and six--with its tone of triumph--from our hymnal. I've also included a half-sheet containing the melody and last verse, to print for the congregation if needed.
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Happy new year to all! In celebration of a new beginning... **drum roll** ....I have moved my site to a new server. (Well, okay, it's not all that exciting... :~)
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I hope you're all having a great holiday season... not too overwhelmed and feeling the wonderful spirit that abounds at Christmas. I love the words of Scrooge's nephew:
| In preparation for our Stake's "Christmas Choir Festival and Sing-Along" this December, I'll be putting together a few accompaniments to standard carols for the congregation to sing. To start with, here's a new arrangement of "Oh Holy Night" for choir, soloist, congregation, piano, organ, and instrumental obbligato. (That's a mouthful!) The primary consideration in this arrangement was ease of performance. The combined choirs from our Stake will be singing the choral sections, but will never practice together. The congregation will join on verse three and the subsequent chorus, and will undoubtedly sing the traditional harmonies to which they are accustomed. So the vocal parts are very standard. The organ score is simple--about the same difficulty as an average hymn--and optional. The instrumental obbligato (also optional) is included in two formats: C instrument and Bb instrument. Also new this time is an SSA version of "Miracles" (An easy SA has been available for some time.)
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Well, a long, hot, gardening season is winding down, football season is winding up, the Cougs are off to a rocky start, and the kids are back in school, rejoicing(?) in the opportunity to get up at 5 a.m. for Seminary. Between digging and weeding sessions in my flower beds, I spent my summer writing Christmas music...
Wholly new material this time: |