February 4, 2009: This page has now been archived. For current "What's New?" entries, see this page.
December 16, 2008: It's been a snowy couple of weeks, and though snow is certainly very Christmassy, it tends to keep me home by the fire (usually with hot cocoa to warm up the inside too) not getting much accomplished. So I spent these particular snowy days concocting this arrangement of "Once In Royal David's City" for intermediate solo piano. It's a bit late to be useful for performance, but you pianists can still play it for fun.
There are also several new recordings for your Yuletide enjoyment:
"Beautiful Savior," performed by Heather Prusse;
"Baby In a Manger," performed by newcomer Denise Pearce; and
"Born Is the Light Of the World" and "Love Knows No Borders" performed by the Sydney Chamber Choir
I've also made available some new MP3 playlists for those of you who like to listen radio-style. You'll find links to them on various pages throughout the site, as well as on the new "MP3 Playlists" page.
Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas season!
*****
Addendum: Since this update, I've also added two new recordings (in Spanish) by singer Arnaldo Heresmann of Viña del Mar, Chile--"O Ven, O Ven Emanuel" and "Escribe Tu Nombre En Me."
October 18, 2008: It's an amazing thing, just how generous and giving people can be. There are quite a few new scores and recordings available this time, and I'm once again indebted to a generous musician, my friend James Loynes, for his time and talents. You've heard from him before, but never to quite this extent.
James is a music professional in England, where he directs a 100+voice choir, runs a music studio, tours with BBCs live stage tours, directs dramatic productions, sings for charity events, ... and, one assumes, sleeps in his spare moments. During a visit from James and his wife Francesca at the end of the summer, we arranged and recorded several new and existing Christmas songs. (Well, to be accurate, we actually had to finish up by e-mail. THAT was interesting...) To help keep the length of this update under control, I'll simply list the links here without further ado:
New material:
--"O Come, O Come Emmanuel," Solo or three-part harmony (men's or women's voices) MP3: hi-speed dialup
--"It Came Upon the Midnight Clear," (an arrangement using a different melody than usual), Solo or SATB. MP3: hi-speed dialup
New voicings for existing material:
--"And His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful," Solo w/harmonies for men's voices (and a violin obbligato) MP3: hi-speed dialup
--"Love Knows No Borders," Solo w/harmonies for men's voices MP3: hi-speed dialup
--"Born Is the Light Of the World," Solo w/harmonies for men's voices (also a new violin obbligato) MP3: hi-speed dialup
--"Peace, Peace, Peace," Solo w/harmonies for men's voices MP3: hi-speed dialup
All of these recordings (and a couple not listed above as well) are available on a new Christmas CD, "His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful," and, as always, for streaming and download. This is a spectacular singer--enjoy!
Happy October to all. :)
August 11, 2008: "Abide With Me" has always been one of my favorite hymns. The other day as we were singing it in church, something about the hymn really drew my attention to the words and though I had sung them a thousand times before, this time they struck me as just... well, too sad.
I went hunting and found that there are five stanzas more than the three in our hymnal, and one that I particularly loved. So armed with a new verse and inspired by an old favorite, the end result was an arrangement of "Abide With Me" for solo voice, and for duet or two-part choir.
There are two vocal demos available: one traditional rendition of the duet version by Ben and Angie Jack; and a modern rendition of the solo by Stephanie Boyd, who is also the featured vocalist of the month.
June 7, 2008: New this time is a song titled "Write Thy Name Upon My Heart," voiced for solo, SSA or SATB. Once again, I'm making the scores available in both .pdf and .mus formats to facilitate transposition. A demo recording with vocals by James Loynes is available, as well as an accompaniment track. James is also the featured vocalist of the month.
The other new addition is a solo version of "Come Unto Christ," with a modified accompaniment that I think works better for a solo presentation.
Both these songs, along with six others have been made available on a new CD titled "Write Thy Name Upon My Heart." The CD includes accompaniment tracks for all the selections. As always, these recordings are all available for download here on the site--the CD is offered for your convenience.
There are quite a few new user-subimtted translations and programs waiting in the wings, as well as a couple of recordings in the works from a fun new vocalist--they'll be available on the next update. Happy June!
March 6, 2008: Three new arrangements of older material are available this time:
--A low-voice version of "An Angel To Watch Over Me;" and a revision of "If I Listen With My Heart," done at the request of the general Primary board. Both of these new arrangements have demo recordings by a newcomer to the site, Colleen Thliveris, who is also the featured performer of the month.
--A solo version of "Cast Your Burden On the Lord," with a demo recording by Heather Prusse.
There are also accompaniment tracks available for each arrangement. All of these recordings are available for streaming and download, and are included in the "Recordings in MP3 Format" CD license (download the files here).
December 19, 2007: There is something amazing about having a newborn baby boy in the house during the Christmas season. Holding him, rocking him, and singing to him have led to this year's "Christmas Card Carol," a very simple lullaby titled "Baby In a Manger." (If you're interested in the actual Christmas Card itself, here it is.) Of course, all the holding, rocking and singing (not to mention playing, changing, feeding, cooing and fussing) have made the carol way too late to be of use to anyone this year. **sigh** The song is intended for children, but there is an SSA arrangement as well. No poetic marvels in this one. The words are just what you might expect an infatuated grandmother to sing to her newborn grandson.
The other new addition this time is a recording of "Born Is the Light of the World," as sung by James Loynes. (High-speed Dialup) I think you'll really enjoy his interpretation.
Wishing you all a blessed Christmas and a wonderful new year to come.
November 28, 2007: I have a grandson. (Wait... that should be ) Just one, but he's big enough to count for two. Damien Glenn Wilson arrived November 19, weighing in at 10 pounds 9 ounces. (I have alerted the BYU Football staff to schedule him for the 2025 recruiting class.) I am going to be without question the world's most obnoxious grandmother. Most of them just carry pictures... I have a slideshow on my PDA.
On to lesser matters. New this time is one arrangement and a whole handful of recordings, mostly for Christmas.
The arrangement is a version of "Guard Him, Joseph," for solo, tenor/bass duet or two-part men. Just for fun, I borrowed liberally from Pachelbel's "Canon" for the accompaniment and the obbligato. There's a beautiful demo sung by James Loynes of Southport, England, and the harmonies are his contribution as well. You'll hear more from James in the coming month.
Other new recordings are...
- While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night, performed as a treble duet by Heather Prusse, along with an accompaniment track.
- While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night, an SATB recording by the Latter Day Singers, a marvelous choral group from Mesa, Arizona, USA.
- If I Planted a Garden, performed by a children's choir from the New Apostolic Church of Cape Town, South Africa. (These youngsters are amazing.)
- Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (a version of the piano solo with vocals added--this one just makes me smile :), and Would I Know My Savior?, both contributed by Bonnie Wixom of Grand Junction, Colorado, USA.
Thanks to these wonderful musicians for their contributions!
October 25, 2007: Remember Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop? Remember the song her characters sang at the end of the show to annoy her? "This is the song that doesn't end... yes it goes on and on my friend... etc. Etc. Etc.
I'm almost beginning to feel that way about "If the Savior Stood Beside Me." There are now nine (count 'em... nine!) different versions of this song available for download. I'm getting a bit tired of arranging the same song over and over. ;)
The additions of note this time are the simplified version (the same version that appears in the 2008 Primary program, but with an added flute obbligato), a two-part chorus or A/B duet that includes the new verse, and a link to the Spanish version.
Some of you have asked for permission to include the recordings of the Children's versions on practice CDs for your Primaries. There are two candidate recordings, one of the simplified version with vocals by Angie Jack, and one of the original children's version with vocals by Heather Prusse. You are welcome to include either of those, as well as the accompaniment tracks for them, on practice recordings for distribution to your Primary children.
On a related note, my e-mail has become a black hole lately. I'm still struggling to get a handle on my new calling (RS pres.), and I'll get to my e-mail as soon as I can. It's just out of control at the moment. Thanks for your patience!
October 1, 2007: Just one addition this time... an arrangement of "Whole Again" for high voices, with an MP3 demo recording featuring vocals by a newcomer to the site (though you may have heard him elsewhere), Chad Neth. This extended arrangement is a bit longer than the orginal, and the accompaniment is more challenging.
A small note in answer to the anticipated annual queries: Yes, I will try my very best to come up with something to support the 2008 Mutual theme. I don't know if I'll succeed, but I'll give it my best. :)
August 11, 2007: New this time is a song with a little different feel than my usual--a vocal solo titled "I Glory In My Jesus."
There are two vocal demos for this song, done by two teriffic women. Heather Prusse and I spent the better part of a week together this summer, recording quite a few things. We emerged victorious, exhausted, and with a distinct loathing for the heavy construction equipment that perversely appeared to update the neighborhood curbs for precisely those five days. It's her clear, classic soprano you hear on the high-voice demo.
A newcomer to the site, Jacosa Limutau showed up one day as a pleasant surprise in my inbox. (Okay, she didn't--her note did.) Jacosa sings the low-voice version, as well as another new recording, her interpretation of "It Was For Me" (for which there is now a low-voice score). She's an amazing musician and an amazing vocalist. Her voice is a rich, smooth alto, and blends her love of jazz with her Polynesian heritage to produce... well, you listen and judge for yourself. She's fabulous.
Meeting and working with these wonderful singers is a real blessing, and just so you can get to know the singers on this site a little better, I've decided to start a monthly "Featured Vocalist" page. This month's featured vocalist is our newcomer, Jacosa. Just click her name to read all about her, or use the "featured vocalist" link in the dropdown menu. I'll change the featured vocalist approximately monthly--give or take a week. Or two.
There are a few new links this time, as well as many new translations (all submitted by site users--thanks!) that I'll add as I have time over the next couple of weeks. I've fallen victim to the old affliction of having too many projects in the works at once, but even so, some of them are bound to get finished... at some point... aren't they?
April 1, 2007: If you've come to my site looking for the arrangement of "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" that the young women sang at the broadcast last Saturday night, you haven't found it yet. That's because I'm, um... er... slow. However, it's finally up and ready to go. This arrangement includes the new third verse for the YW program.
Also new this time is a lower version of "In That Holy Place," for solo, unison or two-part young women, with an updated piano accompaniment.
There are new recordings for both selections, featuring vocals by Becki Madsen, as well as accompaniment tracks. They are available for download, and also on a new CD titled "A Lamp to Light My Way: Songs for Young Women." The CD includes both vocals and accompaniment tracks.
Happy spring, happy April Fool's Day (if my son rubber bands my sink sprayer one more time...)... and have a wonderful Easter season!
January 31, 2007: New this time is a simple song in support of the 2007 LDS Mutual (youth program) theme, titled "Let Virtue Garnish All My Thoughts Unceasingly." It's voiced for solo, unison or two-part equal voices. A demo recording with vocals by Becki Madsen is available, as well as an accompaniment track.
Also, this week is your last chance to put your $.02 worth in on the Favorite/Un-favorite Hymns surveys found here. Next week I'll tally them up.
November 20, 2006: The congregational accompaniments I mentioned in the last update are now available for download: Away In A Manger; and Angels We Have Heard on High. Arranging these is a bit of a challenge, since the chords must stick strictly to what's going to be sung from the hymnal. My tendency is to take off on tangents that couldn't possibly work, slowing the actual writing process down unnecessarily, but, hey, it keeps me entertained. ;)
While you're visiting, you might like to vote in the Favorite/Un-favorite Hymns surveys found here.
Happy (US) Thanksgiving!
Addendum--December 8, 2006: This should really have been included in the last update, but it, er.. wasn't done. ('Tis the season to be... behind.) Yet another new congregational accompaniment is now ready, this time for "What Child Is This?" The accompaniment includes piano, organ and flute. An MP3 demo track is available.
November 8, 2006: There are several new additions this time...
--The 2006 Christmas Card Carol, titled "When the Son of God Was Born." A demo recording of the duet version with vocals by Marc Johnson and Leilani Toloa Johnson is available, as well as an accompaniment track.
--Two new Christmas CDs: "Promised Savior, Promised King," and "If I Had Been In Bethlehem." As always, these tracks are also available for free download.
--The latest issue of the DeFordmusic.com CDROM Edition is now available. I must admit I'm very proud of myself--I promised it "this fall" and here it is. (Even if this isn't something you need, I still deserve hearty applause for it... what a job it was to get that ready!)
--Because of the CDs above, there are lots of new tracks that have been added to the Recordings in MP3 Format CD recent additions list.
--In the works: A congregational accompaniment or two which should be ready in the next couple of weeks. Look for the next update much sooner than usual!
July 20, 2006: New to the site this time is a hymn arrangement that has been languishing on my piano rack since January: "Prayer Is the Soul's Sincere Desire" for SATB choir and for solo voice, both with optional obbligato for C instrument. The words were written by James Montgomery (1771-1854), but the melody is my own. The text for this hymn has always been one of my favorites, and I couldn't resist trying my hand at a new setting for it. There's a demo recording with vocals by Reagan Lindemann (dialup) (hi-speed) as well as an accompaniment track.
Also available is a new CD titled "I Have Not Seen, Yet I Believe," with vocals by Heather Prusse, and violin obbligatos by McKay Harline. Included on this CD is a new SSA arrangement of For the Beauty of the Earth (dialup) (hi-speed) and a new solo version of "The Master's Voice" (dialup) (hi-speed). Accompaniment tracks are available on a separate CD. As always, these tracks are also available for download.
And last of all, a bit of mildy annoying news: the spammers have gotten hold of my e-mail address to the point of absurdity. My inbox is crammed day and night with ads, and the majority of those ads are unsavory to say the least. ***sigh*** To rid myself of this nuisance, the address SallyDeFord@defordmusic.com will be retired effective immediately. There's a new e-mail link on the contact page. However...
The contact e-mail link will now pop up one of those goofy little boxes that require you to copy a code before it will work. Like I said... annoying. But I don't have much choice. I hope this won't be too much inconvenience. Thanks for your understanding!
March 14, 2006: Happy March and happy spring... or fall, depending on your hemisphere. Whatever the calendar may say, it's still our snowiest season of the year here in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. You won't hear me complaining. Snow means delayed school starts and that rarest of all privileges--extra sleep. :)
New to the site this time is a medium-voice solo on the topic of repentance and forgiveness, called "Whole Again." A demo recording ( Hi-speed Dialup) with vocals by a wonderful newcomer to the site, Reagan Lindemann, is available, as well as a piano accompaniment track. This selection is written in more of a pop style than my usual--if you're going to use it for more traditional services (like LDS Sacrament meetings) you'll need to adjust the rythms and the performance style accordingly.
Also new this time are two recordings, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" ( Hi-speed Dialup ) and "I Have Not Seen, Yet I Believe," ( Hi-speed Dialup ) with vocals by Heather Prusse. These two songs now have recordings by both male and female vocalists. Thanks Heather!
January 9, 2006: A couple of new additions to the site this time:
For LDS YM/YW, a song titled "Arise and Shine Forth" to complement this year's theme. A recording with vocals by Becki Madsen is available (Dialup High-speed), as well as a piano track.
Also new this time are a couple of nice recordings: "My Grateful Spirit Sings," recorded by Julene Judd and arranged by Randy Kartchner (Dialup High-speed); and "If the Savior Stood Beside Me," with vocals by Heather Prusse (Dialup High-speed).
Happy New Year!
Archived "What's New? entries: February 2003 through December 2005 Prior to February 2003 |
