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TWO DECEMBER CAROLS ALSO ARRANGED FOR CONCERT BAND
Choral version published by BOOSEY & HAWKES |
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ABOUT THE COMPOSITION Two December Carols, a pairing of two holiday carols originally composed for SATB choir with piano or harp accompaniment, was commissioned in 2005 in honor of Carsten Slostad's thirty years as conductor of the Wells Fargo Chorus, a volunteer employee chorus based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The first movement, "Snowflake Song," is a lyrical meditation on a snowflake’s downward journey, featuring text by Joyce Kennedy of Bloomington, Minnesota. The second movement, "Wisdom," paints a picture of the three wise men following the Star of Bethlehem, with text by Shannon King of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The music was composed by Carl Schroeder of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The approximate performance time is five and a half minutes, at a difficulty level appropriate for high school, college, community and church choirs. In 2013 the composer completed a new instruments-only concert band arrangement of both movements, written on a commission from the City of Lakes Community Band and Ann M. Verme in memory of founding City of Lakes Community Band member Carol Voight. "Snowflake Song" has also been arranged for SSA choir with piano, and both movements have been adapted for solo piano. The original choral version of Two December Carols was published by Boosey & Hawkes in 2009, and is available in stores and from major online sheet music stores including Hal Leonard, J.W. Pepper, Sheet Music Plus and Boosey & Hawkes. |
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CHORAL VERSION (2005) |
Performed by the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers;
Justin Raffa, conductor
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CONCERT BAND VERSION (2013) |
Performed by the City of Lakes Community Band;
Tedd Gullickson, conductor
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ABOUT THE COMPOSER Carl Schroeder of Minneapolis, Minnesota, composes music for concert band, orchestra, choir, chamber ensembles and solo piano that often draws inspiration from American history, current events, natural surroundings and memories. His large ensemble music has been performed by more than 40 concert bands, orchestras and choirs, including the Air Force Band of Mid-America, Minnesota Youth Symphonies and Chamber Choir Kyiv. He has written works on commissions from the Minnesota Symphonic Winds, Minnesota State Band, Cornell University Symphonic Band, Southwest Wind Ensemble, Calhoun-Isles Community Band, Wells Fargo Chorus and other ensembles and individuals. His music is featured on five CD recordings, his choral work Two December Carols is published by Boosey & Hawkes, and his concert band work Spin is published by C. Alan Publications. Schroeder is a 2005 graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he studied composition primarily with Timothy Mahr and Peter Hamlin. In 2001, he was named "Composer with Most Potential" by the Minnesota Music Educators Association, and in 2004 he was one of three under-25 American composers chosen to participate in the National Band Association’s Young Composer Mentor Project, where he took lessons with composers Mark Camphouse, Donald Grantham and Dana Wilson. He composed the choral version of Two December Carols in summer 2005 and arranged "Snowflake Song," the first movement, for accompanied SSA choir in fall 2005. In summer and fall 2013 he composed a new concert band arrangement of both movements. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ABOUT THE POETS (ORIGINAL CHORAL VERSION)
Joyce Kennedy, a retired teacher, lives in Richfield, Minnesota, with her
husband Wally. She is a member of the Laurel Poetry Collective, a gathering of
twenty-four poets and graphic artists living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Her first book of poetry, Ghost Lamps, was published in 2006. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ABOUT THE DEDICATEE (CONCERT BAND VERSION) It’s pretty telling that the first album Carol Voight bought with her own money was Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. What followed was a never-ending love of music, ending only upon her death in 2012 of cancer. Carol led a busy and full musical life. She was a founding member of the Calhoun-Isles Community Band, former President and Secretary of the CICB Board of Directors, a 20-plus year member of the Linden Hills Chamber Orchestra, a season ticket-holder of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and lifelong fan of all that was music. She was a dear friend of mine and so many others, and was always in awe of composer Carl Schroeder’s talent. She would have been honored to know he arranged Two December Carols for concert band just for her. – Ann M. Verme, October 2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MORE ON TWO DECEMBER CAROLS
A NOTE FROM THE COMPOSER Two December Carols has had an interesting journey: it was my first piece to be commercially recorded (by the Chamber Choir Kiev in 2006) and the first to be published (by Boosey & Hawkes in 2010). In 2013 I reworked it for concert band on a commission from the Calhoun-Isles Community Band and my friend Ann Verme in honor of her friend Carol Voight, who had recently passed away from cancer. – Carl Schroeder, March 2020
AWARDS & HONORS
CONCERT PERFORMANCES accompanied SATB choir version unless otherwise noted RADIO BROADCASTS
RECORDINGS |
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TWO DECEMBER CAROLS
PURCHASE SHEET MUSIC AT J.W. PEPPER ($1.95 each, minimum order of 10) Listen to Recording | Performed by the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers (Justin Raffa, conductor) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PURCHASE A SCORE OR SCORE/PARTS SET
Listen to
Recording
| Performed by the City of Lakes Community Band (Tedd Gullickson,
conductor) |
CHORAL VERSION
(2005)
CONCERT
BAND VERSION (2013)
