Vocal Books

I really enjoy this collection of arias and art songs...I've used it for at least 6-7 weddings now. It has a great variety to choose from, in case one gets tired of singing the "same old" songs for weddings. More importantly, the arrangements are perfect for a high soprano/coloratura, and it is not necessary to have to transcribe the key of the songs to fit a higher register. Also, a wonderful bonus is the c.d. that comes with the book that has each song recorded twice, once with a soloist to hear how the song sounds and to get ideas for ornamentation, and then a second time just with accompaniment, so one can practice all they want without having to bang out the notes themselves while singing. This book is a real gem, particularly if you have to sing in a lot of weddings or plan a lot of weddings.

This book is an excellent resource for the wedding singer.The accompaniment CD is extremely helpful and makes learning these classical songs very simple.The songs themselves are very beautiful and are perfect for showcasing a Soprano's voice.
The melodies are interesting, passionate, and melodic- not dull or common.
Highly reccomended for Soprano/Coloratura wedding singers.

What exactly was the folk song craze? How did it happen? Who was involved? What is its legacy today?
Dick Weissman, a five-string banjo virtuoso formerly of the folk group The Journeymen, is perhaps the first to tackle this complex subject in depth. He takes a hard look at a wide range of topics with sharp observation, unsentimental analysis, and occasional wit.
Weissman, who partly in self-defense has made himself an authority on the music business, uses that insight to get under the skin of folk entertainers like the Weavers, the Kingston Trio and the many lesser-knowns who, in the early 1950s, put together the folk craze. He goes on to take a look at developments as diverse as skiffle amd blugrass, electric folk and fusion.
But he begins much further back: in the late 19th (Francis James Child and the ballads) and early 20th century with Cecil Sharp, the Lomaxes, and the other folk collectors -- including the lesser-known Lawrence Gellert, who pioneered in collecting songs that got even closer to the black experience. He takes us through the Golden Age recordings of early country music and blues, and early protest music, including People's Artists, and how they influenced what we all thought folk music was. From there he traces the route to 1949 and the breakout of the Weavers - culminating in the blacklisting that shut down some folk entertainers including Pete Seeger along with a number of Hollywood's finest.
"Which Side Are You On" takes in a very broad sweep that makes most other books on the subject look narrow. This is probably the first book ever to put side by side in the same context people as disparate as Alan Lomax, Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, Bill Monroe, cowboy singers and poets, Ewan MacColl, Peter, Paul and Mary, Doc Watson, Laura Nyro, The Band, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Tom Waits, New Age music, newgrass, John Fahey, Eliza Gilkyson, Bruce Springsteen, Nanci Griffith, Paul Simon, Sheryl Crow, Jewel, and 21st century folk pop -- not to mention parallel developments in ethnic music such as Cajun, Zydeco, Canadian, Celtic, Hispanic, American Indian, Hawaiian, children's music (who else covers Raffi?) and more.
That makes this book unique in my estimation. Most writers on folk music carve themselves out a stylistic niche - traditional songs, bluesmen, country musicians, folk-rockers -- and stay within it. Weissman takes the opposite approach, showing how widely folksong has been impacted by developments in popular, ethnic, rock and other forms of music, and how its ways of thinking and performing have been changed by them. The result is a first chance to see the folk scene as a grand parade leading onward into the future, triumphs, foibles and all.
The "folk superstars" are here: Leadbelly. Woody Guthrie. Odetta. Dylan. Phil Ochs. Peter, Paul and Mary. Simon and Garfunkel. Joan Baez. Judy Collins. Joni Mitchell. So are many names that will be new to nearly every reader, with fascinating stories that place them in the ongoing folk thread that winds through American music. Tracing stardom as well as the obscure through the 1970s, 80s and 90s, Weissman brings the story of the folk era up to date with incisive coverage of what the thing we call "folk" means now, today: everything from Ani DiFranco and Nickel Creek to the Dixie Chicks and "O Brother Where Art Thou."
There is astute coverage of trends and backgrounds: Folkways, Elektra, Vanguard and the other folk record labels. The folk scene in various parts of the US and abroad, most prominently New York's Greenwich Village, but also Philadelphia, Boston, Newport, Chicago, Denver, Austin, California and elsewhere. How music informed the Civil Rights Movement. Feminist music and musicians. Singer-songwriters. Musical instruments. Radio, folk organizations, print music and performing venues. Folk-rock and country-rock.
Along the way Weissman poses some tough questions folkniks often prefer to duck. What about authenticity vs. "selling out?" What did stardom mean for the few folkies who achieved it? What did "going electric" mean for singers who believed their roots lay in casual home-made music of centuries past? How did folk-inspired songwriting change as it grew? What has it meant to "bourgeoisify" and commodify folk music? And how did the business of folk music change the music and the people who made it? These are only some of the questions this book addresses.
"Which Side Are You On" is frankly a survey, covering a lot of territory. Hence it cannot go deeply into some of its subject matter. Still there are surprising moments of insight, and enough detail to feast on for hours.
If you want a smart practitioner's bird's-eye view of what folk is, does, and means - and are ready for a few side trips into allied kinds of music that draw intriguing parallels - this is the book for you.

Dick Weissman worked with the Journeymen and here uses a popular song from the 1930s to fuel chapters discussing the history and culture of American folk music from Joan Baez to Ani DiFanco, Peter Paul and Mary and more. Here are discussions of all the top names in American folk, written with authority because author Weissman is more than a historian here - he was a participant in the folk movement of the times, and adds persona anecdotes about the folk music business and its artists. From pop artists to the re-emergence of female blues singers, Which Side Are You On? An Inside History Of The Folk Music Revival In America is not to be missed by any serious about American popular music history.

Yip Harburg, the prodigiously talented lyricist best known for "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" and "Over the Rainbow", is the subject of this splendid biography. Harburg's gifts were uniquely his, but this book shows us how his (financially, but not spiritually) impoverished father cultivated Harburg's talents by taking him regularly to the Yiddish theater on the Lower East Side and reading funny stories to him in the evening. Harburg's insights into the elements of creative writing-- a sense of passion, an eye for paradox, an intelligent plan, e.t.c.-- are recounted in loving detail. Whether you read this book for insight into this wonderful man's heart, or his craft, you will be richly rewarded.

Yip Harburg, the prodigiously talented lyricist best known for "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," and "Over the Rainbow", is the subject of this splendid biography. Harburg's gifts were uniquely his, but this book shows us how his (financially but not spiritually) impoverished father cultivate Harburg's talents by taking him regularly to the Yiddish theater on the Lower East Side and reading funny stories to him in the evening. Harburg's insights into the elements of creative writing -- a sense of passion, an eye for paradox, an intelligent plan, etc-- are recounted in loving detail. Whether you read this book for insight into this wonderful man's heart, or his craft, you will be richly rewarded.

I'm completely satisfied about your item. The book is in perfect condition and I thank you with admiration for your absolute seriousness.

Best regards
Luca Petrongari

I love the new recording of this musical, and was disappointed when it didn't come with printed lyrics to the songs. So I was very excited when I saw the new Wonderful Town songbook, which has almost all of the songs from the show, plus a synopsis. These songs are lovely reminders of the show, and would be great to sing in revues or talent shows, for I don't think Wonderful Town is a very well known show, which is a shame. I think it's one of Comden and Green's best. Songs like "Swing" and "Pass the Football" only get better when you see the lyrics in their full glory. My only wish is that they had included color stills of the show, but we can't have everything!

The book is exhaustive, exhausting, and huge fun. The author, Bart P., has researched yodeling better than any human being in his right mind should, and that statement should tell you a lot about the author. His style is comprehensive, engaging, and humorous, always treating yodeling lovingly but never, _ever_ taking it too seriously.

If you are a yodeling fan you should have already stopped and ordered this book. If you are not one - go ahead and read it - it will turn you into one whether you like it or not.

Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo is the first book to provide an analysis of the art of yodeling as a world-wide phenomenon. From the Swiss mountains to the African Pygmies and beyond, this provides regional surveys of yodeling styles and yodelers, showing that the art has its roots in many countries and throughout the musical world. Add discographies of featured yodelers and you have a lively reference unparalleled in the music industry.

This is an amazing Christmas collection! It's intended for solo voice, but I use it for my flute soloist and hunt around for a low part for my cellist, with me on the piano. We positively love this book. In my opinion, it is more challenging than Mr. Hayes other works. But this book is so worth the extra "work outs" required for tough little sections. My all-time favorite song in this collection is Coventry Carol. It is quite dark, and we jokingly refer to it as the Christmas/Halloween song, only because of how "scary" the music is. So dramatic! But beautiful!
Another favorite is O Holy Night. When played up to speed my arms are just a wee bit sore at the end of this one! But it, too, is beautiful.
I recommend this book to piano enthusiasts, but be sure to have someone carry that melody, since it is very seldom in the accompaniment.

I first purchased the "10 Hymns and Gospel Songs for Solo Voice", and then purchased this set a few weeks after. I absolutely love these arrangements; they are very festive, joyful, meditative and...beautiful. The arrangement of "O Holy Night" is wonderful, the arrangment of "Silent Night" has optional German words with it, there are a few medleys which one includes "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" from Handel's Messiah and on I could go. They are just well worth the time and money. I highly recommend this item, and believe you will be pleased with it too.

Has good versions of the gems, plus some very-nice little-known songs. I use this one A LOT, every Christmas.

I have played piano for more than 20 years. This book is dog-eared from being taken to so many Christmas parties. The music is medium difficulty, easy enough for a mid-level player (not really for a beginner) and for the advanced player, no practice needed to pick up those songs you play only once a year! I've tried to buy this for friends but it seems to be out of print. If it comes back into print, grab it! Great arrangements.

Just like it says: this books has 130 Irish ballads for acoustic guitar. It includes all of the ones I know, like "Whiskey in the Jar," "Black Velvet Band," "Finnegan's Wake," "Danny Boy," etc. Most of the songs are pretty simple.

This book is exceptionally well-designed. It includes a CD that has the first verse and chorus of all 130 songs (!) so that you can learn how to sing even the songs you're not familiar with. The fingerings for all of the chords are also included. Because it's spiral-bound, this book is *really* easy to lay flat on a table or music stand if you want to look at it while you're playing.