Category Archives: A Cappella

Pender’s Music Presents Sing-a-bration/Joy of Singing 2020

July 9 – 10, 2020

Join us for two days of inspiring and educational choral workshops, including The Joy of Singing and The Joy of Worship. Learn from some of the top clinicians in the nation!

The Sing-a-bration Workshop day offers a workshop track for Elementary level directors and a separate Middle School/High School track.
The Joy of Singing workshop day offers new Middle School/High School level choral music.
The Joy of Worship reads new choral music in a variety of voicings for every sacred setting.

Below is our roster for our two days of workshops. There is no Saturday workshop.

Thursday, July 9th
9 AM – 4 PM
Sing-a-bration
Andy Beck, Denise Eaton, Greg Gilpin, and a cameo by John Jacobson

Thursday, July 9th
6 PM – 9 PM
Joy of Worship
Joseph Martin and John Purifoy

Friday, July 10th
9 AM – 4 PM
Joy of Singing
Rollo Dilworth, Roger Emerson, Mac Huff, and John Jacobson

Prices are $60 each for the school sessions (Sing-a-bration & Joy of Singing) and $25 for the church session (Joy of Worship).

All attendees receive:

Morning coffee & light lunch
Complimentary music packets*

*Music packets of most of the music presented. Prices and workshop details subject to change. Full refund in the event of workshop cancellation.

SING-A-BRATION LOCATION:

Embassy Suites by Hilton — Denton Convention Center
3100 Town Center Trail | Denton TX 76201
Discount Code: Singabration 2020
Group Rate: $139/night
Booking Deadline: June 17, 2020

Registration opens April 1!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Spring Sacred Choral Music

PENDER’S PICKS THE BEST NEW SPRING AND EASTER SACRED CHORAL MUSIC

The Pender’s staff has sifted through thousands of titles to identify the very best new spring sacred choral music for 2020. We want to provide outstanding music for your choirs, and we believe these selections are some of the finest.

Below you will find information about why we selected each title, and a few suggestions about possible uses for the piece. As with all of our previous Sacred Choral Reading Sessions, we have narrowed the list to our opinion of the very best. Of course opinions differ, and if you find that all of the pieces of interest to you are from a single publisher, you can search for that publisher on our website and get more ideas! If a piece has your attention, you will probably listen all the way to the end. Just like at any reading session, you may have it marked with a “no” within the first 32 measures. The nice thing here is you don’t have to sing it all the way through. You can stop and go on to the next piece.

You will find an assortment of general, Lent, and Easter titles that were picked with our customers in mind. To those new to us, we welcome you and hope our selections are good for your choirs too. Be looking for information on our website about our “live” Sacred Choral Reading Sessions in Oklahoma City and Denton this summer. We hope you will attend!

Questions? Contact John Staton at 405-842-7825 or jstaton@penders.com

Angel Rolled the Stone Away
SATB – Shackley – 10/5394L
This is an infectious toe-tapper for the Sunday after Easter. The problem will be getting the choir to wait that long to sing it.

Christ Lives and So We’re Free
SATB – Wagner – 00-48009
Excellent Easter anthem with great part writing on the Alleluias. Uses a minimum of handbells to enhance the sound. Easy to put together.

Deep Within
SATB – Hayes – C6262
Very singable Mark Hayes arrangement of this contemporary classic hymn from the 80’s. Really nice solo that interchanges with the choral parts.

Easter Celebration
SATB – Cameron – C6271
This upbeat Easter introit will combine all your resources. Use it as a short introit or insert your own repeat signs for more verses and have an opening hymn.

Garden of Sorrow
SATB – Wright – 810038
Good Friday. This piece effectively travels between g minor and Bb Major to depict sorrow of the crucifixion and the hope for the future.

Gloryland By and By
SATB – McDonald – 00-48006
This arrangement of two beloved old hymns works its way into a real toe-tapper in true Mary McDonald style. Great for gospel Sundays.

God Gives the Song
SATB – Courtney – BP2211
This song is so beautiful I nearly missed the text. A wonderful song of healing for meditative times.

God of the Sparrow
SATB – Courtney – BP2208
Take a deep breath for long phrases and beautiful Alleluias.

Grace at the Cross
SATB –McKibben –10/5387L
This original tune will be ringing in your head. Lyrics are closely related to the easily sung syncopated rhythms. There is a good bit of unison. Harmony parts flow easily from the unison parts making this a quick rehearsal anthem.

Great is Thy Faithfulness
SATB – Forrest – BP2210
It is always a toss-up whether to feature a new arrangement of a hymn that has been arranged many times. This one is too good to miss. It is not the easiest of pieces but there are wonderful surprises on every page.

He’s Got the Whole World
SATB – McDonald – 00-48007
Wow!! The simplicity of this arrangement! Sensitive treatment of the text. Not what you usually expect. Simple part writing with a lot of unison. Quick study. Gorgeous accompaniment.

Hosanna to the King Who Comes
SATB w/ children – Larson – 10/5444L
I like this piece for Palm Sunday because it has a catchy tune with just enough twists to make it interesting. The choir and children’s parts are easily learned which makes it a quick study during the busy Easter season.

How Wonderful You Are
SATB – Mock/Shackley – 10/5396
The chorus soars with “holies.” Excellent part writing. Very singable. General use.

Hymn of Promise
SATB – McDonald – C6265
Using “Sally Gardens” for the melody, Mary McDonald has set this classic Natalie Sleeth text beautifully with highs and lows that highlight the text.

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
SATB – Shackley – 10/5388L
Very useful for Lent.

I Want Jesus to Walk with Me
SATB – Raney – C6259
The title hymn and “Footsteps of Jesus” are joined seamlessly into one anthem.

Inasmuch
SATB – Choplin – 10/5399L
This piece has all of the singable writing you expect from Pepper Choplin. If you have a contemporary ensemble available this one would be great to add at least the drummer. A good drummer can make this piece shine.

Jesus Is Alive! Alleluia!
SATB – Shackley – 10/5389L
This is a simple and rhythmic telling of the Easter story. The beauty is it does not quote any of the traditional Easter hymns giving you a totally original anthem to sing on Easter Sunday. It would be great at both the beginning of the service or in the anthem position.

Jesus Is Risen
SATB w children – Koerts – 810034
This Easter anthem includes easy parts for children, original material, a statement from a standard Easter hymn, and optional congregation. Easy to learn.

Let Your Spirit Rise
SATB – Pethel – 10/5390L
This is an invitation for the spirit to come. It has beautiful harmony, lyrical melody lines, and is very meditative. This piece will be useful at Pentecost but will also find its way into many other services when appropriate mediation is needed.

May the Peace of God Dwell in You
SATB – Larson – 10/5398L
Useful for graduation, dedication, retirements, and farewell services.

Mercy’s Promise
SATB – Drennan – 10/5391L
The part writing is the shining star of this anthem. Your choir will sound wonderful as they blend together. Wonderful for Palm/Passion services and Holy Week.

Name of All Majesty
SATB – Raney – C6270
Excellent for the weeks after Easter. “He Is Lord” is beautifully arranged at the end.

On a Hill Far Away
SATB – Martin – 10/5427L
This haunting original melody by Joseph Martin does great justice to text we know so well. Quiet and simple. Useful for Holy Week – especially a Palm/Passion service.

Prayer at Gethsemane
SATB – Raney – C6280
A “quick study” with a minimum of parts to rehearse but lots of the mood needed for Holy Week.

Rise Up My Soul
SATB – Larson – 00-48603
Not just another 6/8 anthem of joy. There are rhythmic and harmonic surprises that make this piece shine.

Risen Indeed!
SATB – Pote – C6272
A lively, rhythmic original anthem for Easter. Easy to put together.

Rock on Whom We Stand
SATB – Berry – 10/5392L
You can always depend on Cindy Berry to be direct and to the point with the message of her anthems, thus leaving a lasting impression on the congregation. This is a great text of celebration.

Salvation Is Our God’s
SATB – Parks – 10/5424L
If you omit the reading from Revelations and start the introduction later, you have a wonderful Palm Sunday anthem that builds as the procession gets nearer.

Shepherd Song
SATB – Bolin – 810035
Such a peaceful piece. The flute part is easy and in a good key in case you have a younger flute player.

Sing Community, Sing Peace
SATB – Hayes – 10/5397L
This is Mark Hayes’ original writing at its best. Beautiful. Written for an ecumenical service. Great for any time love and community is the theme.

Someone’s Walkin’
SATB – Drennan – 10/5393L
A cappella. Very singable. Great part for the basses. Useful for Good Friday or Holy Week.

Still I’ll Rejoice
SATB – Choplin – BP2172
Beautiful choral sounds and the combining of text and musical elements you have come to expect from Pepper Choplin.

These Forty Days
SATB – Dengler – 810039
In this piece you get an anthem for the first Sunday of Lent and a chorus that can call your congregation to Lenten worship all the other Sundays of Lent.

Upon This Altar
SATB – Drennan – 00-48602
Perfect for communion during Holy Week or anytime. Beautiful melodies.

We’ll Join the Everlasting Song
SATB – Larson – BP2216
Very singable. I’m not sure what the hurry is but I would slow it down a little bit.

Why Do You Seek the Living Among the Dead?
SATB – Choplin – 10/5454L
What a great way to start an Easter Sunday service moving from hushed anticipation to rejoicing Alleluias. Excellent rhythmic use of the text.

With Every Breath
SATB – Hayes – 10/5407L
The composer was not listed on my original copy. The opening riff made me think it might be a new arrangement of a contemporary hit. The voice lines were so singable and the rhythms fit the words so well. Then, I found out it was a Mark Hayes original. Gather your contemporary forces and give your choir and congregation a fun time.

With Waving Palms and Shouts of Praise
SATB w/ children – Christopher 810041
Easy anthem for Palm Sunday with an interesting part for the children and an easy bell part.

Wondrous Love
SAB – Cameron – C6282
With a brief introduction using the well-known hymn tune this original will be a great change to your Lenten pieces.

Summer Sacred Choral Reading Session in OKC

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Summer is the perfect time to plan your fall and holiday music! Clinician Pepper Choplin joins Pender’s to present new music, including Christmas cantatas. You may bring up to four members of your choir (for example, director plus three) to join in fellowship while learning new pieces for the year.

Date: Saturday, June 15th
Clinician: Pepper Choplin
Location: Quail Springs United Methodist Church
14617 N Pennsylvania
Oklahoma City, OK 73134
Cost: $20 per person (limited to 4 per organization)
Contact: John Staton jstaton@penders.com
(405) 842-7825
(800) 772-8405

Schedule:
8:30 Registration, Coffee and Donuts
9:00 Session Begins
10:30 Break, Refreshments
10:45 Session Continues
12:30 Session Over

Registration includes a complimentary music packet and morning refreshment.

Music on display for sale will include:
Choral Anthems
Children’s Books
Piano
Organ
Organ/Piano
Christmas Cantatas
Vocal Solos & Duets
Handbells

Spring & Easter Music

Spring is in the air! Now is the perfect time to plan all your Spring and Easter concerts, programs, and events with Pender’s 2019 choral selections.

Browse beautiful hymns and anthems from Beckenhorst. These moving pieces include classics like Amazing Grace that are perfect for Easter.

Pender’s also has a wide selection of Easter music from Lorenz. The collection has pieces for all kinds of Spring and Easter programs, whether you’re looking for powerful and glorious or delicate and poignant.

Need help finding the right music? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to assist you in selecting the best Spring and Easter music for your needs.

Sacred Choral Reading Session January 2019

Get ready for spring with Pender’s and clinician Patti Drennan!

Join us on Saturday, January 5, 2019, at Quail Springs United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, OK. Hear the latest sacred choral music for spring and Easter, including choral anthems and Easter cantatas, and browse Pender’s music selection. We’ll be bringing along new piano and organ music, children’s books, vocal solos, duets, handbell music, and more! Enjoy morning refreshments, a complimentary music packet, and a wonderful day of community with up to four members of your congregation (director plus three). Register now!

Date: January 5, 2019
Location: Quail Springs United Methodist Church
14617 N Pennsylvania Ave
Oklahoma City, OK 73134
Cost: $20.00 per person
Limit 4 per church (example: director plus 3)

Schedule:
8:30 Registration (coffee and donuts)
9:00 Session begins
10:45 Break (refreshments)
11:00 Session Continues
12:30 Session ends

To Register: Call John Staton at (800) 772-8405 or e-mail John at jstaton@penders.com

What is MSMISP? -or- Who Wants $1000 of Free Sheet Music?

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We had the good fortune to speak with TMEA about the MSMISP grant program more in depth. They were very helpful in providing answers to some of your most frequently asked questions. We thought we would share what they had to say.

The Middle School Music Instructional Support Program (MSMISP) is a grant program from TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) for 6-8^th grade Choir, Orchestra and Band directors in Texas. It will provide $1,000 (yes, a full grand!) for sheet music to programs who are selected in the 2014 – 2015 school year. If you end up going over the grand TMEA will give you then your district will be billed for the difference. Penders is offering free shipping so you can make full use of your thousand without worry.

In order to qualify the director must have current membership with TMEA and teach at a Texas middle school. Applications may be submitted from September 15, 2014 to October 15, 2014. There is a total of $500,000 that will be allocated based on current funding and size of the program. So, if you want a snapshot of your program’s chances of getting this money, simply divide your budget by the number of students you have. If your dollar-per-student is lower than the state average you will have a great shot at getting a grant.

TMEA has told us that as of September 24, 2014there are only 230 applications filed, that means that even if you have a million dollars in the your budget you should still apply. There are currently 2,800 qualified campuses in Texas so odds are most of you haven’t even heard of this program. Even if you teach programs at multiple schools you can apply, the grant money is program specific not director specific. Even private school programs can get this money so you really have no reason not to apply.

Let’s get one thing straight, though, this music may only be used for sheet music designed for a full ensemble so you won’t be able to fund your next few years of solo and ensemble with this money. It also can’t be used for pop pieces such as show tunes or accompaniment CD’s. A limited number of sight-reading pieces will be acceptable in TMEA’s view. Finally, choral applications with less than 10 individual sheets per piece will be asked to bring that number up to an amount that can serve a choir rather than can be used for perusal. TMEA’s explicit goal is to place challenging music in front of every middle school choir, orchestra and band student in Texas.

Your application will need to be submitted with a quote from a qualified vendor that includes shipping (again, Penders has free shipping on all MSMISP quotes). TMEA will review each piece and let you know if something doesn’t work for the use of the money. If you get the grant the quote will then be sent back to the vendor who will fill your order will be paid directly from TMEA. They are considering allowing refunds and exchanges in extreme scenarios only but will be subject to an approval process at TMEA before they can be completed.

On their site TMEA has outlined some criteria to help you select music appropriate for this program.

Quickly they are:

Works that offer insight into significant composers.
Works that have cultural, historical relevance as defined by the TEKS.
Works that extend the technical demands and musical limitations normally associated with middle school repertoire.
Works that can be related to other artistic genre such as dance, visual arts and literature

If you were confused by some of these points don’t worry, so were we.

First, we asked what their definition of a significant composer was. They told us it is going to be anyone of historical or musical significance to include contemporary composers (think Tichelli, Whitacre and the like) and those doing Hollywood music (John Williams, Danny Elfman, Howard Shore and others). But again, NO POP.

In regards to the last point about relating to other genres, they said a piece would qualify under this condition if it could be related to another academic subject and specifically quoted ‘Of Sailors and Whales’ by Francis McBeth to relate to literature, ‘Solitary Dancer’ by Warren Benson to relate to dance and any piece with multiple time signatures or difficult rhythms to relate to math. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list so be creative when applying this one.

While these may seem restricting, TMEA has told us that anything on the UIL list that is appropriate for the average 6 – 8^th grade ensemble will be fair game but they stressed that pieces grade 3 and above are their preference. This list is primarily meant to guide your selection of music outside the UIL list.

TMEA wants to work with you to provide your students with the best music education available. They will be reviewing each application personally and will do line by line acceptance of pieces rather than whole application rejection or acceptance. If something you selected is outside their expectations they will contact you. But feel free to contact TMEA or Penders with any questions or concerns you may have.

TMEA wants to give you $1000 in music and my barber always told me to never reject money more than once.

Get your application in now! Penders can help you do it. If you have any more questions then please email or call us (our information is below). You can also send us your list of music and we will return your proposal within one business day so you can get your application in quickly.

Pender’s Music Co

band@penders.com choir@penders.com orchestra@penders.com

1 (800) 772-5918

Where Sheet Music, Competition & Creativity Collide (in TX)

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If you live in the state of Texas, and you’re involved in music and education in the schools, then the two acronyms TX UIL and TX PML likely spill freely and frequently from your lips. And even if you’re not from Texas, but are involved in music education somewhere in this great country of ours, then you probably know what they mean, right? Just in case you don’t, though, here’s the information in a nutshell taken from the UIL home page: “The University Interscholastic League (UIL) exists to provide educational extracurricular academic, athletic, and music contests for schools in Texas.”

As it pertains to UIL music, of course, this includes marching band, concert band, full and string orchestra, both instrumental and vocal solo and ensemble, and choir. Solo and Ensemble music events in band, choir and orchestra are scheduled in 28 TX UIL Music Regions, and portions of the choral and instrumental sheet music to be performed must come from the Prescribed Music List (PML).

Hence, since the performance at least in part must come from the UIL music list that is not of your own making, the sheet music selection itself is a very important part of the process, because no individual soloist or music performance group wants to play sheet music that is either too easy or too difficult. Nor do they want to play from just any sheet music that is on the UIL music list. It needs to be sheet music that is specifically relevant to their group. Picking out what sheet music is to be played at a competition (or in essence, at a mini concert), is perhaps one of the most difficult parts of the TX UIL music process. That PML piece must be representative of the overall performance level of either that one person (in a solo), or the entire group of musicians involved. Because it’s all about the competition, right? Or is it?

Students want to earn that Division One Rating at the region competitions, so that they are eligible to advance to the TX UIL State Solo and Ensemble Contest that is traditionally hosted in Austin every year on Memorial Day Weekend. The annual trek is to Austin, because it was the University of Texas at Austin that created the TX UIL in first place in 1910. So consider that. What has grown into the largest inter-school organization of its kind in the world, has a more than one hundred year history, and the model from which it was created here in Texas is now emulated all over the country.

But is it really all for just the competition? Most certainly not. Yet in almost any music circle, you’ll find there is usually a constant debate about competition, its merits, and how it relates to music and the arts. There is a school of thought that since music and the arts are creative pursuits, why must competition or the participation in music contests be an integral part of it, particularly in the school classroom? It almost seems contradictory doesn’t it? Music | Creativity | Expression. What is competitive in that? How can you measure creativity? Expression?

Yet (again from the internet pages of the TX UIL), “the Music Program [specifically]…is designed to support and enrich the teaching of music as an integral component of the public school curriculum in the state of Texas.” Support…enrich…compete, too…and don’t forget to play or sing that choral octavo or instrumental sheet music as creatively and expressively as you can. Because luckily for us, UIL music and competition have and will continue to coexist beautifully together, because as anyone knows, the heart and soul of a school’s music organization is its concert ensemble, whether it be the top-level choral group, or the elite wind ensemble in the concert band program. It is by no coincidence at all that the best marching band programs are a direct reflection of the best concert bands; that the best a cappella choral groups are an extension of the premiere choir in the school; that the wind trios, brass quartets, and percussion ensembles that compete in the TX UIL music contests are usually formed from the top players of their respective programs.

So play on and compete. Seek and find the best band sheet music, choir sheet music, and instrumental sheet music which speak not only to you, but to your students as well. The time to do it is now. Christmas is right around the corner and the TX UIL music competitions will be here before you know it. Therefore, let the sheet music, competition and creativity collide, and trust Pender’s Music Co. to help you. The result will be worth it.

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