518: March - A Christmas cavalcade (Morgan Juel Stavik)
This march contains several Christmas carols and songs. Some are easy to recognise and are identified in the score, while other references are more subtle.
519: Christmas bossa nova (Kevin Larsson)
Using Jingle Bells, The First Nowell, It came upon the midnight clear and Ding dong! merrily on high, here is a great bossa nova to liven up your Christmas concert.
520 (1): In te Domine speravi (Des Prez trs. Zachary Docter)
This piece is a transcription of an early 16th century choral work by the Renaissance composer Josquin des Prez. Josquin was a well-known and highly regarded composer in his day. Like many composer of this period, Josquin wrote linearly, valuing independent free-flowing lines over vertical harmonies. As a result, the interlocking counterpoint in this work can be quite complex and the tied rhythms challenging.
520 (2): Excerpt from 'Vespers' (Rachmaninoff trs. Andrew Poirier)
Sergei Rachmaninoff's setting of the All-Night Vigil (Vespers) Op.37, of which this excerpt is taken, was composed in January and February 1915. The outbreak of World War I in August 1914 took many people by surprise, and to Rachmaninoff it was a severe shock. This compelled him to write a piece that reminded him of his childhood and the importance of the Russian Orthodox Church within the national identity of Russia. The excerpt transcribed here has a quality and enigmatic charm that never fails to move the souls of those that listen to it.
521: March - Walk of faith (Stanley Makau)
This march introduces Stanley Makau to the band journals. Stanley is currently the Deputy and Youth Bandmaster at Quarry Road Citadel Corps in Nairobi, Kenya. His inspiration for the march primarily came from Psalm 91: 11-12, and the march is in keeping with the traditional style that has been a staple for Salvation Army music-making.
