mike’s music pages

You may have heard about Band-in-a-Box from PG Music, Inc. It is the best tool I know of for quickly creating original music. Band-in-a-Box is designed to help you quickly generate musical accompaniments or complete songs. To make a song you just select a key, set the tempo, select a style and enter your chords.  There is a Band-in-a-Box for Windows and a Band-in-a-Box for MAC. Band-in-a-Box is an affordable, effective tool for creating original music quickly for making practice tracks, backing tracks, or complete songs; and it costs much less than the other digital audio workstation (DAW) programs that I use. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m looking forward to the Metropolitan Opera HD broadcast of  Offenbach’s Les Contes D’Hoffmann on Saturday, December 19, 2009. The broadcast starts at 1:00 PM Eastern time.  There is a list of theaters where you can see the broadcast on the  Fathom Events web site. Scroll down the page until you see “PARTICIPATING THEATRES.” You should also check your local theater listings to confirm that it is actually being shown at a particular theater. I plan to view it at Cinemark’s Tinseltown 17 in Fayetteville, GA.

If you love opera, then you owe it to yourself to catch these Met broadcasts. The tickets are about $20, you have a good comfortable seat, you can see and hear everything with no problem, and you can stuff your face with popcorn if you like.

They also conduct interviews during the intermissions with singers, producers, directors, set designers, costume designers, and other people who contribute to the productions. I think this is great for students.

Oh, by the way, you can also download the cast sheet and synopsis from the Met’s web site.

Today, December 13, 2009,  I attended Christmas at St. Paul’s, the annual Christmas concert at St. Paul’s  Episcopal Church at 306 Peyton Road SW, Atlanta, GA. What a wonderful experience! Some concerts I attend just because I know someone on the program and want to support them. I attend concerts at St. Paul’s also because I really enjoy them. Every year the Christmas program gets better. I like concerts that have a minimum of talking. Music Director Trey Clegg and St. Paul’s choirs delivered such a concert today.

When I saw that there were twenty selections on the program, I became concerned because I thought it might be a long day, especially since the pews are not padded. However, the program moved right along. They quickly moved from one selection to the next with no pausing for applause.

The accompaniment was provided by Dr. David Oliver at the organ and members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mr. Clegg. They all sounded like the professionals that they are.

Most of the selections were sung by St. Paul’s combined choirs, but there were also selections by the Handbell Choir, The Women’s Chorus, Voices of Praise, and the Men’s Chorus. Soloists included Darian Clonts, Marcus Hill, Persis Bristol, E. Paulette Smith Epps, and Mickey Eaddy.

The program offered a variety of music from traditional carols and spirituals to contemporary gospel and classical. I particularly enjoyed O Come, Emmanuel. The choir sang it very well and seemed confident with the piece. I know that they have done it a number of times, but each time that I have heard them sing it they have done better. Some choirs never improve, but St. Paul’s choir sounds better every Christmas season.

Other highlights of the program included soprano Ann Marie McPhail singing Mozart’s Alleluia from Exultate Jubilate, and mezzo-soprano Pamela Dillard’s solo on John Rutter’s arrangement of O Holy Night. Ms. Dillard flashed a smile at the audience and seemed to really enjoy singing the piece, especially the high B-flat that she sang so securely near the end.

I regret that I did not tell you about this concert beforehand. I’m sorry to say that I forgot to post it. However, they plan to do it again next year, so I recommend that you prepare to attend Christmas at St. Paul’s during the 2010 Christmas Season. If Director of Music Trey Clegg continues on his current trajectory, then it should once again be better than it was the year before.

This is a great week for music in Atlanta if you love Christmas music. There is so much going on that you can’t possibly catch it all. I’m going to list just a few of the events.

The ASO Gospel Christmas

The ASO Gospel Christmas concert is on Friday, Dec. 4th at 8:00 PM and Saturday, Dec 5th at 2:00 PM in Symphony Hall.  The program includes Carol of the Bells and For Every Mountain.

Handel’s Messiah

The ASO is performing the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah along with the Hallelujah! Chorus, and Part III of Bach’s  Weihnachts-Oratorium (Christmas Oratorio), BWV 248 (1734).  For those of you who think that you do not like classical music, this may be  a good concert to attend because some of the music may be familiar. This concert is Thursday, Dec. 3rd at 8:00 PM and Saturday, Dec. 5th at 8:00 at Symphony Hall.

ASO Kid’s Christmas

The ASO Kid’s Christmas is Sunday, Dec. 6th at 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM ; and Sunday, Dec. 13th at 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM. This program features the musical Second Chance Christmas, with some favorite sing-alongs (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Jingle Bells,” “Frosty the Snowman”)!

Spelman – Morehouse Christmas Concert

The 83rd Annual Spelman – Morehouse Christmas will be Friday, Dec. 4 at 8:00 PM in the King Chapel at Morehouse College; Saturday, Dec. 5th at 8:00 PM in Sisters Chapel at Spelman College; and again on Sunday, Dec. 6th at 8:00 PM the King Chapel at Morehouse.  The first time that I attended this concert I was about 7 years old. I have never forgotten it. That was the first time that I heard “Go, Tell It On The Mountain.” The youth choir director at my church in LaGrange brought us to the concert. I will always be grateful for that experience.

This concert is free! You should arrive early.

Clark Atlanta University Philharmonic Society

The CAU Philharmonic Society gives a very fine Christmas concert every year. I know because I attend it every year. Their group is small by comparison with Spelman and Morehouse, but director Glynn Halsey is known for the beautiful sound of his choirs. I’ve never been disappointed by CAU’s Philharmonic Society. This concert is Sunday, Dec. 6 at 4:00 PM. at the  Park St. Music and Art Complex, 793 Park St., S.W., Atlanta, GA 30310. The concert is free.