SOLO VOCAL COMPOSITIONS

"THE BELLS"
VIDEO RECORDING. COMPLETE

Recorded by Colleen Daly and Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal
Red Bridge Studios
May 22, 2019

"THE BELLS"
AUDIO RECORDING. I, II, III, IV

I. SILVER BELLS

II. GOLDEN BELLS

III. BRAZEN BELLS

IV. IRON BELLS

​Et Misericordia
For soprano, Tenor and Alto with orchestra (from Magnificat)

Commissioned by the University of Sevilla, Spain

“Et misericordia eius ad progenie in progenies timentibus eum” starts with a bell call (piano) and literal quotation of the gregorian chant, followed by the singing of “et misericordia” by the trio soprano, alto and tenor, melting the melody in a warm harmonic progression with subtle unexpected resolutions.  In the mean time the rest of the phrase is recited in the background.

Colleen Daly, soprano, Duane Moody, tenor, and Jenna Lebherz-Daly, mezzo-soprano

​​Level of difficulty for the voice:  Advanced
​​Level of difficulty for the ensemble:  Intermediate
Approximate length: 3 minutes, 11 seconds
​
This individual movement is available with:
String ensemble accompaniment (conductor score and all parts)
Piano reduction accompaniment (two copies required)
Listen to the rest of MAGNIFICAT ​and follow the recording with the score.

​Et Exaltavit Humiles
For mezzo-soprano with orchestra (from Magnificat)

Commissioned by the University of Sevilla, Spain

“Et exaltavit humiles” (and lifting up the lowly) gently elevates the humble with a dialogue between the contralto, trumpet and oboe, while strings provide a flowing accompaniment that blends a rhythmic pizzicato and legato lines.

 Jenna Lebherz-Daly, mezzo-soprano

​​Level of difficulty for the voice:  Intermediate
​​Level of difficulty for the ensemble:  Intermediate
Approximate length: 2 minutes, 27 seconds
​
This individual movement is available with:
Orchestra accompaniment (conductor score and all parts)
Voice with piano accompaniment (two copies required)
Listen to the rest of MAGNIFICAT ​and follow the recording with the score.

Suscepit Israel
For soprano with string orchestra (from Magnificat)

Commissioned by the University of Sevilla, Spain

“Suscepit Israel puerum suum recordatus misericordiae suae” (He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, to remember his promise of mercy) A soprano solo that navigates among a warm accompaniment of strings, in a sweet, almost ethereal and timeless environment with a broad range of expression from both the soloist and the orchestra.

Colleen Daly, soprano

​​Level of difficulty for the voice:  Very Advanced
​​Level of difficulty for the ensemble:  Intermediate
Approximate length: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
​
This individual movement is available with:
Orchestra accompaniment (conductor score and all parts)
Voice with piano accompaniment (two copies required)
VERSION FOR VOICE AND PIANO
VERSION FOR VOICE AND STRING ORCHESTRA
Listen to the rest of MAGNIFICAT ​and follow the recording with the score.

Peace, My Heart
For soprano and piano, or soprano with string ensemble
(from Across the Wide: Songs of Farewell)

Commissioned by the Hughes family in memory of Bob and Ginny Hughes
Text by Rabindranath Tagore
Sung by Allison Hughes

​​Level of difficulty for the voice:  Intermediate
​​Level of difficulty for the pianist:  Low intermediate
Approximate length: 3 minutes, 46 seconds
Peace, my heart, let the time for the parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death but completeness.
Let love melt into memory and pain into songs.
Let the flight through the sky end in the folding of the wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hands be gentle like the flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment, and say your last words in silence.
I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way.
This individual song is available as:
Voice with piano accompaniment (two copies required)
​String ensemble accompaniment (conductor score and all parts)
Click here to listen to the complete cycle "ACROSS THE WIDE, Songs of farewell"

Two Butterflies
For soprano and piano, or soprano with string trio
(from Across the Wide: Songs of Farewell)

Commissioned by the Hughes family in memory of Bob and Ginny Hughes
Text by Emily Dickinson
Sung by Allison Hughes

​​Level of difficulty for the voice:  High Intermediate
​​Level of difficulty for the pianist:  Advanced
Approximate length: 1 minute, 43 seconds
Two butterflies went out at noon
And waltzed above a stream,
Then stepped straight through the firmament
And rested on a beam;

And then together bore away
Upon a shining sea,--
Though never yet, in any port
Their coming mentioned be.
This individual song is available as:
Voice with piano accompaniment (two copies required)piano, violin, viola, cello accompaniment (full score and all parts)
Click here to listen to the complete cycle "ACROSS THE WIDE, Songs of farewell"

Fecit Potentiam
For tenor and baritone with orchestra (from Magnificat)

Commissioned by the University of Sevilla, Spain

“Fecit potentiam in brachio suo dispersit superbos mente cordis sui, deposit potentes de sede” (He has shown strength with his arm and has scattered the proud in their conceit, casting down the mighty from their thrones). The music illustrates the lyrics, first alerted with three bell calls for attention, and the duet tenor and baritone proceed to present the statement with energetic yet angular singing lines, while the orchestra accompanies them with a scattered instrumentation in pizzicato, reflecting the image of the scattered crowds.

Duane Moody, tenor.  José Sacín, baritone

​​Level of difficulty for the voice:  Advanced
​​Level of difficulty for the ensemble:  Intermediate
Approximate length: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
​
This individual movement is available with:
Orchestra accompaniment (conductor score and all parts)
Voice with piano accompaniment (two copies required)
Listen to the rest of MAGNIFICAT ​and follow the recording with the score.

Esurientes
For baritone solo with string orchestra (from Magnificat)

Commissioned by the University of Sevilla, Spain

“Esurientes implevit bonis, et divites dimisit inanes” (He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty) is a darker, dramatic description of the text, sung by the baritone fully wrapped up in dense strings that blend bitter and sweet harmonic turns, as illustration of the double statement “filling the hungry” and “sending away the rich empty”.

José Sacín, baritone

​​Level of difficulty for the voice:  Advanced
​​Level of difficulty for the ensemble:  Intermediate
Approximate length: 3 minutes, 40 seconds
​
This individual movement is available with:
Orchestra accompaniment (conductor score and all parts)
Voice with piano accompaniment (two copies required)
Listen to the rest of MAGNIFICAT ​and follow the recording with the score.

Away in the Woods
For soprano and piano

Commissioned by Jonathan Cain and Shannon Dooling-Cain
Text by W.B. Yeats

​​Level of difficulty for the voice:  Intermediate
​​Level of difficulty for the pianist:  Intermediate
Approximate length: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
My love, we will go, we will go, I and you,
And away in the woods we will scatter the dew;
And the salmon behold, and the ousel too,
My love, we will hear, I and you, we will hear,
The calling afar of the doe and the deer,
And the bird in the branches will cry for us clear,
And the cuckoo unseen in his festival mood;
And death, oh my fair one, will never come near
In the bosom afar of the fragrant wood.
This individual song is available as:
Voice with piano accompaniment (two copies required)

Set Me as a Seal
For soprano and piano

Commissioned by soprano Colleen Daly
Text: The Song of Songs. King James Version. G.R.B., alt

​​Level of difficulty for the voice:  Intermediate
​​Level of difficulty for the pianist:  Intermediate
Approximate length: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
This individual song is available as:
Voice with piano accompaniment (two copies required)
All content of this site: Copyright by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal, 2021.  All Rights Reserved.
For more information on our Privacy Policy: