
Product Description for SATB, piano, and optional saxophone, bass, and drum kit Ophelia, Caliban, and Miranda puts a jazzy twist on three Shakespearean characters. With newly written texts by Charles Bennett, each of the three movements focuses in on Ophelia from Hamlet and Caliban and Miranda from The Tempest. In the funky opener, 'River Bride', the upper voices take the partof Ophelia, while the tenors and basses play a lover figure. Caliban's song, 'Ariel taught me how to play', is a reflective ballad in which the slave tells Miranda, who has escaped his advances, about the spirit helper Ariel teaching him to play the saxophone. The final movement, 'All good thingscome to an end', is a sassy yet tender number, where Miranda bids farewell to her beloved husband Ferdinand, declaring: 'I've gone back to the island to remember who I am'. The piano part may be played as written or serve as a guide, and a part for saxophone, bass, and drum kit is availableseparately for jazz quartet accompaniment. About the Author Bob Chilcott has become one of the world's most widely performed composers and arrangers of choral music. His compositional output reflects his wide taste in music styles and his commitment to writing music that is both singable and communicative. He has been involved in choral music most of his life he was a chorister and then a choral scholar in the choir of King's College, Cambridge, and was a member of the British vocal group The King's Singers for whom he made a number of popular arrangements of well-known songs from all genres. As well as being a full-time composer he is also a highly acclaimed choral conductor. He has been privileged to conduct many choirs all over the world. He is Principal Guest Conductor of The BBC Singers and in 2019 he was appointed Principal Conductor of Birmingham University Singers. His music has been widely recorded by many choirs and groups including The King's Singers, Tenebrae, and The BBC Singers.
This work investigates the intersection of classical Shakespearean archetypes and contemporary jazz-influenced choral composition. Composer Bob Chilcott, a renowned choral conductor and former member of The King's Singers, utilizes original texts by Charles Bennett to recontextualize the narratives of Ophelia, Caliban, and Miranda through a modern musical lens.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts in the choral field recognize Bob Chilcott as a prolific composer whose work is noted for its accessibility and idiomatic vocal writing. Performers frequently highlight the effectiveness of his stylistic blending, noting that this specific suite offers a distinct departure from traditional choral repertoire by integrating jazz elements into a structured vocal framework.
Page Count:
32
Publication Date:
2016-06-30
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0193406535
ISBN-13:
9780193406537
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