(Note: the pieces with no catalog numbers have not been published as of 2/02) Fairest Lady (SA/piano) (M-051-47179-9) London Bridge (SA/Piano) (M-051-47180-5) A Little Curl (SA/Piano) (M-051-47174-4) She Shall Have Music (SA/Piano) (OCTB6761) Sing and Shine On (SA/piano) (OCTB6846) Life is a Song (SA/Piano) A Child is Born SSAA or SATB (OCTB6762) Love the Earth SA or SATB/piano, fl, dr (M-051-47149-2) Niska Banja Romani Dance Arr. by NP (SATB or SSAA/Piano 3 hands) Hamisha Asar by Flory Jagoda Arr. by NP (SSA is M-051-47234-5. SATB is M-051-47078-5. )

In addition, there are fifteen bonus tracks of Computer Realizations: Virtus Sapientiae (SAB w/organ & brass quintet) (In English & Latin) Thula SıThandwa Zulu Lullaby Arr. by NP (SA/piano or SATB/piano) (SA is M-051-47195-9. SATB is M-051-46931-4) I Used to Be a Riddle by Nick Page (SA/piano M-051-47292-5) The ten sections are: I Used to Be a Riddle, Colors of the Sea, I Used to Be So Mean, What is Sorrow?, I Used to Be a Dragon, My Angel, I Used to Be a Number, I Have a Rule, I Used to Be a Werewolf, Howling at the Moon, Ba Ba Do Ba (excerpt) by NP, Lili Nye & Peter Skillman SATB (M-051-47236-9) Bowling Green (excerpt) Appalachian Arr. by NP (SA/piano & opt. bluegrass band) and Two from A Sandburg Set by Nick Page (SA/piano based on poems by Carl Sandburg) Stars, Songs, Faces and Baby Song of the Four Winds. All music published by Boosey & Hawkes (www.boosey.com)

Custom recordings available. Many of Nick's pieces can be custom burned onto a CD and mailed to you. Send a check for $25 to Nick Page at 5 Walnut St. in Melrose, MA 02176 and include your return address and the names of songs you want on the CD. If you scroll to the bottom of this page, there are two lists of available titles. The first includes original Nick Page compositions and the second is arrangements.

THE CHORAL MUSIC OF NICK PAGE

Baby Song of the Four Winds poem by Carl Sandburg, SA/piano

Was Ever a Dream a Drum? poem by Carl Sandburg, SA/piano

Stars, Songs, Faces poem by Carl Sandburg, SA/piano

To Be The First - in ragtime style

Explore, Dream Discover - in sea chanty style

When In Doubt, Tell the Truth - a country ditty

I. Theme: Preludium One in C Major (BMW 846) by J. S. Bach, descant by Nick Page

II. Variation One: Shalom/Salaam

III. Variation Two: When The Source of Power

IV. Variation Three In The Power of Love

V. Postlude Pacem

ABOUT NISKA BANJA: I first heard Niska Banja on a recording by Theodore Bikel and the Pennywhistlers on Electra Records from the late 60ıs (I think). The translation on the record was "How splendid are the hot springs of Nis! And how fine its ladies! Once and twice, and twice again, many times I kiss you." In 1986 I went to Yugoslavia. In a bar in Belgrade, I heard a Romani group performing. I requested Niska Banja and they all burst out laughing because I knew all the words but didnıt know all the hidden meanings. I sang it on stage with them, which was great fun. The language is neither Serbian nor Croatian (nor Serbo/Croatian). It is the Romani dialect of that region. The Romani people are the wandering gypsies who have spread their vibrant culture throughout Europe and the Americas. The roots of the Romani culture are in India and Pakistan. Much of their singing and dancing have roots in Qawwali singing (pronounced Kvah-lee) and Hindu dance. Over hundreds of years these gypsies spread through Eastern Europe with pockets all over. You hear the Gypsy music now with groups like the Gypsy Kings, but you also see their influence with flamenco dancing. Niska Banja is a dance. The rhythm, though unusual to Western ears, is very normal in Eastern Europe where 2+2+2+3 or 3+2+2 meters prevail in much of the music, both fast and slow. Mary Goetz, at Indiana University, did some research on the song. She said that it referred to the local women of Nis, a coastal city in Serbia, as being quite beautiful. The women would go up into the hills to bath in the hot springs. There they would be joined by men and they would kiss. Sometimes these men were not their husbands. You will want to edit this translation when doing the song with young people. Think of the song as a spirited song of romance ­ a dance. In fact, Mary Goetz, who believes in complete authenticity, has her students dance when they sing this. When I arranged the piece, my only attempt for authenticity was in the vocal parts which are as I sang them on stage in Belgrade. The piano part was inspired by the jazz guitar styles of Pat Metheny.

I. London Bridge (Two-Part Treble & Piano)
Theme and Variations in F. (Boosey & Hawkes M-051-47180-5) The first movement of the cantata, London Bridge, is a theme and variations (with major, minor, and lydian modalities) that plays with the contrasts I see in this simple song. Contrasts of happiness and sadness. The happy innocence of a delightful and very old children’s song and the sadness of what some believe to be its’ historical roots – the prison built on top of London Bridge. Correction: At ms. 36, it should slow down slightly. (ca. 2 min. 45 sec.)

II. Runaway Spoon Round (Two or Four-Part Treble & Piano)
A Round in G. (Boosey & Hawkes M-051-47175-1) Each movement of The Nursery Rhyme Cantata quotes the theme "London Bridge," sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes in quite obvious ways. "London Bridge" appears here and there in the piano part, mostly in sequenced fragments. "London Bridge" also appears in the top two vocal parts at the end, echoing the non-sensical nature of the "Hey Diddle Diddle" text, "London Bridge is a spoon." Performance Suggestion: Starting at ms. 25, sing it in two parts with groups 1 & 3 on the top part and 2 & 4 on the second part. Then do in four parts starting at ms. 46 with only group singing from ms. 46. Groups 2 & 4 finish the them with group two only coming in at ms. 50. Group 3 then comes in again at ms. 54 and group 4 at ms. 58. (ca. 2 min. 40 sec.)

III. Solomon Grundy (Unison or Two-Part Treble & Piano)
A Melodrama in F. (Boosey & Hawkes M051-47177-5) BE SURE TO ASK FOR THE SA VERSION, NOT THE SSAA VERSION Nursery Rhymes tell great stories in the fewest possible words as in the mini-saga of Solomon Grundy. The name "Solomon Grundy" is sung repeatedly, each time a little different. In Solomon Grundy, "London Bridge" is heard in brief snippets in the piano and in the taunting melody at the end. The voices may sing in unison or in two parts. Correction: At ms. 36, it should be suddenly softer, then back to mezzo forte with a cresc to the end. (ca. 1 min. 30 sec.) Note: The SA version is not as hard as the SSAA version.

IV. She Shall Have Music (Two-Part Treble & Piano)
A Choral Fantasy in E-flat. (Boosey & Hawkes OCTB6761)
There’s a story to She Shall Have Music. A young girl is riding on her play horse when her mother tells her, in no uncertain terms, to go to bed. But the little girl keeps riding her play horse except that it’s now a noble horse adorned with great finery and she is a noble Queen waving to her loyal subjects. As the piece grows in intensity, she begins to imagine dancing buildings and singing clouds. And then she must defend herself from a large purple dinosaur and other strange creatures. At the peak of this hysteria, her mother interrupts her to the tune of Rock-a-Bye Baby, telling her she must go to bed. Reluctantly, the little girl crawls into bed and pulls the covers over her. But in her mind, she is still on her noble horse, riding to Banburry Cross. And as distant bells (piano) lull her to sleep she sings her song of defiance, London Bridge, saying to herself, "I love you Mom, but you gotta’ stop being my boss," hence the crescendo in Treble II on the last note.

The three against two rhythms were inspired by the rhythms of the Mbira, the traditional thumb pianos from Zimbabwe. Performance Note: If you want, you can simplify these two against three rhythms. Have unison voices sing the quarter notes from both parts (as opposed to the dotted quarter note) from mms. 29 to 47, and the Treble II part only from ms. 65 to 70. Or do unison at ms. 33 on the top part, returning to two part at ms. 50. (ca.3 min 5 seconds)

V. A Little Curl (Two-Part Treble & Piano with optional Bass)
A Jazz/Blues in D. (Boosey & Hawkes M-051-47174-4) The outrageousness of A Little Curl stems from the outrageousness of the rhyme itself. "When she was good, she was good. But when she was bad, she was horrid." Not wishing to be unfair, I have added the verse, "There was a little lad, whose curl was all the fad." The entire melody of this piece is based on the theme "London Bridge." The theme is quite obvious in the blues section, but also appears throughout the piece in sequenced fragments. The theme appears in the piano’s walking bass line as well as the jazz chords of the right hand. Corrections: At ms. 39 there should be an eighth note rest on the third beat in the vocal part. The "Who me?" at ms. 85 should be spoken. (ca. 3 minutes 20 seconds)

VI. Old Mother Hubbard
(Male or Female Guest Soloist with Unison Treble Voices & Piano)
A Mini-Opera in E-flat. (Boosey & Hawkes M-051-47175-1) The word "parody," in a classical sense, refers to the honorable mimicking of a style, sometimes in a whimsical manner. In many ways, the entire Nursery Rhyme Cantata is a parody of various styles of music ranging from Baroque fugues to contemporary minimalism. Old Mother Hubbard is a parody of some twentieth century opera composers who shall remain nameless. As with all music drama, the emotions are highly exaggerated so that in going to her cupboard to fetch a bone, old Mother Hubbard becomes a tragic heroine – searching for meaning in this terribly sad world. The theme "London Bridge" appears as a comforting hymn in the background. Performance Note: The solo part should be sung by an adult in an exaggerated operatic voice. Corrections: At ms. 10, the C in the chorus part should be a D. At ms. 12, the B should be down an octave. The piano part at ms. 34 should be spelled G flat, D flat, G flat, C flat (from the bottom up). (ca. 1 min. 15 sec.)

VII. Fairest Lady (Unison Treble Voices with Descant & Piano)
A Lullaby in F. Boosey & Hawkes M-051-47179-9 The Nursery Rhyme Cantata ends with a simple lullaby, Fairest Lady. The words quote the old English lullaby "Golden Slumbers" that The Beatles also quoted on their Abbey Road album. In Fairest Lady, "London Bridge" appears in the descant part, but both A and B themes are also based on "London Bridge," the first in retrograde inversion (upside down and backwards) and the second in retrograde (backwards). The chord progression, I-IV-V/I-V, is frequently used in South African popular music – based on Solomon Linda’s song "Mbube" about a man courting a woman who is like a strong lioness – or in Zulu, an mbube. In North America, the song "Mbube" is known as "Wimoweh, The Lion Sleeps Tonight." (ca. 2 min. 55 sec.)

Bring out the drama of the Cantata; the insanity of cows jumping over moons; the nastiness of rude little children with their rude little curls; the pathos of a dog without a bone; the wild dream of a child riding a cockhorse to Banburry Cross; the short life of Mr. Grundy; and the loving lullaby for a fair little lady whose mother reassures her that London Bridge will fly away, fly away.

Mouth Peace I by Nick Page SA or SA/Piano Boosey & Hawkes This piece was inspired by the "Mouth Music" tradition of the Celtic countries where singers who couldn’t afford to buy instruments would sing the dance music using nonsense syllables instead. Nick Page plans to compose a series of Mouth Peace works using vocable traditions from around the world as a celebration of our diversity as well as our common themes. Mouth Peace I combines the West African "language of the drums" as taught by Baba Oluntunji with the Celtic Mouth Music and Jazz scat. (ca. 4 minutes)

Ten Short Pieces for Treble Voices and Piano by Nick Page
Commissioned by The Canterbury Childrenıs Chorus, Oklahoma City, OK. Merry Carol Spencer, Director Based on Poems From Ms. Johnson's Fifth Grade Class
at the Mark Twain School in Oklahoma City. Sandra Soli was the Poet-In-Residence, who inspired the children to write many wonderful poems.

I Used To Be A Riddle (but now I am a poem) Colors of The Sea, I Used To Be So Mean (but now I am so nice) What Is Sorrow? I Used To Be A Dragon (but now I am a piece of fire) My Angel Sings, I Used To Be A Number (but now I am number one) I Have A Rule, I Used To Be A Werewolf (but now I am a vampire) Howling At The Moon

MAGNIFICENCE a Creation Oratorio by Nick Page

PART ONE: THE UNIVERSE EVOLVED TO CREATE THE CHILD

Choral recitative: Brian Swimme Said . . . solo w/paino

A Child Is Born SATB (Published) (w/unpublished Treble descant) (Available from NP)

The Twinkle Twinkle Dialogues duet w/piano

Sing and Shine On SA w/piano (published)

Recitative: Buckminster Fuller Said . . . solo w/piano

God Is A Verb SATB w/piano, sax, flute, bass & percussion Text from Buckminster Fuller from "No More Second Hand God"

And Peace On Earth (from melodies by Handel & Beethoven) SATB w/piano, sax, flute, bass & percussion

PART TWO: COSMIC PLAY

The Laughing Buddha Ritual (Itıs Time To Fall In Love) solo & audience

Gwaza Universe for Audience and Chorus

Have You Ever Heard A Galaxy Giggle? for Treble Voices, piano, sax, bass & percussion

Gwaza Hallelujah! (with thanks to George Frederick Handel) for Audience and Chorus

Bacteria Blues (Iım a Single Cell Mama) for song leader, audience, Treble Chorus, piano, bass, sax & percussion

What, Where, Who, When, How, Why? for computer, chorus, & audience

PART THREE: FOUR LOVE SONGS

To Live Released (Love Song to the Self) Soprano solo w/piano

The River Goes (Love Song to the Waters) Alto solo with piano, bass, sax & flute

The Voice of The Light (Love Song To Creativity) Baritone solo w/piano

Healing Prayer (Love Song to God) Baritone solo with SATB, piano, bass, flute, sax, bass & audience (Text from the spiritual "Balm In Gilead")

PART FOUR: THREE SECRETS

Recitative: I have a secret about mountains solo w/piano

Love The Earth (published) SATB w/piano, drum & flute

Recitative: I have a secret about rocks solo w/piano

We The Living (The snail, the fish, the mammal, leaf ­ are Magnified) SATB SATB

Recitative: I have a secret about Love solo w/piano Fall In Love (Upon reflection, we see ourselves, Magnified) SATB, SATB, Treble descant, piano, sax, flute, bass & percussion

About MAGNIFICENCE by Nick Page 4/25/01

We humans have the capacity to feel - to feel with our hearts and minds and souls. For many, the most powerful feelings come from our connectedness to God or Creation or the Universe. Jews have many ways of describing this feeling. Christians have many ways of describing this feeling. Buddhists, Hindus, Earth Centered people, and humanists have many ways of describing this feeling. Even atheists have many ways of describing these feelings. There are infinite ways for humanity to express these feelings. My piece, "MAGNIFICENCE" is simply my naive attempt to find a language that is universal for these feelings. MAGNIFICENCE embraces our new scientific understanding of the universe and of life. Some scientists, in their attempt to describe this new understanding, have begun to sound downright theological. One scientist, Brian Swimme, was a primary inspiration for MAGNIFICENCE, particularly in his book The Universe is a Green Dragon. The more I learned about the universe and life, the more my faith in God was MAGNIFIED. The more I could feel (really feel) my connection to the stars, the more I felt Magnified in Glory. In his book, Brian Swimme made a call for artists, poets, composers, writers and other creative folk to give expression to their new understanding of the Universe. Taking a cue from Charles Ives, I first collected my thoughts in an essay called "Prelude to Magnificence," where I formed the eventual language of the piece - the use of diverse forms and styles of music - jazz, blues, classical, pop, and improvisational. MAGNIFICENCE was to have seven sections, beginning with "Be Like the Ocean" and ending with "Be Like the Universe." It became Wagnerian in itsı scope and is still evolving. The text gradually took shape - abstract words that were poetic reactions to the universe rather than descriptions of how things actually worked. The first of the new pieces was "A Child is Born - Magnified in Glory." Nick Page 4/25/01

RECIPES FOR LIFE for Youth (SATB) and Childrenıs Choirs w/piano & Orff
Instruments. Commissioned by All Soulıs Church of Tulsa. Poems written by members of the Youth Choirs.

Weave the Blue Quilt of Dreams

Mollyıs Recipe

Pasta of Life

Fly Like a Blues Guitar

Five Cups Acceptance

SONG ETERNAL based on a Shaker text. SSA w/piano

SOUL OF THE WORLD SATB, Band, Percussion Ensemble, Steel Drums, and Strings

CITY OF CHICAGO by Barry Moore Arr. by Nick Page SATB w/alto solo. Due to copyright restrictions, this arrangement will never be published. Itıs a moving Irish song about coming to America but still missing Ireland.

MY MOM WAS A WOMAN (and thatıs why I like them) by Sydney Carter Arr. by Nick Page TTBB w/Baritone solo Available from Nick Page

OLLY OLLY END FREE Children's Musical by Nick Page 1979

THE GIMME GIMMES Children's Musical by Nick Page 1978

ATTACK OF THE WINDMILLS Two Act Musical Comedy by Nick Page 1983

COMIC REQUIEM (SON OF FAUST) Oratorio by Nick Page 1975

Nick has hundreds of arrangements. Many of the arrangements of pieces for Chorus and Audience will be published in his song book SING WITH US

Original Choral Compositions Recordings

(See top for info on ordering recordings)

*A Child Is Born

A Promise I Will Keep

*And the Trees Stood Like Beautiful Buildings

*Ba Ba Do Ba

Bacteria Blues

Birthday Swing

Carl Sandburg Set

• *Baby Song Of The Four Winds

• *Was Ever a Dream a Drum?

• *Stars, Songs, Faces

Fall In Love

Galaxy Giggle

God Is A Verb

Gwaza Hallelujah

*Howling At The Moon

Laughing Buddha Ritual

*Life Is A Song

*Love The Earth

Minimalism

Nursery Rhyme Cantata

• *London Bridge
• *Runaway Spoon
• *A Little Curl
• *She Shall Have Music
• *Old Mother Hubbard
• *Solomon Grundy
• *Fairest Lady

Mark Twain Set

• To Be The First
• Explore, Dream, Discover
• When In Doubt, Tell The Truth

*Orpheus With His Lute Made Trees

Rilke Song

*Shout The Praise

*Sing And Shine On!

*The Seven Wonders (excerpt)

School Song

Star Island Waltz

There Something Sings

To Dream Again

To Live Released

Universe Gwaza

Voice of the Light (Shut Up)

We The Living

What Do You Love About Learning? (School Song)

We Pray (Healing Prayer)

Nick Page Choral Arrangements Recordings

A Stop Along the Way

Ale Brider

All Mixed Up

And Peace On Earth

Athina

Bashana

*Building Bridges

City Of Chicago

Dancing Mountains

Ellington Sacred Set

Ainıt But the One

Donıt Get Down On Your Knees Until You Have Forgiven Everyone

Freedom (Sweet Fat & That)

Freedom #7

Freedom, Word You Heard

In the Beginning God

Earth Shalom

Eli Eli

Gabrielıs Highway Ballad #16 Blues

Go Where I Send Thee

Hamisha Asar

Happiness Runs/59th St. Bridge Song

Holly And The Ivy

How Can I Keep From Singing?

I Saw The Light

Itıs Another Dayıs Journey

Jin-go-lo-ba

Lennon Loves

*Life Is Like a Mountain Railroad

Lonesome Valley

Maculele

My Mom Was a Woman

*NıKosi Sikelelıi Afrika

Nign

*Niska Banja

One World/One Love

Peace Is

Save The Country

Sing Our Own Song

Sittinı In Limbo

Swimming to The Other Side

Thereıs Honey In The Rock

*Thula Klizeo

*Thula SıThandwa

This Land

Thulam, Thulam Mıntwana

Turn Around

Twisted

Voices

We Are Free

When Will The Fighting Cease?

William Tell Overture for Kazoos

Ya Hadi Allah

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