SEA-106-00 - SHEET MUSIC $5.00 A Perfect Circle for 3-5 octaves of handbells and 3-4 octaves of handchimes Elizabeth Alexander Seafarer Press
Everything Everything I see, hear, touch, feel, taste speak, think, imagine, is completing a perfect circle God has drawn. Daniel Ladinsky, rendered from Meister Eckhart Copyright by Daniel Ladinsky. Reprinted by permission. Elizabeth Alexander grew up in the Carolinas and Appalachian Ohio. Her love of words nearly eclipses her love of music a passion reflected in her over 100 songs and choral works, which have received thousands of performances worldwide. A recent McKnight Fellow, she has received awards and fellowships from the Jerome Foundation, New York Council on the Arts, Wisconsin Arts Board, National Orchestral Association, International League of Women Composers, and American Composers Forum. Elizabeth lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she makes pretty good biscuits, looks for all kinds of excuses to visit her two grown sons, and gardens during the three month period in Minnesota which is not winter. Illustration of snail shell from Systematischer Bilder-Atlas zum Conversations-Lexikon, Ikonographische Encyklopaedie der Wissenschaften und Kuenste (Brockhaus, Leipzig). 1844
A Perfect Circle (Handbells and Hand Chimes) Handchimes used: optional 2 Handbells used: optional optional 4-octave and 5-octave handbell choirs (i.e. choirs with the highest octave of bells) omit notes inside brackets [ ]. Commissioned by the Faith Partners Program * A Perfect Circle for 3-5 octaves of handbells and 3-4 octaves of handchimes Flowing (q = 88-92) 4 4 p 2 3 Elizabeth Alexander 4 5 6 * Faith Partners is underwritten by the American Composers Forum with funds provided by The Otto Bremer Foundation. Seafarer Press / SEA-106-00
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Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret & George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous web designer B Scott Bates, poet B Abbie Betinis, composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael devernon A Boblett, poet B Ray Bradbury, writer B Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey, poet B Emily LOT Dickinson, OF poet B Evelyn HARD Dudley, poet B Rob WORK & Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher, CREATIVITY composer/teacher B Paul Gerike, proofreader B Steve Harper, technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web designer B Edie Hill, composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa, composer/teacher B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet B Jonathan Machen, artist B Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet B J. David Moore, composer/colleague B Joan Wolf Prefontaine, WENT poet B Gerald Rich, INTO poet B Carl Sandburg, BRINGING poet B King Sigismund III, religious reformer B Steven Stucky, composer/teacher B Rabindranath Tagore, poet B Howard Thurman, civil rights leader/writer B John Greenleaf Whittier, poet B Theodore Chickering Williams, poet B Daniel Winter, pianist/teacher B Nancy Wood, poet B Yehudi THIS Wyner, composer/teacher MUSIC B Paul TO YOU... Adams, technical advisor B Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret & George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous web designer B Scott Bates, poet B Abbie Betinis, composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael devernon Boblett, poet B Ray Bradbury, writer B Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey, poet B Emily Dickinson, poet B Evelyn Dudley, poet B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher, composer/teacher B Paul Gerike, proofreader B Steve Harper, technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web designer B Edie Hill, composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa, composer/teacher B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet B Jonathan Machen, artist B Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet B J. David Moore, composer/colleague B Joan Wolf Prefontaine, poet B Gerald Rich, poet B Carl Sandburg, poet B King Sigismund III, religious reformer B Steven Stucky, composer/teacher B Rabindranath Tagore, poet B Howard Thurman, civil rights leader/writer B John Greenleaf Whittier, poet B Theodore Chickering Williams, poet B Daniel Winter, pianist/teacher B Nancy Wood, poet B Yehudi Wyner, composer/teacher B Paul Adams, technical advisor B Opal Palmer Adisa, poet B Margaret & George Alexander, parents B Yehuda Amichai, poet B Bjorn Arneson, generous web...and designer B Scott SOME Bates, poet OF B Abbie IT Betinis, composer/colleague B Dennis Blubaugh, music dealer B Michael devernon Boblett, poet B Ray Bradbury, writer B Norbert Capek, visionary B e. e. cummings, poet B Philip Dacey, poet WAS B Emily Dickinson, EVEN poet B MINE. Evelyn Dudley, poet B Rob Eller-Isaacs, minister/writer B Sophia Lyon Fahs, writer B Richard M. Fewkes, writer B Pesha Gertler, poet B Richard S. Gilbert, minister/writer B Jack Gallagher, composer/teacher B Paul Gerike, proofreader B Steve Harper, technical advisor B Steve Hawkins, generous web designer B Edie Hill, composer/colleague B Langston Hughes, poet B Mark Humphrey, piano technician B Karel Husa, composer/teacher B Kalidasa, poet B Garrison Keillor, storyteller B Denise Levertov, poet B George Ella Lyon, poet B Jonathan Machen, artist B Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet B J. David Moore, composer/colleague B Joan Wolf Prefontaine, poet B Gerald Rich, poet B Carl Sandburg, poet B King THIS PAGE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. (YOU KNOW WHY.) A COMPLETE PERUSAL COPY MAY BE PURCHASED FROM ELIZABETH ALEXANDER AT Seafarer Press www.seafarerpress.com
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Selected Choral Music by Elizabeth Alexander April Rain Song (Langston Hughes) SATB............................................... SEA-006-01 Before the Bread (English folk prayer) SSSS............................................... SEA-023-00 Blessed Be the Flower That Triumphs (Michael devernon Boblett) SATB....................... SEA-078-00 Cherish Your Doubt (Alexander) SATB & piano / SSAA & piano................... SEA-063-01 / SEA-063-02 Climb (Edna St. Vincent Millay) SATB & piano............................................ SEA-059-00 Dragon Dance (Elizabeth Alexander) S & piano............................................ SEA-001-00 Die Gedanken Sind Frei (15 5h century German protest song, arr.) SATB & piano.................. SEA-087-00 The Earth Called To My Friend (Nancy Wood) SSA & piano................................. SEA-057-00 Even a Fist Was Once an Open Palm (Yehuda Amichai) SATB............................... SEA-026-01 Faith Is the Bird That Feels the Light (Rabindranath Tagore) SSA............................. SEA-068-00 Fighting Over What We Believe (Alexander) SAB youth choir, SATB & piano................... SEA-099-00 Finally On My Way To Yes (Pesha Gertler) SSATB & piano.................................. SEA-019-00 Folks, I m Telling You (Langston Hughes) SSATB & piano................................... SEA-027-00 For So the Children Come (Sophia Fahs) SATB & piano..................................... SEA-010-00 Glen Song (Scott Bates) SSATB & piano.................................................. SEA-025-00 Go Out! (John Murray) SATB & piano................................................... SEA-081-00 I Write This Poem Out of Darkness (George Ella Lyon) SSA, flute, violin & piano................ SEA-024-00 If You Can Walk You Can Dance (Zimbabwean Proverb) SAB & piano / TTB & piano.. SEA-022-03 / SEA-022-05 Immortal Love (John Greenleaf Whittier) SATB............................................ SEA-017-00 Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (arr. Polish carol) SSA.......................................... SEA-020-00 The Journey (Evelyn Dudley) TTBB / SATB................................... SEA-075-00 / SEA-075-01 Jump! (Ray Bradbury) SSA & string quartet............................................... SEA-090-00 Life is not a Garden (Alexander) SATB & piano........................................... SEA-064-00 May This Be a Working Alleluia (Alexander) Children s choir, SATB & piano (opt. flute & trumpets). SEA-098-00 Morning Bread (Amy Lowell) SATB.................................................... SEA-060-00...or a musician (Philip Dacey) SATB & orchestra........................................... SEA-007-00 A Palette To Paint Us As We Are (Gerald Rich) SA & piano / SATB & piano......... SEA-014-00 / SEA-014-01 Praise Wet Snow Falling Early (Denise Levertov) SATB & piano SEA-015-00 Reasons for the Perpetuation of Slavery (Alexander) SSAA.................................. SEA-091-00 Spring Grass (Carl Sandburg) SATB..................................................... SEA-006-03 They Have Freckles Everywhere (Alexander) SSAA & piano................................. SEA-076-00 Those Who Wish To Sing Always Find a Song (Swedish proverb) SSS, oboe & piano.............. SEA-022-01 To Make a Prairie (Emily Dickinson) SSA & piano......................................... SEA-016-00 Tomorrow, God Willing (Garrison Keillor) TTBB.......................................... SEA-077-00 Trust the Seeds (Alexander) SATB...................................................... SEA-009-00 We Lift Up Our Hearts (Richard Fewkes) Children s choir, SATB & piano...................... SEA-021-00 We Remember Them (Sylvan Kamens & Jack Riemer) SATB & piano.......................... SEA-083-01 Where There Is Light in the Soul (Chinese proverb) SAB/SATB................... SEA-070-00 / SEA-070-01 When the Song of the Angels Is Stilled (Howard Thurman) SSAA / TTBB............ SEA-062-04 / SEA-062-02 Why I Pity the Woman Who Never Spills (Joan Wolf Prefontaine) SSAA....................... SEA-058-00 CD: Finally On My Way To Yes Award-winning choral works by Elizabeth Alexander............. SEA-CD-001 For more information about these and over 100 other choral pieces, visit: Seafarer Press ~ www.seafarerpress.com