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BROWSE OUR CATALOGUE AND MAKE AN ORDER |
| Melodious Accord, Inc. carries out part of its mission by making available recordings and educational materials that arise out of our work. The professional Musicians of Melodious Accord have made several acclaimed recordings; Alice Parker has written books and appeared in videos. This is the only place you can find them all together, along with teaching materials and some new educational recordings concerned with improving congregational hymn singing. Do support us with your purchases and contributions. |
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CDs and CASSETTE
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NEW! The Family Reunion.
Join us in this 'backyard opera', and let Grandfather, the Uncles and Aunts and all the children welcome you into their midst for this heart-warming festival of American folksong. Spirituals, children's games, a square dance and nostalgic home songs add up to a celebration of family life in which all may participate. Laugh and cry and sing along!
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NEW! Songs for Eve.
Alice Parker's setting of the Archibald MacLeish poem's Songs for Eve. This song cycle for vocal and string quartet features Jane Bryden, Lucy Shelton, John Aler and Bruce Fifer with the Manhattan String Quartet conducted by Alice Parker.
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O Sing the Glories.
This is a varied selection of anthems composed and/or arranged by Alice Parker over the last twenty-five years. Each one commissioned by an individual church, they run the gamut from a cappella quiet prayer through childlike simplicity to praise with trumpet and full organ. There are Biblical texts and folk hymns, as well as such familiar titles as Rejoice, the Lord is King and Lord Enthron'd in Heav'nly Splendor. Recorded in the Immanuel Lutheran Church in New York City, the Musicians of Melodious Accord have never sounded richer or more communicative.
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Listen, Lord. A new collection of spirituals arranged by Alice Parker, along with her cantata, Listen, Lord, based on texts by James Weldon Johnson and featuring contralto, Pamela Warrick-Smith. (Gothic G49219)
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My Love and I. Love songs from around the world arranged for male voices by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw. The Men of The Musicians of Melodious Accord and mezzo-soprano Jacqueline Pierce are featured in this collection of favorites from Gothic Records.
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King and the Duke: American Praise commemorates the 30th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Alice Parker's cantata A Sermon from the Mountain: Martin Luther King was commissioned following his assassination in April, 1968, as a tribute to Dr. King, featuring songs, spirituals and quotes from Dr. King's speeches, narrated here by Robert Shaw. Ellington: Songs from the Sacred Concerts is a set of four of Duke Ellington's sacred songs, brilliantly arranged by Alice Parker for soloists, chorus, strings, & jazz ensemble. Soloists include Eugene Perry, John Aler, Pamela Warrick-Smith, and Gail Blache-Gill, with strings and great jazz pianist Ron Metcalf.
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Sweet Manna: Early American Songs of Praise Exuberant fuging-tunes, melancholy laments and sprightly dances can be found in Hymnbooks published in New England between 1790 and 1830. Here they are skilfully re-worked by Alice Parker to echo the sounds of that day, and to provide delightful new-old materials for contemporary listening and singing. The Musicians of Melodious Accord join their voices to "fill our ears with praise."
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NEW SONG from OLD HYMNS is, like the recording described above, a demonstration of musical hymn singing. Available in cassette tape only.
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SING! a hymn sing: Congregational Song Series, #3 is a collection of Hymns with Alice Parker leading a congregation, demonstrating the transformation that occurs when the hymns are sung musically.
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Transformations includes Alice's cantata MELODIOUS ACCORD: thirteen wonderful shape note hymns arranged for chorus, harp, and brass quartet. In addition, there are three delightful suites of Appalachian Folk Songs, arranged by Alice for chorus with and without piano.
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Take me to the Water, where Pamela Warrick-Smith's gorgeous contralto voice shines with the chorus in these new spiritual settings arranged and conducted by Alice Parker.
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In Flowers of Joy, Pamela Warrick-Smith is heard in some of her own arrangements of gospel hymns, accompanied by our Musicians and the Inspiration Choir of Riverside Church.
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| VIDEOS: |
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Folksong Transformations. Singing and Responding to Folksongs: A Primer for Improvisation. Alice Parker guides singers as they learn and respond to different folksongs. The musical materials are folk-songs and folk-hymns from all over the world. The first step is learning to sing them by rote, for ear values rather than eye values. Then the groups of two to five, the students, learn to try different 'answers' against the learned melody, gradually becoming proficient in trusting their ears and voices to keep them going. The companion songbook (see below) may be ordered separately.
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Yes, We'll Gather! shows Alice working with a group of Mennonites in Indiana. exploring old and new hymns. If you've ever participated in one of her hymn sings, you'll want this video. 48 minutes.
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When We Sing, conversations with Alice Parker and Friends, is a compilation of memorable moments from two MELODIOUS ACCORD Symposia, in 1992 and 1993. The participants include Carl P. Daw, Kenneth Nafziger, Don E. Saliers, Joelle Wallach, Brian Wren and others. Great hymn talk! 30 minutes.
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The Reason Why We Sing is designed to make everyone aware of the power of song. Singing is worshipping. Here's how singing sounds and looks in different churches and settings. Alice Parker helps us rediscover the vitality of the people's song. 20 minutes. | |
| BOOKS: |
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NEW! The Anatomy of Melody The fruit of Alice Parker's many years of teaching, this book suggests a new way of listening, analyzing, performing and appreciating music, based on the single line that each one of us can sing. It forms the basis of her own composing, arranging and teaching, and would be an excellent basic textbook for theory, appreciation, composition, music education and general music classes. |
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NEW! Reflections on Song: My Musical World A collection of Alice Parker's thoughtful and thought-provoking editorials from the Melodious Accord Newsletter 1985-2005. |
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NEW! The View from Here: Living in Hawley Alice Parker's observations on life, nature and weather at her home in this rural community in the hills of Western Massachusetts. |
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Alice Parker's Hand-Me-Down Songs. Thirty five delightful songs that every child and family should know and sing together. Edited by James Heiks with charming illustrations by Thomas B. Allen and an introduction by Alice Parker. |
Folksong Transformations. Singing and Responding to Folksongs: A Primer for Improvisation is the companion songbook to the new video. Alice describes it as a comnpanion volume to Creative Hymn Singing, this one based on secular songs. These tunes are the ones she has used over and over in her 'Folksong Sings', and should be in the repertoire of all song lovers.
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Melodious Accord: Good Singing in Church expresses Alice's philosophy in language that both musicians and congregational singers can understand. (temporarily out of print)
Creative Hymn Singing gives specific instructions for finding the style and sound of hymns from different historical periods.
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