Product Description
Sounds like: Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, Vince Guaraldi, Liz Story's "The Gift", George Winston's "December", early Windham Hill solo piano artists, and "A Winter's Solstice" compilations.
Transcribed by: David Shenton (
https://www.shentonmusic.com/ ) verbatim to the sound recording
Contents:
1. Bring A Torch (Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella)
2. Children Go Where I Send Thee / The Holly & The Ivy
3. Star Of Wonder (We Three Kings of Orient Are)
4. Silent (Silent Night, Holy Night)
5. Midnight (It Came Upon the Midnight Clear)
6. What Child Is This?
7. Greensleeves (homage to Liz Story)
8. Three Ships (I Saw Three Ships, Come Sailing In)
9. The Coventry Carol (Lully, Lulla, Lullay)
10. Sing We Now Of Christmas (Noël Nouvelet)
11. Carol Of The Bells
Album & Songbook review by: Kathy Parsons (MainlyPiano.com):
I have discovered a real wealth of great solo piano Christmas CDs this year! Isadars In Search For the Meaning of Christmas
definitely falls into this category! Thoughtful, introspective, and a
bit moody, Isadars arrangements are true to the carols (with some small
melody changes in "Bring a Torch" and "Carol of the Bells" that bother
me just a little) and still seem very personal. "Bring a Torch", "The
Holly and the Ivy", and "I Saw Three Ships" are given a lighthearted,
joyful treatment. "Star of Wonder (We Three Kings)", "What Child Is
This?", "The Coventry Carol", and "Sing We Now of Christmas" are all
minor, somber, reverent pieces, and all four are given loving
arrangements that keep the dark, mysterious nature of the songs and
reflect Isadars own sensibilities. "Carol of the Bells" and Isadar's take on Liz Storys
arrangement of "Greensleeves" are energetic without losing all abandon.
"Silent Night" and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" present us with a
very cold, deep solitude - both feel like late night with moonlight
reflecting off the snow. Both are moody, but very beautifully so. George
Winstons "December" is one of my all-time favorite holiday albums, and
I feel In Search For the Meaning of Christmas holds up exceptionally well next to it. This is an excellent collection of Christmas music, and I highly recommend it!
In Search For the Meaning of Christmas is the
companion songbook to Isadars 1999 solo piano release by the same name.
Meticulously transcribed note-for-note by
David Shenton of
New York
Music Publishing, the music is faithful to the recording in every way
(except for the pianist - YOU!). The scores are clear, concise, and easy
to read, and also include chord indications for improvisation or the
use of instruments other than or in addition to the piano. Isadars
arrangements cover a whole range of emotions, from very dark and somber
to joyful and buoyant. All of the pieces from the CD are here, including
Isadars homage to
Liz Story and her beautiful version of
"
Greensleeves." My personal favorites of the eleven songs in this book
are the bright and cheerful "
Bring A Torch," "
What Child Is This?",
"
Greensleeves," the darkly gorgeous "
The Coventry Carol," and "
Sing We
Now of Christmas." Other titles that I really lik
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.