Yesterday marked the last event for my Rockford Aces this school year – an end-of-the-year party. To celebrate a successful year with them, I’m sharing here our rep list from the year. The Aces endeavor to sing in as many musical styles as possible each year, with no discrimination except quality of music. In that spirit, the entire list is organized alphabetically, as in our folders (except music for Christmas, which goes at the end…)
I’ve provided links to audio/video and the publisher information wherever available.
Intermediate. Choral arrangement of the sea shanty. Written with piano/guitar accompaniment but can be done a cappella with minimal adjustment.
Big Bad World (Anders Edenroth) [Audio]
Advanced. Originally written for The Real Group, it’s a funky, fun 6-part that Edenroth adapted for the men’s choir Orphei Drangar. Several singers’ favorite piece this year.
Bona Nox! bist a rechta Ox (Mozart K.561, my edition) [Video]
Intermediate. 4-part canon by Mozart. The semi-exuprgated text, used here, translates in part, “Good night – you are as lovely as an ox…Rest well and stay perfectly rotund.” In my edition I have added a coda for live performance.
Eleanor Rigby – MANUSCRIPT (Lennon/McCartney, Arr. Mitchell Todd)
Intermediate. A fun arrangement. One of the first arrangements by Todd and the first time the Rockford Aces have premiered a piece by a current student.
Everything – MANUSCRIPT (Michael Bublé et al., Arr. Jed Scott) [Video]
Intermediate. A smooth pop tune from Bublé, given the a cappella treatment. It appeared on our first album, Unaccompanied Minors.
Good Old A Cappella (Carter/Nevada, Arr. Deke Sharon & Anne Raugh) [Video]
Primary. An a cappella standard.
In Girum Imus Nocte – MANUSCRIPT (Anders Edenroth)
Advanced. This five part + solo piece is a remarkable setting of a Latin palindromic riddle. Some days my favorite part is the bass rhythmic pedal under changing harmonies above, and sometimes it is the nearly-two-octave melody that visits 11/12 chromatic notes (no D). In any case, it’s devilishly hard and remarkably crafted. Edenroth also wrote this for Orphei Drangar and we believe this was the North American premiere.
In The Still Of The Night (Fred Parris, Arr. Ed Lojeski)
Primary/Intermediate. An a cappella standard.
Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho (Traditional Spiritual, Arr. Stacey V. Gibbs)
Intermediate/Advanced. Stacey V. Gibbs wrote a barn-burner setting of this Spiritual – really fun writing to dig into.
Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons, Arr. Deke Sharon) [Video]
Intermediate. We recorded this on the album that just came out. It’s a straight-up contemporary a cappella version by Deke Sharon. For our Aces concert we performed this with about 50 middle school students singing the melody. Fun!
The Longest Time (Billy Joel, Arr. Roger Emerson)
Intermediate. The Aces sing this faithful transcription every year.
My Romance – MANUSCRIPT (Rodgers & Hart, Arr. Gene Puerling) [Video]
Advanced. Gene Puerling, one of the greatest vocal writers of the 20th Century, wrote this amazing setting of the Rodgers & Hart song. It’s harmonically complex and oh-so-rewarding to sing.
Prayer of the Children (Kurt Bestor, Arr. Andrea S. Klouse)
Intermediate. A beautiful choral piece written in response to the Bosnian War in the mid-1990’s. Favorite piece for several Aces.
Runaround Sue – MANUSCRIPT (Maresca & DiMucci, Arr. Jed Scott) [Video]
Intermediate. Also on our new album, a setting of the great Dion pop tune of 1961, with a few interpolations from Justin Bieber. Fun to sing and always brings the house down.
Runaway Baby – MANUSCRIPT (Bruno Mars et al., Arr. Jed Scott) [Video]
Intermediate. Requires a virtuoso tenor soloist, and gives the guys a chance to dance a little a la Bruno Mars.
Stand By Me – MANUSCRIPT (Ben E. King, Arr. Jed Scott)
Intermediate. We always close our concerts with this Ben E. King standard, with our alums joining us onstage.
Two Coins – MANUSCRIPT (Dispatch, Arr. The Friars)
Primary. A mellow pop tune transcribed long ago from a U of M Friars album. Fun to sing and easy to learn.
Christmas Medley – MANUSCRIPT (Various, Arr. Richard Gregory – Manuscript) [Video]
Advanced. An arrangement I wish I had written.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (Traditional, Arr. Kelly J. Turner)
Intermediate/Advanced. A clever and effective interpolation of the classic carol into 7/8 time (mostly).
Go, Tell It On the Mountain (Traditional, Arr. Vijay Singh)
Intermediate. A Gospel/Jazz version of this Christmas tune. Sadly out of print now, but I bet Vijay could help you get a copy.