What wondrous love is this?

Merseysider · Post by **Merseysider** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:11 pm

Can anyone direct me towards "What Wondrous Love is this?" I've searched through quite a few collections this morning and can't find it. Want to arrange it for wind and voices for Holy Week. Only versions on the net are sound files.

docmattc · Post by **docmattc** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:18 pm

Its available as part of Marty Haugen's "What wondrous love" collection

johnquinn39 · Post by **johnquinn39** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:43 pm

Merseysider wrote:Can anyone direct me towards "What Wondrous Love is this?" I've searched through quite a few collections this morning and can't find it. Want to arrange it for wind and voices for Holy Week. Only versions on the net are sound files.

This is also available in "Music for Holy Week and Easter" - McCrimmon 2001and "Celebration Hymnnal for Everyone" - McCrimmon 1994

Dot · Post by **Dot** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:34 pm

Try this
I once arranged these words and took the arrangement to Composers' Group. It got the thumbs down, but then Daniel Bath arrived late, jazzed up my accompaniment, and breathed new life into it. Interesting to hear the original tune for the first time.

Happy arranging, M

Merseysider · Post by **Merseysider** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:53 pm

Many thanks for all replies.
M

mcb · Post by **mcb** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:57 pm

Hey, I don't remember the thumbs down! On the contrary, there were suggestions on how to spice up the accompaniment, which I took to be a sign that we liked it. It takes a Daniel to be able to sit there and do it rather than just describe it, which is what you got from the rest of us. :-)

M.

Dot · Post by **Dot** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 4:11 pm

Maybe thumbs down was my own reaction to hearing it live for the first time. I'm not implying that it was heavily criticised, but you just get that feeling.....
Composers' Group is the best place to try out your music, and it is very friendly isn't it, mcb?

There's another meeting coming up next weekend in Wellingborough. See here for details, except directions. If you want them, pm ssgcgs on this Forum.

Dot (a fan of the Composers' Group!)

ssgcgs · Post by **ssgcgs** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 3:07 pm

No, don't pm me for directions - they're on the website - it's just that it doesn't say explicitly "Directions"; you have to click on the place name, Wellingborough Nothants to access them.

It's good to hear that Composers' Group has a fan, Dot; any more out there?

CG Sec

musicus · Post by **musicus** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:42 am

ssgcgs wrote:It's good to hear that Composers' Group has a fan, Dot; any more out there? CG Sec

Yes - it's good to know there are one or two.

John Ainslie · Post by **John Ainslie** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:23 am

Reply to Merseyrider: send an email to john.ainslie@ssg.org.uk and I'll send you a PDF of an arrangement of 'What wondrous love'.

Vox Americana · Post by **Vox Americana** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:27 pm

ssgcgs wrote:It's good to hear that Composers' Group has a fan, Dot; any more out there?

Sure got a large response to that one, ssgcgsâ€¦ sounds like you and Dot'll have a real lonely meeting Saturday. :wink:

I sure do hope there're more people there'n just you!

After, why don't you post here and let us know how it went?

ssgcgs · Post by **ssgcgs** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 5:24 pm

Appreciate the inquiry Vox A, even if it was tongue in cheek.
OK, one week later....

We had a healthy turnout at our meeting last Saturday. Our guest tutor, Robert Walker, led a group of eight in his morning workshop and five of us remained to present pieces in the afternoon plus one to observe. There was not really sufficient time to discuss one piece from each of us, but we crammed them all in. The principles taught in the morning were applied in the afternoon in one of the most informative meetings I've attended.

In the morning we discussed the meaning of "composition", deciding that it did not rely so much upon a bolt of inspiration as a conscious construction of intervals, rhythms etc. We did an exercise where we generated a melody on the pentatonic scale in a random way and then constructed our own opening phrase and tweaked the random melody into an answering phrase. We were making the music work for us and generally obtaining a pleasing result from something that many of us disliked initially (on first hearing the randomly generated phrase).

We also studied a choral composition by RW, to illustrate how few elements are needed to build a relatively short work (a few minutes long).
There were perhaps only two elements to the melody and one harmonic modulation pattern used repeatedly. The choir and organ would exchange ideas in places to add integrity. It was really good, a lovely piece, but I must be boring you if you weren't there. More details of Robert and his work on his website

In the afternoon, the composers who presented pieces received a fairly critical analysis of their work. This can be very disconcerting but, done by someone who is clearly trying to lead you on to better things, it is inspiring. I hope that none of our contributors were too taken aback by the experience. I firmly believe we need more of this for Composers' Group. It was not the most comfortable session but it was most informative. I have gone away and tweaked mine and feel happier about it than I did before.

Final thought. We have been lucky within the last year to engage three professionals at CG meetings - James MacMillan, Colin Mawby and Robert Walker. We need more people like these but we cannot incur great expense hiring "Names" that the SSG cannot afford. Does anyone out there have any ideas on whom we could ask to lead a meeting, or at least attend?

Very final thought. It was Helen Murphy who made the contacts necessary to engage both James MacMillan and Robert Walker. A big public thank-you to her.

CG Sec
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