BRAND-NEW SINGLE “OK AGAIN” RELEASED! OK AGAIN – Lyric Video Available on all streaming platforms! https://amygordonmusic.hearnow.com CREDITS: Vocals, Lyrics, & Arrangement: Amy Gordon Recording & Mixing: Katsuya Sezaki Album Artwork: Ari Stultz
Program Note: This simple melody was composed to inspire change through the art of singing. The melody can be sung completely in unison in any octave comfortable for the singers. It can also be performed as a round, with each entrance 2 measures apart (see * for entrance points). Repeat as many times as desired. Feel free to close the round by all singing the melody in unison. There is an alternate verse that can be used as a round to inspire people to create change through voting. Feel free to adjust the lyrics of lines 1 and 4 to suit similar situations calling people to action.
Please report any performances or virtual choir broadcasts to amygordonmusic@gmail.com
Continue reading A Round for ChangeThe music and lyrics of In the Morning began as an original song that Amy Gordon, the composer, wrote when she was 17 in 2004. It was then arranged for Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, & Piano for her undergraduate recital at Loyola Marymount University in 2008. In this arrangement, In the Morning has been adapted for SATB Choir & Piano. The hope is that this text about finding strength in the midst of hardship will bring some comfort during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis that has rattled the entire world, including the choral world.
This arrangement would be suitable for any level of SATB Choir and would fit well into a concert about hope and triumph in the midst of trying times.
JANUARY started off with a commission from Dr. Joesph Ohrt for the Central Bucks High School-West Choir of Doylestown, PA. This was an exciting project for me because I had the chance to collaborate with poet, Charles Anthony Silvestri, who has written the texts for some of my favorite choral composers such as Eric Whitacre. … Continue reading My 2019 Year in Review
Mars in Retrograde, commissioned by Kat Anderson and dedicated to The Los Angeles Belles, is a 3-part vocalise for SSA and Piano based on planetary motion and gravitational orbits. The voices represent the orbits of the planets (S1 as Venus, S2 as Earth, and Alto as Mars) around the sun, which is represented by the Piano. Each planet (voice) has a distinct repeating rhythmic pattern whose length corresponds to each planet’s sidereal period (how long it takes the planet to fully orbit around the sun). The repeating rhythmic pattern uses the musical technique of isorhythm, where a repeating rhythmic pattern (called the talea) is combined with separate pitch material (called the color). Venus’s sidereal period is roughly .616 Earth years, corresponding to a 7.5 measure talea. Earth’s sidereal period is 1 Earth year, corresponding to a 12 measure talea (based on the 12 months in a year). Mar’s sidereal period is roughly 1.9 Earth years, corresponding to a 22.75 measure talea. The rhythmic activity increases until the mid-point of each talea, after which the rhythmic value decreases again. This represents how planets increase in speed as they approach their closest point to the sun (perihelion) and decrease in speed as they approach the farthest point from the sun (aphelion).
The entire piece is tuned to the fundamental of Bb, as the lowest recorded note in the universe is a black hole that vibrates at a Bb 57 octaves below Middle C. The piece exclusively uses the Bb Lydian Dominant scale, also referred to as the acoustic scale, which can be created by assembling the first 12 partials of the overtone series based on the fundamental of Bb.
We Three Kings is a traditional Christmas Carol telling the story of three Magi who followed a star to Bethlehem, leading them to the infant Jesus. This arrangement, commissioned by Jonathan Bautista and dedicated to Nova Vocal Ensemble, features a modern reharmonization and an original motive (introduced in the tenors’ first three notes) that is woven throughout the entire piece. Each choir part is featured throughout the arrangement, with verses being sung by sopranos, altos, and tenors. The original motive is passed between the parts in a contrapuntal texture, making this a good arrangement for any choir looking for fun interplay and hocket-like textures.
This arrangement would fit well in any holiday-themed concert, Festival of Lessons and Carols, or sacred Christmas and/or Epiphany service.
Continue reading We Three KingsNEW SUMMER SHOWS! Here are a few highlights of my upcoming summer performances: Sat July 22nd at 7pm at The Coffee House Gallery in Altadena: The Los Angeles Belles will be performing a few of my pieces, including “Shadows“. More info here. Sunday July 30th at 4pm at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glendale: The Los … Continue reading July 19th, 2017
I am very excited to announce that my a cappella piece “A Boat Beneath A Sunny Sky” will be performed at Disney California Adventure on Monday, August 17th 2015 by the wonderful Nova Vocal Ensemble! You can listen to the piece before the fun begins at Disneyland!
The beginning of the Holiday season is upon us! I wanted to fill you all in on some awesome highlights from the last few months: 1) The song I co-wrote with my friend Erin Pearson called “Ain’t Where I Belong” is on her new album “Get Your Answers”. She recorded the song with top Nashville session players … Continue reading November 9th, 2014
MY NEW MUSIC VIDEO IS DONE!! Check out the brand-new music video for “Waiting on Go! Please watch, comment, and share!!