When I Scan the Nighting Sky
for SATB and keyboard
text by John Floyd Campbell
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When I scan , When I scan the nighting sky,
When I scan , When I scan the nighting sky .
When I scan the nighting sky I wonder, I wonder,
Could it be an angel’s spell I’m under?, I’m under?
When I gaze at stars up high I wonder, I wonder,
It must be an angel’s spell I’m under, I’m under.
Slings and arrows come our way, ev’ry day,
Before we go to sleep each night, sleep each night,
Before we sleep we close our eyes and pray,
Close our eyes and pray.
When I scan the nighting sky I wonder, I wonder,
And watch a night hawk soaring high, wings flutter,
And when I gaze into your eyes
I know that it’s an angel’s spell I’m under,
I’m under, I’m under, I’m under.
When I scan , When I scan the nighting sky.
Agnus Dei (from Missa Brevis)
for SATB
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Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
Miserere nobis,
Agnus Dei, Dona nobis pacem.
The Girl From Ballinascarthy
for SATB, piano
from Voices from Fell’s Point, 1934
text by John Floyd Campbell
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Jack O’Leary met a girl from Ballinascarthy,
Jack O’Leary met a girl from Ballinascarthy,
That the winds had shifted for young Jack needed no clarity,
The day Jack met the pretty girl from Ballinascarthy.
All agreed she was the prettiest girl in Ballinascarthy,
All agreed she was the prettiest girl in Ballinascarthy,
The truth of this was plain to see, there was not secrecy,
All agreed she was the prettiest girl in Ballinascarthy.
Jack danced a gig with the bonny girl from Ballinascarthy,
Jack danced a gig with the bonny girl from Ballinascarthy,
Although his feet disproved his claim of dance proficiency,
He danced a gig with the bonny girl from Ballinascarthy.
Jack O’Leary kissed the girl from Ballinascarthy,
Jack O’Leary kissed the girl from Ballinascarthy,,
Courting girls was not a thing he did too frequently,
Jack O’Leary kissed the girl from Ballinascarthy,
Jack wept the day he wed the girl from Ballinascarthy,
Jack wept the day he wed the girl from Ballinascarthy,
To know how much he loved that girl took no brilliancy,
Jack wept the day he wed the girl from Ballinascarthy.
Jack and her had two in tow in Ballinascarthy,
Jack and her had two in tow in Ballinascarthy,
No one ever expressed surprise at her maternity,
Jack and her had two in tow in Ballinascarthy.
Soldiers took young Jack away from Ballinascarthy,
Soldiers took young Jack away from Ballinascarthy,
The show of guns and sharpened swords inspired his loyalty,
Jack left his joy and happiness in Ballinascarthy.
Say a prayer for the pretty girl from Ballinascarthy,
And shed a tear for the two in tow in Ballinascarthy,
Jack’s wat’ry bed is deep below the chilling Northern Sea,
He’ll ne’er return to the ones he loved in Ballinascarthy.
Alleluia
kor SATB
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Dreams
for SATB, piano, alto sax (or flute), and string bass
Poem by Cecil Francis Alexander (1818-1895)
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Beyond, beyond the mountain line,
the greystone and the boulder,
Beyond the growth of dark green pine
that crowns its western shoulder,
There lies that fairy land of mine,
unseen of a beholder.
Its fruits are all like rubies rare,
Its streams are clear as glasses.
There golden castles hang in air,
And purple grapes in masses,
And noble knights and ladies fair
Come riding down the passes.
Ah me! they say if I could stand
Upon those mountain ledges,
I should but see on either hand,
Plain fields and dusty hedges,
And yet I know my fairy land
lies somewhere, lies somewhere,
somewhere,
lies somewhere o’er their edges.
Dream.
Johnny Coogan
for SATB and piano
text by John Floyd Campbell
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Down where the river bends toward the sun,
Lived Johnny Coogan with his dog and gun.
Late in the ev’nings lighted by the moon,
One could hear young Johnny shooting snakes and coon.
Doesn’t seem so long ago when Johnny came to town,
He bought a pick and shovel with no money down.
Late that very same night with no one else around,
Johnny laid poor Liza and the baby in the ground.
Hear the coyotes howling as we quietly weep,
Knowing that poor Johnny cries himself to sleep.
Now we feign our own sleep in the dead of night,
Knowing that poor Johnny kneels on the hill and weeps.
Knowing that poor Johnny kneels on the hill and weeps.
Down where the river bends toward the sun,
Lived Johnny Coogan with his dog and gun,
High on the hill where poor Liza would go to pray,
Johnny can be seen now dropping flowers on two graves,
Flowers on two graves.
Psalm 23
SATB and piano
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The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want;
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul. He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Still waters, He restores my soul,
Still waters, He restores my soul.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil; for Thou art with me;
thy rod and staff they comfort me.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil; for Thou art with me;
thy rod and staff they comfort me.
Thou prepares a table, a table
before me in the presence of my enemies, enemies.
Thou annointest my head with oil,
my cup runneth over,
Thou annointest my head with oil,
my cup runneth over,
my cup runneth over, runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me,
all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord,
the house of the Lord, the house of the Lord,
And I shall dwell in the house,
dwell in the house, dwell in the house,
And I shall dwell in the house,
shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.
When All the World is Young
for SATB and piano
Poem by Charles Kingsley (1819-1875)
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When all the world is young, lad, and all the trees are green;
And ev’ry goose a swan, lad, And ev’ry lass a queen;
Then hey for boot and horse, lad, and round the world away!
Young blood must have its course, lad, And ev’ry dog his day.
When all the world is old, lad, and all the trees are brown;
And all the sport is stale, lad, And all the wheels run down;
Creep home, and take your place there, the spent and maimed among;
God grant you find one face there, You loved when all was young.
When all was young, when all was young, when all was young,
Creep home, and take your place there, the spent and maimed among;
God grant you find one face there, You loved when all was young.
You loved when all was young.
One Life
for SATB, percussion, and keyboard
text by John Floyd Campbell
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One life to live, that’s all we are given,
One life to dream, to lay our hearts bare,
One voice to pray for the souls that are riven
by doubts and fears, one can see glassy-eyed stares.
We try to learn the best ways to survive,
We will pray for peace and a world where love will
conquer all the evil on this Earth.
On and on we spin,
We wander all the days of our lives.
One life to live, that’s all we are given,
One life to dream, to lay our hearts bare,
One voice to pray for the souls that are riven
by doubts and fears, one can see glassy-eyed stares.
We pray for hope, we pray for love,
We pray for peace and a world where love will
conquer all the evil on this Earth.
Grant us peace, Grant us peace. Amen.
Benedictus (from Missa Brevis)
for SATB and keyboard
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Benedictus qui venit, in nomine Domini.
Benedictus qui venit, in nomine Domini.
in nomine…
Benedictus qui venit, in nomine Domini.
Osanna, osanna, osanna, osanna in excelsis,
Osanna in excelsis, Osanna in excelsis,
Osanna in excelsis, Osanna in excelsis,
Osanna…
Osanna in excelsis, in excelsis,
in excelsis Deo.
Spinning
for SATB, piano
text by John Floyd Campbell
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As the earth spins ’round and ’round
And travels ’round the sun,
Nights and days turn into years,
Some things never change.
Grandad’s clock, it tics and tocs,
The cuckoo springs each hour,
We toss and turn in fright’ning dreams
that never seem to change.
Tic toc, we dream, tic toc,
Some things never change,
Tic toc, we dream, tic toc,
Some things never change.
Spinning, spinning,
some things never change,
Spinning, spinning,
some things never change.
‘Round and ’round we go…
Nations rise and nations fall
as centuries come and go,
And kings and queens rest in their tombs,
Some things never change.
As the Earth spins ’round and ’round,
And travels ’round the sun,
Nights and days turn into years,
some things never change.
All that’s changing.
All that’s changing,
Somehow stays the same,
Stays the same.
Today Will Someday Be a Long Time Ago
for SATB, piano
from Voices from Fell’s Point, 1934
text by John Floyd Campbell
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Today will someday be a long time ago,
A long time ago, it was you in my heart.
So we know that this day will be a long time ago,
A long time ago before we did part.
We stood tall like a ship at sea,
Rain or shine our flag waved unfurled,
But will this be our legacy,
That we thought we’d conquer the world?
Today will someday be a long time ago,
A long time ago, it was you in my heart.
So we know that this day will be a long time ago,
A long time ago before we did part.
We were young and we were bold,
There is nothing we couldn’t do,
No one told us we would ever grow old,
That we couldn’t make the gray skies turn blue.
Today will someday be a long time ago,
A long time ago, it was you in my heart.
So we know that this day will be a long time ago,
A long time ago before we did part.
We were young and we soared so high,
We thought we would never come down,
But we knew in the “By and By” that
We would ever lose what we had found.
And that day it became a long time ago,
A long time ago, it was you in my heart.
And I know that this day will be a long time ago,
A long time ago it was you in my heart, goodbye…
Dominus Vobiscum
for SATB
Source: traditional Latin text
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Dominus…
Dominus Vobiscum,
et cum spiritu tuo…
Omnipotens Deus,
dimisis pecatis nostris,
Miserere nobis…
Credo in unum deum.
English Translation
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit…
Almighty God,
Forgive us our sins:
Have mercy on us…
I believe in one God.
Choral Etude #1
SATB
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Dona Nobis Pacem
for SATB, flute, clarinet, brass, and percussion
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Dona nobis pacem,
Miserére nobis pacem,
Libera nos a timoribus,
Libera nos a falso vero,
Dona nobis pacem,
Benedícat vos omnípotens Deus,
Verum, Dona nobis pacem, Amen.
English Translation:
Grant us peace,
Have mercy on us,
Free us from our fears,
Free us from false truth,
Grant us peace,
May God Almighty bless you,
Truth, Grant us peace, Amen.
To Be Or Not To Be
for SATB
Source: Hamlet, by Shakespeare
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You Will Come Home
for SATB and piano
Source: The Odyssey, Book 11, Homer
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Though you survive alone, though you survive alone,
You survive alone, You survive alone,
Though you survive alone, though you survive alone,
You survive alone, You survive alone, You survive alone,
Though you are alone bereft, of all companions,
Though you are alone bereft, of all companions,
Bereft of all companions,
Though you are alone bereft, of all companions,
Bereft of all companions,
Though you are alone bereft, of all companions,
Lost for years, lost for years,
Lost for years, lost for years,
Lost for years, lost for years,
Under strange sails you will come home.
You will come home, You will come home,
You will come home,You will come home,
will come home, will come home, will come home.
Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind
from THREE SHAKESPEARE SONGS for SATB
Source: As You Like It by William Shakespeare
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Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind
As man’s ingratitude; As man’s ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen, because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude; although thy breath be rude.
Heigh ho! sing, heigh ho! unto the green holly;
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly,
Then heigh ho, the holly! This life is most jolly.
Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky, thou dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot: as benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp, Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend remember’d not; as friend remember’d not.
Then heigh ho! sing, heigh ho! unto the green holly;
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly,
Then heigh ho, the holly! This life is most jolly.
Jolly, most jolly.
Sigh No More
from THREE SHAKESPEARE SONGS for SATB
Source: Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
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Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,
Men were deceivers ever.
Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more…
Men were deceivers ever.
One foot in sea, one foot in sea,
One foot in sea, one on shore,
One foot in sea, and one on shore.
To one thing constant never.
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe,
Into Hey nonny, nonny.
Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,
Sigh no more,
Sing no more ditties, sing no mo’,
Of dumps so dull and heavy; Frauds.
Sing no more ditties, sing no mo’,
Of dumps so dull and heavy;
The fraud of men was ever so,
The fraud of men was ever so,
Since summer first was leavy,
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny.
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into Hey nonny, nonny;
into Hey nonny, nonny.
Sigh no more ladies; sigh no more ladies,
Sigh no more, sigh no more.
It Was a Lover and His Lass
from THREE SHAKESPEARE SONGS for SATB
Source: As You Like It by William Shakespeare
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It was a lover and his lass,
with a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
Then o’er the green cornfield did pass
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.
Between the acres of the rye,
with a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
These pretty country folks would lie,
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.
This carol they began that hour,
with a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
How that life was but a flower,
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
Hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.
And therefore take the present time,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
For love is crowned with the prime,
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
Hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the spring.
Kyrie (from Missa Brevis)
for SATB and keyboard
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Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison.
Credo (from Missa Brevis)
for SATB and Keyboard
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Credo…
Credo in unum Deum. Patrem omnipotentem,
Factorem coeli et terrae,
visibilium omnium et invisibilium.
Credo in unum dominum Jesum Christum,
Filium Dei unigenitum, Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine,
Deum verum de Deo vero, Deum verum.
Credo in unum Deum. Patrem omnipotentem,
expecto vitam, expecto vitam,
expecto vitam, expecto vitam,
expecto vitam, venturi saeculi,
venturi saeculi, saeculi. A-men.
We’re On the Move
for SATB, piano, trumpet, trombone, claves
text by John Floyd Campbell
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We’re on the move, this generation,
Clear the tracks, we’ll soon be on our way.
We were the first ones in the station,
Our bags are packed, our one-way tickets paid.
You have always stood by us in good times and the bad,
But now we’re feelin’ like a rocket on a launching pad,
Ready to blastoff in a firery swirl,
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three,
To a brand new world, a new world.
Don’t give up on our generation,
We wish to be the spark for something new.
Pray for us that we’ll be a sensation,
Change the world, that’s what we hope to do.
We are like those racing drivers itching at the wheel,
Revvin’ up their engines, we know just how they must feel.
So give us the green flag, we’re set to hit the road,
Listen to those pistons, they are ready to explode,
Here we go. Here we go!
We may be a little bit too hopeful,
At least that’s what we’ve heard some people say,
For what we’ve been given we are thankful,
But we see this ol’ world a diff’rent way from you.
You have always told us to hold on to our dreams,
So that’s just what we’re planning to do!
We’re on the move, this generation,
and we can make this world a better place,
And I don’t think you need an explanation,
We’re ready to start, there is no time to waste.
We are the future, We are the future,
We are the future of the world.
Sanctus (from Missa Brevis)
for SATB
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Sanctus…Domine Deus,
Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua…
…Santus in excelsis.
When I’m In This Dark Place
for SATB, clarinet in Bb, viola, and piano
text by John Floyd Campbell
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When our dreams don’t come true,
When life has run aground,
When our blessings seem so few,
when hope cannot be found, cannot be found.
When disappointment charts our way,
and sadness strikes our core,
When the blue skies turn to gray,
and dark clouds become the norm, the norm.
When I’m in this dark place,
I’m on my knees to pray,
It is God I embrace when I’ve lost my way.
When our dreams have been forstalled,
and our plans have gone astray,
Should we never have dreamed at all?
And are we fools to pray? Are we fools to pray?
Dona nobis pacem, Dona nobis pacem,
Dona nobis pacem, Amen.
Worth
SATB And Piano
Text By John Floyd Campbell
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Some people live with distinction,
Their greatness no one dares refute,
They ride through the city like they’re in a gold-lined barouche,
And wearing their silver-lined boots.
Their teeth sparkle like diamonds,
The world seems to be at their command,
But often it comes as a shock to the world
That their castles were made out of sand.
Some of us are fearful,
And some of us are weak,
The tall, the short, the thin and wide,
Will we find the peace we seek?
Some of us wield hammers,
And some of us trade in gold,
But all of us sometimes need our hearts
Mended when they’re broken and cold.
Some admire the splendor,
And some bow down to one’s birth,
But some only see each broken heart
To find each person’s worth.
A king will rule his kingdom,
From his throne of gold and oak,
But even as the people cheer,
Inside his soul might be broke.
The lady struts with her hair done high,
Her face like a goddess from Greece,
Her nails match her purse and ruby-red shoes,
So why does she cry herself to sleep?
The sportsman dons his medallions
Pinned to his silk-lined cloak,
But even though he’s a hero to all,
Inside his soul might be broke.
Some admire the splendor,
And some bow down to one’s birth,
But some only see each broken heart
To find each person’s worth.
A look into each broken heart,
To find each person’s worth,
His worth…
Gloria in Excelsis Deo
for SATB and piano
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We Will Always Love You
for SATB and piano
text by John Floyd Campbell
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In the moonlight waters shimmer softly in the night,
Silhouetted creatures sipping at this moonlit site.
Winds are gently blowing through the trees that stand so tall,
Standing guard like palace sentries each night darkness falls,
Could this be the very place where we saw hope light up your face?
Do you remember watching fireflies light that summer sky?
Do you recall we even wondered who taught them to fly?
Now the winds are moving like that night so long ago,
Sending ripples ‘cross the water with the past in stow.
We knew that it was your time; we could see it in your eyes.
You have always had big dreams.
That is as it should be.
We were once just like you
and knew that one day you would fly free.
We will always love you, and always stand beside you,
We will always love you even when the sun goes down.
Someday you may stumble, or maybe even tumble,
But we will always love you even when we’re not around.
Someday you may stumble, or maybe even tumble,
But we will always love you, Always love you.
Gloria (from Missa Brevis)
for SATB
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Gloria in excelsis Deo,
et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis;
Benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te,
Gratias, agimus tibi, propter magman gloriam tuam,
Qui tolis peccatta mundi, miserere nobis,
Qui tollis peccatta mundi suscipe,
Deprecationem nostram, miserere nobis…
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis;
Laudamus te; benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te,
Gratias, agimus tibi, in gloria Dei Patris, Amen.