Click here to find the sheet music and recordings of several versions of Marshall McDonald's arrangement of "If You Could Hie to Kolob":
My arrangement of “If You To Hie to Kolob,” and the experiences I've had in sharing it over the years, have led to some of the sweetest moments of my musical life. A sincere thank you to Kayson Brown and the American Heritage Lyceum Philharmonic for creating this moving video and treating the arrangement with respect and reverence. I hope that as you "hie to Kolob" --or strive to come unto Christ --you will feel the Savior’s love and compassion that He has for all of us.
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Of the hundreds of things I have done in my career, I think I am more excited about this project than anything else (no offense to Steven Sharp Nelson, The Piano Guys, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Paul Cardall, Peter Hollens and others!)
I have seen and felt that there is a great need in the music industry for late beginner/early intermediate sacred hymn piano solos. There are some nice real simple books out there and then this HUGE jump to many wonderful intermediate/advanced books.
After extensive piano pedagogy study, consultation with piano teachers, and lots of prayer and promptings I feel that these arrangements will bless a lot of lives and meet a wide variety of needs. I had some very special moments arranging these pieces and that is why I think I am so excited to share this with the world. We have received some pretty incredible feedback from pianists both young and old.
These arrangements have substance and emotion but follow simpler technique patterns. They certainly will sound a lot more difficult than they are to play. Please let me know what you think about them and what we can do in the future to make music more accessible and available to you. Have a great day!
Last holiday season, Marshall arranged Ave Maria for vocalist, Lexi Walker and the American Heritage Lyceum Philharmonic. She performed it at Kate Winslet's Golden Hat Foundation benefit concert in Carnegie Hall, New York City.
Sheet music for full orchestra with vocal solo is available by clicking here.
Featuring the following ten arrangements:
This sheet music book is available in two formats:
SHEET MUSIC for this arrangement, as well as a piano solo version are available by clicking here.
]]>KSL.com, by McKenzie Romero
PROVO — A cheer went up as the final tally was read: 1,039 in the cast of characters playing out a record-breaking Nativity scene.
Dressed in white to play hundreds of angels, volunteers descended on Rock Canyon Park to claim the Guinness Book of World Records' title for largest live Nativity on Monday. Leading roles in the production were played by musicians, local TV favorites and YouTube stars, many of whom are widely known for their membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A camel, a donkey and a small herd of sheep also got to be included in the headcount.
Michael Empric, a Guinness World Record adjudicator, used a series of numbered wristbands to count the participants and declare the record Monday. The previous record, 889 participants, was set in Great Britain last year.
"What I've loved is everyone has been in such a great mood today," Empric said. "I always like it when record attempts are successful and hopefully it stays the record for a while."
But above the goal of a world-record title was the hope of spotlighting Jesus Christ's birth through the cacophony of a commercialized Christmas.
"We focus so much on what to buy and what specials there are," said Austin Craig, who helped plan the project and was busy producing behind-the-scenes coverage Monday. "What is Christmas really about? It's about your faith."
Julie Jordan, a South Weber resident, took photos as her four children, their two cousins, and a family friend all gathered around the grazing camel that would soon become part of the scene. Amidst their memories of the day will be lessons of faith, she said.
"I hope they feel the spirit of Christ in Christmas, and it's something we share together and we can remember in years to come," Jordan said.
The project, which was branded with the hashtag #ShareTheGift, will become a video that will be shared later this month by the participating social media stars who have "tens of millions of subscribers" collectively, Craig said. Among the "YouTubers" were Shay Carl and Colette Butler of the Shaytards; Devin Graham, famous for his daredevil Devin Super Tramp productions; Stuart Edge, the brain behind a series of clean pranks; and the creators of the Cute Girl Hairstyles instructional videos.
Music for the video will be provided by David Archuleta, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and The Piano Guys. The production was coordinated and funded byThe Radiant Foundation.
Craig emphasizes the live Nativity was a multi-faith effort.
"It's not just Mormons making a Mormon video, these are Christians focusing on Christ," Craig said. "We want to bring that focus back on Jesus during the Christmas season, so that people remember that it's about more than Santa and reindeer and presents and what's in my stocking. This is a time to remember the redeemer of the world."
After gathering to be counted for the record, the volunteer angels stood as a backdrop while the Nativity was played out and filled in a grid painted on the grass to depict a Nativity when photographed from above.
Butler, who is known as ShayCarl in the videos he makes with his wife and five children, reprised a wise man for Nativity, a role that he jokes put his beard to good use. The rest of his family joined the angel chorus for the video.
The family's motivation for trekking to Provo from Idaho was spiritual, Butler said.
"We figured this was the best place to be, rather than in the mall or cyber shopping somewhere," Butler said. "To have this video and to look back on it and say we were part of breaking a world record and helping share the message of Jesus Christ for Christmas, that's something more valuable than anything else we could be doing today."
Spanish Fork resident Jerick Rose, 14, learned via Facebook that "ShayCarl," who he calls his role model, would be at the live Nativity and recruited a friend to accompany him.
"I totally got a picture with him, it was the best," an excited Jerick said, adjusting his costume, a white fabric cone with small LED lights running through the bottom. "I'm just excited because I'm a part of this world record, you know, it's going to be super big."
Jerick will be anxiously awaiting the video, but in the meantime, "I'm going to post all of my photos on Instagram," he said.
]]>CLICK HERE to listen to sound clips of each arrangement.
Featuring the following eight hymns:
Sacred Voice, Vol. 1 includes a free CD with vocal tracks and minus tracks to help you learn these beautiful hymn arrangements.
Optional violin obligatos are also included with this book. If you need cello or viola obligatos instead, all obligatos are available for free by clicking here.
This sheet music book is available in two formats:
A special thank you to Alan Sackett, Clayton McDonald, Katie Bastian and Jennifer Neff for singing the vocal tracks.
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(Thank you to Mack Wilberg for his arrangement of Angels We Have Heard on High).
by Sarah Peterson, Deseret News
The world record for the largest live Nativity will be challenged next week in Utah.
The event, hosted by The Radiant Foundation, will take place Monday, Dec. 1, at Rock Canyon Park in Provo. People of all faiths are invited to participate. The performance will be recorded and published on YouTube before Christmas.
The live Nativity will feature hundreds of volunteers along with YouTube celebrities and performers such as David Archuleta, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and The Piano Guys.
Singer-songwriter Peter Hollens, who has almost 80 million views on YouTube, will also participate in the production, along with Shay Carl and Colette Butler of the Shaytards, a family with more than 1 billion views on YouTube.
Other participants include singer and actor Alex Boye and YouTube sensations Devin Graham, Stuart Edgeand the creators of Cute Girl Hairstyles.
"What we’re doing is literally trying to show the world that Christmas is all about Christ, and we’re coming together with multiple faiths to show the world that we truly believe in Christ and that he is the Savior of the world, and we’re celebrating his birth," Derral Eves, one of the producers, told the Deseret News. "So we’re breaking a world record and making a YouTube video all at the same time."
Although the production will be one of the largest collaborations of its kind, Eves said the production team only recently came up with the idea.
"We’re trying to do the biggest video project in the shortest amount of time," Eves said. "To pull together over 1,200-plus extras in addition to get these big YouTubers to all come in line and come together to do this big event has been very difficult, but the miracles have been there every step of the way where it’s just very easy to make it happen. We’re keeping a log of all the miracles. It’s just amazing how everything has come together."
It all started three weeks ago when Jeff Taylor, executive creative director for Bonneville Communications, discussed with other employees what it would take to make the world's largest Nativity.
Jeff Harmon with the Harmon Brothers YouTube marketing team also joined the project and assembled people to work behind the scenes. Eves calls that group the "YouTube dream team."
"We met with the group of YouTube influencers, and 24 hours later we all just could totally see that it would make an epic YouTube video," Taylor said. "The stars are aligning, and heaven's working in our favor. ... It's come together so fast and so well. ... It's been absolutely marvelous to be part of this."
The YouTube team members were eager to invite other YouTube stars to be a part of the event.
"The biggest thing was getting the celebrities to come and do it," Eves said. "We wanted to make this an interfaith project. We wanted to make this a joint effort, and so we were looking out there at what YouTuber would really make a huge impact, and Peter Hollens and The Piano Guys came to the top of our minds."
The group contacted Hollens, who quickly agreed. He then asked musician and composer Marshall McDonald to manage the music for the event. McDonald wanted to include a performance of Mack Wilberg’s arrangement of “Angels We Have Heard on High,” featuring David Archuleta.
That decision led the team to reach out to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to inquire if Wilberg, the choir's director, would be interested in participating.
"I called the Tabernacle Choir to try and grease the skids, and I said, ‘Have you heard of Peter Hollens?’ and they said, 'Just two weeks ago we were talking about a collaboration that we need to do with him because we love his stuff,’ ” said John Dye, a digital media strategist for Bonneville Communications. "Divine intervention definitely stepped up to the plate here."
On the night of the event, Archuleta, Hollens, The Piano Guys and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will perform "Angels We Have Heard on High."
"It is probably one of the most, if not the most, powerful Christmas pieces I’ve heard, and it’s still in rough," Eves said. "We don’t even have Peter’s vocals in there yet. It’s just an amazing, amazing piece of composition. Marshall’s done a great job."
Before they knew it, the team had recruited some of the Internet's most popular performers.
"Every one of them felt like they wanted to contribute, and most of them had inspiration coming from on high," Eves said. "It was just like everything had been lined up. We had doors opened that are very difficult to get — all these big YouTubers that have the right time, the right schedule that they can actually do this."
People interested in being part of the live Nativity can sign up for a specific role or to participate as an angel atlivenativityworldrecord.com. Those with specific roles will be given costumes the night of the event, and the angel volunteers are asked to dress in white. Volunteers must arrive at the park by 2 p.m. and remain there until 8 p.m.
Eves explained that Radiant not only hopes to break the live Nativity record set in 2013 but also plans to make the event an annual tradition that brings the community together and highlights the true meaning of Christmas.
"We want to make a statement every year that it’s not about materialism," Eves said. "It’s not about giving presents in that regard. It’s really about Jesus Christ. It’s about serving others and coming together and making a difference in the world by sharing the gift, which is sharing our devotion of Jesus Christ."
Email: spetersen@deseretnews.com | Twitter: @Sarah_DNews
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865616473/David-Archuleta-Mormon-Tabernacle-Choir-Piano-Guys-and-other-famous-YouTubers-to-participate-in.html?pg=all
]]>Before releasing more piano arrangements, Marshall has wanted to publish some of his music for voice. We are excited to announce the release of 12 new sacred choral SATB arrangements.
All pieces are available as either hard-copy singles or PDF downloads.
The Sacred Choral Series (SATB) includes:
The following Christmas SATB arrangements will also be available shortly:
Before releasing more piano arrangements, Marshall has wanted to publish some of his music for voice. We are excited to announce the release of 12 new sacred choral SATB arrangements and Marshall's upcoming vocal solo book.
To kick off this new series, Day Murray Music is hosting a choral review next Friday, July 18th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm and Saturday, July 19th from 10:00 am - noon. Come join choir directors and musicians of all backgrounds sing through each piece together under Marshall's direction, as well as hear a sneak peek performance from the new vocal solo book to be released soon.
Admission is free however if you plan to attend, please contact Day Murray Music at (801) 266-3537 or dmmcontest@gmail.com to reserve your spot and designate which review you plan to attend. Day Murray Music will provide packets of music available for attendees to purchase afterward with a 15% discount on the full packet. Individual pieces and orders for choir quantities will have a 10% discount (for choral review attendees only) through Monday, July 21st.
Music will also be available to order directly from www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com beginning Friday, July 18th.
The Sacred Choral Series (SATB) includes:
The following Christmas SATB arrangements will also be available shortly:
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Don't miss this rare opportunity to see Marshall live in concert! This intimate theater will give you the chance to watch Marshall perform up-close and interact with him in a way not typically possible at his standard concert venues. Enjoy an evening of beautiful hymn arrangements, original compositions, and fun interaction with the audience.
A limited number of tickets are on sale now. Click here for more information or to order your tickets online.
Doors open at 7:30 pm, the concert begins at 8:00 p.m. Open seating.
Find all things Marshall now in one place:
We hope you like the new site... tell us what you think!
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