God is Gone Up with a Merry Noise
Music by James McCray
GS/GM Sequence by Ken McKell 

        Notes by Ken: (6/2/94)

Well, my 2nd major sequence is finished, and I'm quite excited for it.

        This choral piece by James McCray was first performed by the Utah High
School All-State choir, which I was part of. When we first practiced it, I was 
pretty excited about all the aspects of this very rhythmic piece. Of course, 
until the performance at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City(Hence the 
organ part). When you get about 800 non-focused singers together with a bunch 
of unexperienced percussion and trumpet players, you really can screw up a 
performance. Sure enough, we all sucked pretty badly during the performance 
and it showed in the applause and when I received the recording of the concert. 

        As a result, I was REALLY dissapointed. I was determined to hear the 
piece as it originally was supposed to sound. So, what better way than by 
using the good 'ol SCC-1 from Roland? After a month of tweaking with the 
Midisoft Recording Session for Windows software, and a LOT of patience(I mean, 
how many times can a windows application crash?), I think I have it up to my 
expectations.

        Sure enough, it's not perfect. Some parts you can't even hear(due to
the great and wonderful Midisoft). But hey, if you heard what we originally 
did as a choir you'd say something to the extent that this sequence is about 
10000% better! :)

        As for the piece itself, probably as you can tell, there's a lot of 
strange meters. One instance includes a 4/8 time in one measure, a 5/8 time
in the next measure, and a 6/8 time in the _next_ measure! As for the choir,
I used the "Choir Aahs" for the choral parts. The lyrics are _loosely_ based 
on Psalm 47. Here they are, in a thumbnail:

        God is gone up with a merry noise, 
        and the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Alleluia.
        God is gone up with the sound of a trumpet.
        God is gone up with a merry noise. Alleluia.
        For God is King of all the earth, the sea the sky,
        and all that is therein. Alleluia. Alleluia.
        O sing praises unto our God. O sing praises unto our King.

        All except for the last three lines are constantly repeated throughout 
the piece. The last three lines occur during the A Capella part. 

        What makes the piece however, is the extensive percussion parts. I 
think the timpani part deserves recognition all by itself. There is a bell 
tree in the score, but since the SCC-1 doesn't provide a very good bell tree, I
decided not to use it. The vibes are also originally scored as a glockenspiel 
part, but I decided it didn't sound very good. Also, some of the cymbal parts
were originally for a suspended cymbal, an instrument which the SCC-1 blows
goats at. But, in this sequence the crash cymbals sound VERY nice.  

        Well, I've written too much. Just enjoy the recording. 
        
        If you wish to contact me(PLEASE DO! I need the criticism!), you can 
over I-link, Fidonet, UNINET, or RIME. (Ken McKell) Or, you can email me at 

        mckellk@yvax.byu.edu.

        Or, you can contact me at Hacker's Haven (801)224-4031, or the Music
Channel BBS. (Number unknown, I think they changed it, but I'm not sure...)

        Also, please check out my first sequence, the Deep Space 9 theme. No,
it's not the one floating around on those owl shareware CD's. It's on the Music
Channel BBS under the name DS9GS.ZIP. It's (IMHO) the best DS9 sequence out  
there! 

        THANKS FOR GETTING THIS!

-Ken McKell
