THE SHOEBIRD nominated for a Grammy!
Samuel Jones' The Shoebird has received a nomination from the 51st annual Grammy awards in the category of "Best Musical Album for Children."
Fabulous New Recording of THE SHOE BIRD features JIM DALE!
In the tradition of Peter & The Wolf, Seattle Symphony Composer in Residence
Samuel Jones’ The Shoe Bird brings Eudora Welty’s unforgettable fable to life!
In celebration of the release of The Shoe Bird audiobook, Seattle Symphony is
excited to present this whimsical tale LIVE, narrated by Jim Dale, award-winning
voice of the Harry Potter audiobooks. Join conductor Carolyn Kuan, Seattle
Symphony, the Northwest Boychoir and Vocalpoint! Seattle for this no-miss event!
(Nov. 1, 2009, two performances)
The Seattle Symphony’s new recording of Samuel Jones’ THE SHOE BIRD has just
been released (September, 2008) by Brilliance Audio, one of the nation’s leading
publishers of audiobooks. The narration is brilliantly performed by JIM DALE,
beloved for his inimitable narrations of the Harry Potter audiobooks. With the
inspired musical performance of Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony,
together with the Northwest Boychoir and VocalPoint Seattle led by Joseph Crnko,
this magical collaboration between Eudora Welty and Samuel Jones is destined to
reach a new generation of music lovers.
The audiobook is
available for purchase online at Amazon.com, and at bookstores
that offer audiobooks for children.
The audiobook features an extended narration, with a total duration of 58
minutes. The concert version is 48 minutes; all the music is present in both
versions, but the narration of the concert version is shortened to comply with
the standard length of most children’s concerts. Conductors and Orchestra
Librarians contacting the publisher (Carl Fischer) should specify which version
of the work they wish to perform.
For further information on this work, click here.
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A Trifecta of Lower Brass Concertos!
Samuel Jones is currently completing the third in a much-anticipated series
of concerti written for the principal players of the Seattle Symphony’s lower
brass section.
- His Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra will be premiered on April 2, 2009 with Ko-ichiro Yamamoto, soloist.
- The Horn Concerto, written for John Cerminaro, received its premiere on February 14, 2008.
- And the Tuba Concerto, written for Christopher Olka, was premiered on January 5, 2006.
All of the concerti were or will be accompanied by Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony.
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Tuba Concerto Given Triumphant Premiere! View press articles
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Selected past events:
- Gerard Schwarz conducts the World Youth Symphony at Interlochen in A Symphonic Requiem (Variations on a Theme of Howard Hanson).
- New Jersey Symphony performs Eudora’s Fable: The Shoe Bird.
- Seattle Symphony opens its 100th anniversary season with the premiere of Chorale-Overture for Organ and Orchestra, commissioned for the occasion.
- Jones is named Music Alive Composer in Residence with the Meridian Symphony Orchestra by Meet The Composer and the American Symphony Orchestra League.
- Jones begins twelvfth season as Composer in Residence of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
- Perusal scores for the newly-revised A Symphonic Requiem (Variations on a Theme of Howard Hanson) are now available from Carl Fischer.
- The Knoxville Symphony (Kirk Trevor) performs Symphony No. 3 (Palo Duro Canyon).
- Elegy is performed by L'Offerta Musicale di Venezia (James Setapen).