How Can I Keep From Singing? Z. Randall Stroope

Z. RANDALL STROOPE, arranger; conductor on this recording; SSATB & bar. solo (Jeff Milburn); Z. Randall Stroope conducting; Robert Lowry, poet; Alliance Music Publ. #0300; Duration 3:00; performed by THE NEW AMERICAN VOICES on their 2024 EUROTOUR to Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and Netherlands. COMPOSER'S NOTES (www.zrstroope.com) I grew up on a ranch in southern New Mexico. The surrounding communities had a tradition of gospel and hymn singing on Sunday afternoons at various community centers, town halls, and so on. These were called "singing conventions " and had their own song books. No one promoted a religious agenda or one style over another. The rooms were pretty spartan with only chairs, a piano, and stacks of songbooks. The organizers enlisted me to play for these community sings. I learned early on to sight-read, improvise gospel tunes and hymns, and try my best to make the piano sound like a "chamber orchestra." Out of that developed a life-long love of hymns and Southern Harmony traditions. Join the over 4,120 subscribers to Randall's channel, and see/hear the other 106 videos he has created. Several new works have just been recorded, including his new extended (six-movement) work, IN PARADISUM - just released in February. (Go to www.zrstroope.com to listen and see a score.)