03

Carol,

The Piano/Organ version of the NNHS Alma Mater is done and the results are attached. I toned down the organ a bit as this version is really intended as an accompaniment for singing and having the piano strong makes it easier to follow.

When you look at the printed score you will see that I have given you, Dale and myself credit for the midi. The melody was, of course, done by you and Dale, and the only change that I made was in measure 10 where you had an eighth note, I changed it to two sixteenth notes for the "to thee" text. I did make some changes in the harmony but the alto still follows somewhat the alto that you did. The tenor, bass and organ pedal are new and done by me.

I also transposed it downward 4 half steps with the resulting key change from your key of F to my key of D-flat. This was needed to bring it into a range more comfortable for singing. Take a look at any hymnbook and you will find the nearly all of the hymns have a range between middle C and the next C up with an occasional excursion of a note 1 step above or below. This range represents a good compromise for everyone as most women can sing in this range whether they have soprano or alto voices and by dropping one octave both tenors and basses can handle it too without difficulty. When you get up to F above the C above middle C altos and basses have problems singing the note comfortably, if at all.

This represents my best effort and unless you have suggestions for change I am done with the sing-along version.

I am also in contact with several people in the Newport News School System now and the email that I sent to the main office music department is now being sent to the band and chorus directors in all of the NNHS schools. I am hopeful that one of them will find a full orchestra score in their files somewhere and will send it to us.

Attached you will find 4 files.

1. NNHSAlmaMaterPianoOrganAllVerses.mid - The midi file of the whole thing as played by Piano and Organ. This would be a good accompaniment for singing in this form, I think. I would appreciate any suggestions that you have.

2. NNHSAlmaMaterFULLScore.pdf - In case you want to suggest changes this is a Full Score with all parts. I suggest that you do not post this one as it is 2 pages and not so useful for singing. I printed this one mainly for you to look at if you hear things that need to be changed.

3. NNHSAlmaMater.pdf - This score is limited to piano and words only, is only one page and would be useful for people singing it. Since it is a .pdf, it won't display on your website, but you could post it as a download (37KB).

	03/31/09 - NNHS Newsletter - The March
“The most important service rendered by the press and the magazines is that of educating people to approach printed matter with distrust.” - Samuel Butler (04 Dec 1835 - 18 June 1902)

		4. NNHSAlmaMater.jpg - Same as 3. above except in jpg format (132kb). This one would display on your website if you wanted it to. If you are going to offer it as only a download without displaying it then I suggest that you use the pdf in number 3 as it is smaller and nearly everyone has the Adobe pdf reader on their computer. Also a lot of people know nothing when it comes to jpgs.
NNHS Alma Mater

		The Warwick Gardens page is rather sad so this should start things up. This is my inheritance. Under the double windows of our living room mother kept a line of book cases (she was an avid reader) where she had on display all of these red vases. As you can see they are lovely when the sun shines through. This is mine. It is some fifty years old. I hope people are not embarrassed to have lived there; we were coming out of a recession and into a baby boom and I feel our parents did the best they could.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Now back to that gorgeous red vase! I've loved ruby red glass ever since I was a bitty baby girl; I didn't know that you did, too! Your vase looks spectacular with your red walls! In view of the fact that our 40th (ruby) wedding anniversary is approaching in August, and the pieces were rather small anyway, I was able to justify bringing my ruby red collection from over the years with me back to Illinois. Here are a few of my favorites, though because they're not in front of a window, their true beauty is not actually revealed in these shots.
	Wednesday, February 14, 2007	Monday, January 7, 2008