“Choral Repertoire is an invaluable resource book for the choral conductor, conducting student, and choral singer. It should be part of the curriculum of any music education or conductor degree program. It rightfully deserves a place among the standard music reference publications. Dennis Shrock has provided us with a must-have!” ~ Joseph Jennings, Music Director, Chanticleer “Dennis Shrock is indisputably one of the very top choral scholars in the United States. Add to this his expertise as a choral director and you have a superbly qualified author. Every choral director should have this compact, scholarly, practical historical survey of our field. It reads superbly, yet with ease. What a treasure!” ~ Weston Noble, Professor Emeritus, Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) “This is the most complete volume on choral music ever written. This is for all choral enthusiasts: professionals, singers, conductors, academicians, students both graduate and undergraduate, church musicians -- whatever your interest, this is a book for you. It is fascinating reading, whether you are researching a specific composer or seeking ideas for repertoire. Details abound!” ~ Vance George, Freelance Conductor and Conductor Emeritus, San Francisco Symphony Chorus
			Music for Beginning Conductors is an anthology of music designed to include all repertoire necessary for beginning choral conducting classes. Organized from simple to complex, the 103 pieces in the anthology represent and address standard and basic techniques, including entrances on and off beats, phrasings and articulations, fixed and changing dynamic levels, varied tempos and meters, fermatas, extended beat patterns, and mixed meters. In addition, each of these categories is explained at the beginning of the anthology. The pieces are scored so students have experience with unison, canonic, independent two-part, homophonic four-part, independent four-part, a cappella, and simple keyboard-accompanied textures, and much of the music consists of folk songs and other familiar melodies that have been arranged with a simple harmonic bass part that can be played, if desired, on a keyboard instrument. All of the music is accessible in terms of melody, rhythm, and harmony, thus allowing the music to be read with relative ease and to be adaptable to classes of varying sizes and resources.
			The Classical era, from 1751 to the 1830s and beyond, is one of the most revolutionary and creative times in the history of music. However, critical details about the performance of music during this extraordinary time have too often been lost to generations of re-interpretation, opinionated colorings, and changes in fashion and taste. In this remarkable volume, noted scholar and choral conductor Dennis Shrock brings together in one place writings from more than 100 Classical-era authors and composers about performance practices of music during their time.   These primary sources represent the entire time span of the Classical era, writings from throughout Europe and the United States, and details on virtually every type of performing medium and genre of composition common in the era. Dr. Shrock quotes from diaries, instruction books, dictionaries, letters, biographies, and essays all written during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.   Dr. Shrock organizes all of these comments—complete with detailed music examples— in sections devoted to sound, tempo, articulation and phrasing, metric accentuation, rhythmic alteration, ornamentation, and expression.   What emerges is an insightful and colorful portrait certain to assist anyone who seeks to better understand the music of Mozart, Haydn, and other noted composers. Performance Practices in the Classical Era is a vital resource for any conductor, performer, or aficionado of classical music.