The Hartenshield Group, Inc

January, 2003. In December, three high schools and a college combined to commission Delaware composer William Copper to write new choral works for performance in the spring of 2003. Copper's "Sea Songs", four songs of the sea with texts by British and Scottish poets, were completed in December and published this month by the Hartenshield Group, Inc.

Participants in the School Consortium came from across the country: Auburn High School in Auburn, NY; University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, IN; Alpena High School in Alpena, MI; and Beloit Memorial High School in Beloit, WI. The directors, Stephen A. Stomps, Daniel R. Craig, Jeanne Rasmussen, and Cheryl Licary respectively, combined together to sponsor the songs, which include "Sea Love", "Sea Fever", "Water, Water Everywhere", and "A Wet Sheet and a Flowing Sea". Premieres will be held at the schools from April through June of this year.

Commenting on the School Commission, Copper said, "When I began to sketch 'Sea Fever', the first of the songs to be begun, it seemed perfect for a good high school or college choral program. As the second, 'Sea Love', began to take shape I explored the notion of finding choruses to premiere the composition by posting a message about them on an internet Mail List run by ChoralNet. Several school directors responded, among them the four who are listed above; they received working copies and then agreed to pay a small amount each for the writing and to premiere some or all of the works with their choruses. As the back-and-forth stimulus continued, the original two songs multiplied to four -- so they got a bargain! In return for their commission, they get credit in the published score and the right of premiere, and they are able to offer their students works written specifically for them. This lets a chorus member at the school feel that the music they sing really belongs to them."

William Copper, of Wilmington, a composer of orchestral, chamber, choral, and vocal music, attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Eastman School of Music, and the Krakow Poland Higher School of Music. His composition teachers were some of the most well-known contemporary composers in the world, including George Crumb, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Joseph Schwantner.

Daniel R. Craig is currently in his fourteenth year as Director of Choral and Instrumental Activities at the University of Southern Indiana. At USI, Mr. Craig serves as the conductor of the USI Concert Choir, the USI Chamber Choir, the USI Women's Choir and the USI Jazz Ensemble. Daniel also serves as a lecturer in the area of Music History and is the faculty sponsor of the USI Medieval Society.

Under his direction, the USI Chamber Choir have toured throughout the United States, Canada, and Central and Western Europe. They have won several awards and have participated in many festivals and competitions.

Cheryl Dietzman Licary has directed choirs in the School District of Beloit, Wisconsin since 1973. She is a graduate of Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, and received her master's degree from the University of Wisconsin with an emphasis in Kodaly. The Beloit Memorial Choirs have performed twice in Carnegie Hall, in the Duomo in Florence, Italy, on Garrison Keillor's show on National Public Radio, and have appeared twice at the Wisconsin Music Educator's Conference.

More information about Jeanne Rasmussen

Jeanne Rasmussen, from East Detroit, MI, directs choirs at the Alpena High School. She is a graduate of Western Michigan University. Hobbies, according to her teachers page at the school, include golf, gardening, and reading. Her school at Alpena, Michigan, on Lake Huron, is in a part of the world where tall ships still visit, very appropriate for Sea Fever and the other Sea Songs.

Stephen A. Stomps graduated from Ball State University and directs choirs at Auburn High School. He has been guest conductor of the NYSSMA Music Festival and All-State Choirs in New York. His high school choirs have performed Chichester Psalms, Lloyd Webber Requiem, Faure Reqiem, and Rutter Requiem; this year they are performing Carmina Burana. They have premiered and won composition competitions at Ithaca College, New York.

More information about William Copper may be found in his publisher's bio or the Fastwerks narrative bio .