Featured Scores

                    
James Siddons, composer, author, pianist

This page, "Featured Scores," presents three selections from musical compositions by James Siddons. The selections will be changed from time to time. Please visit jamessiddons.com occasionally to see what is being featured.

1. "Plainfield Tune" for organ or piano (1991). 

Description of "Plainfield Tune":

• The melody is from the hymn "Nothing But the Blood" (USA, 1876); the accompaniment is from the aria "Quando corpus morietur" in the Stabat Mater of G. B. Pergolesi (Italy, 1736).
• The meaning of the words of the two original works and the meditative character of this setting make "Plainfield Tune" appropriate for Communion services.
• Duration: A dal segno repeat allows for any number of replayings of the work without stopping, as needed for any liturgical situation.
• Recorded on the CD "James Siddons: Reflections on Familiar Hymns" (Major Recording MGR-1578).

2. "Now With My Song" for Mezzo-Soprano, Piano, and One or More Liturgical Dancers

    Movement II of the cantata Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1997). James Siddons has prepared a new translation of Psalm 28:1-2, 6-7 for this setting that is appropriate for worship or recital performance. The theme of the Biblical text is the approach to the altar of God by the worshipper. In the photo below, liturgical dancer Nicole Buffington interprets this theme:

3. Elijah and Elisha; or, The Epiphany of the Body-Snatcher!

    Based on the Biblical story in II Kings 2 of Elijah being taken to heaven in a chariot of fire, this one-hour musical play asks the question, "But what about the young prophet Elisha who was there with Elijah?" It turns out, in this interpretation, that God has some coming-of-age experiences in store for young Elisha, not in ancient Israel, but in New York City in 1948. Through a time-warp transfer, God sends Elisha to an iron-clad 20th-century city with street lights, swing music, subway trains, and radio broadcasts with singing commercials. Private detective I & II Samuel Chronicle shows up to help solve this mystery of God's grace and get Elisha back to ancient Israel and the prophets' altar. This is a wonderful program for dinner-theater productions and summer music theater programs. The cast is diverse, calling for children's choir, several teen/adult singing and speaking roles, and sound-and-light effects. Previous productions have taken place at Great Falls United Methodist Church, Great Falls, Virginia, and Mountain View United Methodist Church, Forest, Virginia. To arrange a production, contact the composer at jamessiddons@jamessiddons.com

Purchase Information

    Visit www.SibeliusMusic.com and enter James Siddons in the composer search bar. You will be able to use a credit card number to purchase and print out the score.

James Siddons is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.