Composer Marty Wheeler Burnett
Released 6/2023
Use Instrumental
Difficulty Moderately easy
Catalog no. 160-743
Price $20 (U.S.)

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Description
Drawing on her decades of experience as a church musician and liturgist, Marty Wheeler Burnett has assembled a collection of useful intonations, interludes, and harmonizations on familiar hymn tunes. Ease of performance and clarity of texture is paramount across these settings, which are nearly all sight-readable. The tune is always in evidence and is supported by harmonies that keep the focus on the melody, and thus the congregational singing.

Review
"Marty Wheeler Burnett has composed a set of harmonizations and interludes in a refreshing and accessible style. Her tonal language in this publication includes frequent use of pedal points, added note harmonies such as sixths, sevenths, and ninths, and an emphasis on a slower harmonic rhythm. A decided preference for half-note and dotted half-note motion creates an uncluttered texture and helps to clarify the melodic line; this is a welcome change from the usual temptation for composers simply to add more notes! Seven of the preludes are printed in two keys; while I understand that they are trying to make the volume flexible, I would prefer to see more hymn tunes covered rather than transpositions of the same setting. Also unusual is the presence of short intonations or interludes of just one or two systems without a companion harmonization. However, some settings contain an interlude that leads from or into a harmonization. These can be quite creative; for example, Burnett quotes a phrase of VENI, EMMANUEL in the interlude for MERTON and a phrase of EASTER HYMN in the interlude for ST. KEVIN. In contrast to the other settings, the Intonation and Coda for ST. MAGNUS have a stylistically appropriate eighteenth-century feel. This volume is a welcome collection of popular hymns that emphasize the primacy of the melody to encourage congregational singing.” --AAM Journal, May/June 2024