Joyce Geeting, Cello ~ Robert Sage, Piano
1. 'Elegy' - Carol Worthey 22:51
2. 'Kol Nidrei' - Max Bruch 10:20
3. 'Sonata, opus 78' - Johannes Brahms
    Vivace ma non troppo 11:27
    Adagio 08:25
    Allegro molto moderato 08:39
Total Performance Time 1:01:42

Carol recalls her feelings as she composed Elegy:

Elegy was World-premiered by Cellist Joyce Geeting and Concert Pianist Robert Sage at St. Martin-in-The-Fields on March 18th, 2003 and is reprised here in this newly released recording. The work, commissioned by Ms. Geeting, is an offering of love and healing written in the aftermath of September 11th. 'Elegy' begins with the innocence of early morning and ends with the sunrise of the following day. 'Elegy' is both a tribute to those lost and a healing work for those left behind. The work has since been performed numerous times since its premiere. 'Elegy' is currently being orchestrated by the composer into a symphony-length full orchestra Cello Concerto.

(You may view the CD liner-notes insert by clicking on one of the covers at the right.)

Elegy: 1. Predawn, MP3 excerpt

Time: 00:26

Size: 432K

Elegy: 2. Sunrise, MP3 excerpt

Time: 00:33

Size: 532K

Elegy: 3. Love Remembered, MP3 excerpt

Time: 01:02

Size: 1.0M

Elegy: 4. Prayer, MP3 excerpt

Time: 00:33

Size: 540K

Price:

$ 20.00

For Solo Cello and Piano
Performance Time 23:28
Skill Level: Advanced, Virtuoso

Carol recalls her feelings as she composed Elegy:

Elegy was World-premiered by Cellist Joyce Geeting and Concert Pianist Robert Sage at St. Martin-in-The-Fields on March 18th, 2003. The work, commissioned by Ms. Geeting, is an offering of love and healing written in the aftermath of September 11th. 'Elegy' begins with the innocence of early morning and ends with the sunrise of the following day. 'Elegy' is both a tribute to those lost and a healing work for those left behind. The work has since been performed numerous times since its premiere. 'Elegy' is currently being orchestrated by the composer into a symphony-length full orchestra Cello Concerto.

(For information regarding the release of the Orchestral Score, please contact Worthgold Music here.)

Elegy: 1. Predawn, MP3 excerpt

Time: 00:26

Size: 432K

Elegy: 2. Sunrise, MP3 excerpt

Time: 00:33

Size: 532K

Elegy: 3. Love Remembered, MP3 excerpt

Time: 01:02

Size: 1.0M

Elegy: 4. Prayer, MP3 excerpt

Time: 00:33

Size: 540K

For Solo Cello and Piano
Performance Time 22:20 (for 3 movements)
Skill Level: Advanced, Virtuoso

Terezin Triptych is a powerful tribute to the indomitable spirit of the Jewish artists incarcerated by the Nazis in Theresienstadt (now Terezin). Over 80,000 people died there, the rest were shipped to nearby Auschwitz or Dachau--a few survived. Despite unimaginable suffering and demoralization, the artists and scholars there sought refuge in creativity and learning, delivering over 2,000 lectures on such subjects as "Shakespeare's Heroes" and "Is it ethical if I survive when others don't?" Miraculously, composers fashioned operas and other works which instrumentalists performed, often in bare feet. Regularly actors, directors and writers staged plays, and singers, comedians and dancers put on daring cabarets that satirized their captors right under their very noses. Painters, poets and children left drawings and bittersweet writings--all this, a testament to the power of art, culture and the human spirit to transcend abject cruelty.

What led Carol to create this work? One day a friend brought forth writings from Terezin that her cousin, a holocaust survivor, had collected, fishing them out of secret hiding places after he was liberated. Carol wept. She resolved to transform the anguish and tenderness in these writings into a testament to the strength of the human spirit, to create a signpost to future generations. It was time to turn pain into beauty. And so this three-movement cello-piano work was born, each movement inspired by an actual poem or letter written in Terezin.

In visual art, the term "triptych" is used for an artwork made up of three panels, the middle one usually being larger. These are normally religious works designed to be placed above altars. In similar mode, Terezin Triptych recognizes the power of the human spirit, so in a very real sense it is a religious work. Again, the middle movement is longer than either the first or last, so the term "triptych" fits well.

• Remembrance In loving tribute to those who endured the Holocaust.
  Let us keep the Torch of Remembrance aflame!
  Performance Time: 5:30
  
  The first movement is based on a poem depicting an eerie encounter between a wagon laden with harvest fruits and vegetables and a rickety cart piled high with dead bodies. The opening chords of the sonata are powerful: Massive, on the threshold of pain yet majestic, an intense blend of outrage and sheer determination to survive. Then the music becomes more lyrical and yet a dirge as the harvest wagon meets the death-cart.


• Letter from Theresienstadt In loving of all those lost in the Holocaust.
  Performance Time: 11:30
  
  The second movement is a musical narration of a letter a mother wrote to her faraway son. In order to save his life, she had put him on a train to Sweden. She is tormented by how much she misses him and hopes he is being loved and will remember her. Ironically, she has now become a nurse at the Camp, tending small children. The music contrasts the relentless clickety-clack of the train with her tender, remorseful thoughts as she looks on the sleeping children in her care. The letter closes with her admission, "But I'll never send this to you."


• Liberation In celebration of the power of hope and survival.
  Performance Time: 5:20
  
  The final movement reverberates with the hollow victory of bells as American troops free the few people still alive. This movement is dedicated to the brave Liberators. After the resounding bells ring out, the cello and piano interact in an introspective, dancelike "conversation" as if to say that memories would continue to haunt the survivors (as they did). The sonata ends with the return of the bells, signaling hope and a new day of tolerance. May it be so.

(For information regarding the release of the Orchestral Score, please contact Worthgold Music here.)

For Flute (or Saxophone) and Piano
Performance Time 3:34
Skill Level: Intermediate-Advanced

A lighthearted instrumental with a Bossa Nova feel, Cadence for Olivia is designed to be fun to play and makes a refreshing interlude between more extended works at a performance or recital. This work was written to celebrate the birth of a baby, Olivia Hackney Cade, and playfully contrasts two elements both inspired by the baby's name. Like the "O" in "Olivia", the opening theme forms a melodic circle, looping in ever-wider strokes. In contrast to the circular melody, a second theme brings in a more linear element, a descending line taken from one of the meanings of "cadence", a falling pattern. This interplay between Circle and Line gives the work forward motion. The dance-like syncopation creates spontaneity and playfulness. Cadence for Olivia is a "perpetual motion" piece and in theory can be started or ended at any point and repeated over and over, if desired. However, to satisfy most listeners' need for form, an Intro and Coda have been incorporated seamlessly into the composition to give a sense of beginning and ending.

Cadence for Olivia, MP3 excerpt

Time: 01:43

Size: 1.6M

A 2-Part Round [or 3-Part] with Flute & Piano Accompaniment
for Any Child from the Age of One to Ten
Skill Level: Flute & Piano Accompaniment: Intermediate-Level
Singers: Anyone, including children

A sparkling Birthday Song for any child, Happy Birthday, Sara Z! has the jaunty appeal of a round and is easy to learn and fun to sing, with or without accompaniment. Originally written for Sara Anne Zimmermann (and her parents, pianist Eric & flutist Sheila) on the occasion of her first birthday, the song can be sung as a simple melody or as a round. Add flute and piano (if you wish) and you have built-in party entertainment.

Happy Birthday, Sara Z! teaches a child to count from one to ten: The song takes the child from his or her first birthday up through the age of ten, celebrating the accomplishments along the way. Make it a birthday tradition.

To customize the song for your special Birthday Boy or Girl, simply substitute his or her name when singing. Better yet, call or email Carol at Worthgold Music to request a custom printing of the sheet music. We will put your child's name on the cover and inside, for a reasonable additional fee -- and Carol Worthey will autograph it with special Birthday Wishes! Tell us if this is for a Boy or a Girl. Makes a delightful and unique Birthday gift that may just become a family heirloom!

for Piano Four-hands
Performance Time 6:15
Skill Level: Intermediate

Valentine Sampler was originally intended to be a Valentine's Day gift for my husband Ray early in our marriage but by an interesting turn-of-events became incidental music to a one-act play. There is something inherently romantic about four-hand piano music, where two performers seated at the same bench must touch fingers and sometimes even cross hands in order to play the work. If you have someone you love and they play, this is the ideal gift for you both, but you don't have to have romance to enjoy playing this piece. Valentine Sampler will make an effective recital or concert piece.

For Solo Piano
Performance Time: 7:25 Overall
Prelude (Before Time): 3:05
Nocturne (Decision): 4:20
Skill Level: Advanced

This two-part work features virtuoso passages and very expressive performance demands.

As close to a watercolor as Carol Worthey has created in sound.

• Prelude (subtitled "Before Time") depicts the primeval "time before time began". The work is circular in its structure, returning full circle to the beginning sonorities, which span the color palette and full range of the piano.


• Nocturne (subtitled "Decision") is a musical journey from timelessness to the birth of Time. Reminiscent of Chopin but entirely modern, a melody soars over rapid left-hand passages while harmonic colors shift and shimmer. At the end, the listener gets to witness the decisive moment of revelation ("I am") in a triumphant passage that announces the birth of Time. Have we triumphed by creating Time or have we fallen into a trap? When the final chords fade, the question lingers.

Continuum: Prelude (Before Time), MP3 excerpt

Time: 00:34

Size: 559K

Continuum: Nocturne (Decision), MP3 excerpt

Time: 01:43

Size: 1.6M

(View additional information by clicking on the cover.)

Price:

$ 15.00

for Piano solo
Performance Time 7:15
Skill Level: High Intermediate to Advanced

This work, originally written by Carol in 1975, dedicated to Master Pianist Mario Feninger, has an amazing story underlying its creation.

Click on the cover image at the right to read the Composer's Preface to gain insight into this composition.

This new score replaces the hand-written original. Corrections and notation changes make the new version a welcome update.

(View additional information by clicking on the cover.)

for Piano solo
Performance Time 5:45
Skill Level: High Intermediate to Advanced

Pastorale is a nostalgic and pretty peek into a world very different from our world today. It portrays the lush and rolling landscape of pre-Industrial Europe, a world that would crack like the delicate Easter egg on the artwork cover, a world of handmade lace and virgin forests, of queens pretending to be shepherdesses while remaining aloof from the populace... a fragile and doomed world soon to be swept away by the bloodbath of revolution and holocaust.

This evocative work is rich with country sounds: Sweet bird calls, playful breezes, distant bagpipes and brazen country dances. The overall effect is unabashedly "pretty", but there is a bittersweet underpinning of sadness that gives Pastorale its intense irony and creates emotional impact for both listener and performer. Delicate and surprising harmonic shadings and rapid finger passages create a showpiece with substance that is easier to execute than it "sounds". Pastorale will make an effective recital or concert piece.

(View additional information by clicking on the cover.)

Price:

$ 17.50

for Piano solo
Performance Time 4:52
Skill Level: High Intermediate to Advanced

Having spent her childhood in New England, Carol Worthey has a great fondness for the magic of sparkling snowfall, although she prefers to enjoy it from inside by a cozy fire. Come along with the composer on a playful snow journey!

Snow Flurries begins delicately with the fall of just a few lacey snowflakes as the musical texture recreates the white transparency of individual drops of crystal. Bit by bit a subtle blend of major and minor scale-runs overlap, adding a sense of weight and intensity to the depiction of snowdrifts and capricious winds. Finally the snowstorm settles back where it began with a few staccato drops of snow. A signature mischevious touch at the very end with a hand-over-hand showy passage recreates an all-too-familiar scene to anyone who has grown up with snow: The snowfall is over, it sparkles invitingly in the sun and you can't wait to make a snowman--you're all bundled up in cap and mittens and... just as you open the door, an icy splash of loose snow from the roof falls on your unsuspecting face! Ah, nostalgia. It wasn't so pleasant way-back-when, but it sure sounds dazzling.

Technically, Snow Flurries is a fun and audience-pleasing recital piece for High Intermediate to Advanced Level pianists, with rapid scale passages, a variety of finger-touches and subtle use of both damper and soft pedals to create echo effects. The composer has added her fingering suggestions to make this Toccata (or "touch piece") valuable for both student, teacher and performer.

The cover artwork by Carol is designed to evoke a similar mood.

Underlying the magical feeling of this piece is the nearly mystical wonder and scientific reality of snowflakes, each one totally unique from any others, just as each one of us is unique. Carol hopes that the journey and the message take you to a nice place!

Snow Flurries, MP3

Time: 04:53

Size: 4.6M

for Piano solo
Performance Time 7:20
Skill Level: Intermediate Level

Realizing that she had an "instant hit" on her hands, Carol created a Solo Piano piece based on her choral work Voices Golden on the Silver Wind. An excellent Recital piece or study piece for the intermediate pianist who enjoys magical realms of sound with an ancient Celtic feel.

A modal work evoking the ancient Celtic tradition but misted with contemporary touches, Voices Golden on the Silver Wind takes the listener and performer back to a land of myth and magic similar to the Elvin lands described in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Lyrics rich with imagery (that were written a few days after September 11th) emphasize the permanence of love ("love's never lost in the lavender rain") and the need to join voices together and to listen: Listen to our hearts and to each other. In short, Voices Golden on the Silver Wind is unabashedly pretty! Can be performed at any season.

Price:

$ 12.75

For S-A-T-B Chorus and Celesta
Words & Music by Carol Worthey
Performance Time 3:00
Skill Level: Excellent Amateur Choir to Professional Choir

This is the composer-lyricist's favorite holiday creation. Seventeen years earlier (1990) Carol was far away from home at Christmas time and too ill to travel and created the lyrics and a simple a cappella version to express her longing for home.

In 2007 Carol has created a significantly enhanced new edition of "Christmas Glow" utilizing new voicings, the subtle but powerful harmonies she has become known for and the silvery bell-like tones of a Celesta accompaniment.

The result in essence is a radiant new work and a fitting tribute to the power of home, family and friends to draw us together.

"Christmas Glow" ... glows!

Photocopying choir parts or scores without written authorization from the Publisher is a violation of copyright law. Purchase your standard Score or Choir parts here. Let us know how many Choir parts you need and we can quote you an excellent price on bulk purchases.

A Hymn for S-A-T-B Chorus
with Piano Accompaniment
Words Adapted by Carol Worthey from Matthew 6:33,34 & Music by Carol Worthey
Performance Time 2:37
Skill Level: Good Amateur Church Choir or Amateur-Professional Church Choir

An inspiring hymn that is appropriate for Sunday Service throughout the year or for Evensong Services. Based on the favorite scripture of Carol's beloved Mom-in-law Eileen Korns, the lyrics are intended to soothe a worried soul and give confident hope. All sections get to sing interesting melodies and there is a portion of the hymn for the congregation to join in with the Choir. Do Not Worry About Tomorrow can be performed with or without its Piano Accompaniment.

Photocopying choir parts or scores without written authorization from the Publisher is a violation of copyright law. Purchase your standard Score or Choir parts here. Let us know how many Choir parts you need and we can quote you an excellent price on bulk purchases.

For a cappella S-A-T-B Choir
Words & Music by Carol Worthey
Performance Time 1:20
Skill Level: Excellent Amateur Choir or Professional Choir

This blazingly bright and joyous choral fanfare makes an excellent Concert Opener and has done just that on various occasions throughout the Los Angeles area, including a number of multi-faith celebrations. Its world-premiere was in 1991 at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, simulcast on KCET TV/KUSC-FM Radio to an estimated audience of three and a half million. Carol has enhanced the famous Latin phrase with uplifting English lyrics, words that celebrate the wonder of life, although she wrote the piece when she was very ill. The resilience of the human spirit she poured into this choral work seems to have spearheaded her recovery.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo - I [live recording], MP3 excerpt

Time: 00:31

Size: 509K

Photocopying choir parts or scores without written authorization from the Publisher is a violation of copyright law. Purchase your standard Score or Choir parts here. Let us know how many Choir parts you need and we can quote you an excellent price on bulk purchases.

For a cappella S-A-T-B Choir
Words & Music by Carol Worthey
Performance Time 3:30
Skill Level: Excellent Amateur Choir or Professional Choir

A gentle but fervent mood pervades this anthem for a cappella choir.

It begins with a theme modeled after medieval chants, but quickly progresses to a more contemporary feel. The expressive and mystical setting of the word "Deo" is designed to create a sense of hushed awe in the face of holiness. When the text progresses to "Et in terra pax hominibus", the music becomes more passionate and pensive, as if questioning, "Well, when will peace among mankind really happen?" The Amen at the end is one of the most adventurous choral settings I have written to date, all leading to a surprising entry of all voices on unison or octaves. The final two chords are lush yet reverently quiet.

I am proud that this choral work became a finalist in the 2004 ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) choral composition competition.

I dedicate this work to our Creator in hopes that someday all mankind can indeed live in peace and harmony.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo - II [live recording]

03:29

3.3M

Photocopying choir parts or scores without written authorization from the Publisher is a violation of copyright law. Purchase your standard Score or Choir parts here. Let us know how many Choir parts you need and we can quote you an excellent price on bulk purchases.

(View additional information by clicking on the cover.)

For a cappella S-A-T-B Chorus
Words & Music by Carol Worthey
Performance Time 4:04
Lyrics: English / French

Who says dreams don't come true?! Carol created the words, music and choral arrangement of this stirring song during a dream -- on the plane flight to a candlelight vigil on behalf of Religious Freedom. Two days later on May 25th, 1985, the song was world-premiered by the Miracle Choir at a Multi-faith Church Service in Portland, Oregon. Since then it has been sung in the United States, Germany and France for the cause of Human Rights. This song combines classical voicings with an infectious pop feel. The closing "Amen" will raise goosebumps!

Photocopying choir parts or scores without written authorization from the Publisher is a violation of copyright law. Purchase your standard Score or Choir parts here. Let us know how many Choir parts you need and we can quote you an excellent price on bulk purchases.

J'allume un cierge à la Liberté
French-language version of "I'm Lighting A Candle for Freedom" above.
Musique et Paroles de Carol Worthey
Traduit de l'anglais par Corinne Simon-Duneau

World-Premiere Performance in 2000 by an international choir In Paris at a concert sponsored by the United Nations on behalf of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Translation into French (from the English words by Carol Worthey) by Corinne Simon-Duneau. Some of the music had to be adapted by Carol Worthey to accommodate the language change.

Coming this Spring!
I'm Lighting A Candle for Freedom, Portuguese Edition

Photocopying choir parts or scores without written authorization from the Publisher is a violation of copyright law. Purchase your standard Score or Choir parts here. Let us know how many Choir parts you need and we can quote you an excellent price on bulk purchases.

For a cappella S-A-T-B Chorus
Words & Music by Carol Worthey
Performance Time 3:00
Skill Level: Excellent Amateur Choir to Professional Choir

This impassioned Chanukah work is dedicated to Carol's Jewish Forbears and to the cause of religious freedom everywhere. (The winter holiday Chanukah celebrates a miracle that occurred during an ancient struggle for religious freedom.) The words evoke the feeling of actually being there during the event, entering Solomon's Temple in ruins to find the Eternal Light still alive: "Can you imagine entering the Temple, back in the Maccabean days, Groping in darkness, leaning on courage, What a surprising blaze!" The choral writing features contrapuntal sections and solos for the Bass Section as well as interesting parts for all sections, which is only fair, this being an ecumenical work. World-premiere Performance was by the Church of Scientology Choir during a Chanukah Celebration at Celebrity Centre, Hollywood in 1995.

Photocopying choir parts or scores without written authorization from the Publisher is a violation of copyright law. Purchase your standard Score or Choir parts here. Let us know how many Choir parts you need and we can quote you an excellent price on bulk purchases.

For S-A-T-B Choir with Flute, Cello & Harp Accompaniment
(also Piano Accompaniment for Rehearsal Purposes)
Performance Time 7:20
Skill Level: Excellent Amateur Choir or Professional Choir with Instrumentalists at Advanced Amateur or Professional level. Harp part is Advanced.

A modal work evoking the ancient Celtic tradition but misted with contemporary touches, Voices Golden on the Silver Wind takes the listener and performer back to a land of myth and magic similar to the Elvin lands described in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Lyrics rich with imagery (that were written a few days after September 11th) emphasize the permanence of love ("love's never lost in the lavender rain") and the need to join voices together and to listen: Listen to our hearts and to each other. In short, Voices Golden on the Silver Wind is unabashedly pretty! Can be performed at any season.

Photocopying choir parts or scores without written authorization from the Publisher is a violation of copyright law. Purchase your standard Score or Choir parts here. Let us know how many Choir parts you need and we can quote you an excellent price on bulk purchases.

For Soprano Solo with Flute, Cello & Harp Accompaniment
(also Piano Accompaniment for Rehearsal Purposes)
Performance Time 7:20
Skill Level: Excellent Amateur or Professional Soloist with Instrumentalists at Advanced Amateur or Professional level. Harp part is Advanced.

Featuring a moving and sweetly melodic Soprano Solo supported by a glowing instrumental accompaniment, Voices Golden on the Silver Wind takes the listener and performer back to a land of myth and magic similar to the Elvin lands described in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

A modal work evoking the ancient Celtic tradition but misted with contemporary touches, Voices Golden on the Silver Wind takes the listener and performer back to a land of myth and magic similar to the Elvin lands described in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Lyrics rich with imagery (that were written a few days after September 11th) emphasize the permanence of love ("love's never lost in the lavender rain") and the need to join voices together and to listen: Listen to our hearts and to each other. In short, Voices Golden on the Silver Wind is unabashedly pretty! Can be performed at any season.

Voices Golden on the Silver Wind, MP3 excerpt

Time: 00:43

Size: 690K