A Conductor's Guide to the Choral-Orchestral Works of Emma Lou Diemer

Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927), an accomplished American composer, educator, and performer, has written over 180 choral works. Diemer's favorite compositional medium is chorus with orchestral accompaniment. After a biography placing these compositions in context, a summary of her choral output, and a preface to the following chapters; the remainder of the book examines seven of Diemer's choral-orchestral works. Each subsequent chapter serves as a guide to a specific piece, with the objective of providing a resource to conductors who might perform these works. This book was written for the purpose of providing pertinent information about each composition: dedication/commissioning data, composer's notes, quotes from interviews, correspondence, sources, vocal and instrumental requirements, past performances, encapsulated analysis in tables, special suggestions, performance issues, proposed program notes, bibliography specific to the composition, and discography specific to the composition. Also included are a selected bibliography, an appendix of Diemer choral works not included in Ellen Grolman Schlegel's Emma Lou Diemer: A Bio-Bibliography, and an appendix of selected photographs.