Revival - Music Collection

Collections like Revival are not simply a way for contemporary ensembles to plant deeper roots and tap into more traditional repertoires. It is a way for all of us to hear old hymns with new ears, in a new way.

Tony Alonso's Revival offers us fourteen wonderfully arranged familiar hymns—musically accessible and a delight to sing. Flexibly crafted for voices, piano and guitar with lovely optional descants, this is an ecumenical gift and bridge-builder between classical and contemporary approaches to hymns in the liturgy. It should be in every parish's working library.

In his new collection, Revival, Tony Alonso marks the 500th anniversary of a great divide in the church by bridging the chasm between Catholic and Protestant, contemporary and traditional, Appalachian and European. His arrangements for voices, piano, and guitar—with options for using other instruments as well—allow for improvisation and adaptation while remaining accessible for a wide range of musicians. Although these hymns are designed to be used by contemporary ensembles, they lend themselves to use in a variety of worshiping contexts. Alonso's arrangements will entice you to sing along—Revival is a great gift to the whole church!

Tony Alonso's Revival is an invaluable resource to help find common ground among "contemporary" and "traditional" choirs and ensembles by making hymnody approachable to those who may have shied away from it for stylistic reasons. It is also a great educational tool for organists and pianists who are seeking ways to improve their improvisatory keyboard skills by modeling accompaniment styles and improvisatory patterns that support and enhance the singing of traditional hymns.