Carillon

Global Rings

Over 40 new carillon works that diversify the repertoire and welcome new audiences. Includes tips on Elegant Playing Technique; Composing, Arranging, and Improvising for the Carillon; program notes; and composer biographies. A University of Michigan (U-M) Carillon Studio DEI initiative with Visiting Carillonist Dr. Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, Global Rings features folk tunes, stories, and issues from around the world. This collaborative collection includes First People tunes; African American spirituals; songs of protest and agency from the Holocaust, Hong Kong, and India; pieces about climate crises from the water shortage in South Africa to the earthquake in Jamaica; works that denounce oppressive governments, trafficking and violence against women in Venezuela and India; works that celebrate nature, birds, and animals; a bluegrass song and a piano rag; Ladino songs from displaced Sephardic Jews; a musical story that breaks through stereotypes and burnout, another about a lonely whale; jaunty rhythms and close harmonies of Bulgarian choral music; and new compositions about global luminaries Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and Toni Morrison.

Pulse 49 [3 movements, for carillon]

$6.99

Pulse 49, a 3-movement work for carillon, is dedicated to the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre, June 12, 2016. With Cuban and chant influences.

Love is Love is...., for carillon. ©Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra

$5.40

Love is… Music & poem celebrating love. Variations set to a poem celebrating love in all forms: nature, music, and human love. LGBTQIA2S+. Commissioned by Trinity College, Hartford, CT for the 2021 Guild of Carillonneurs in North American and World Carillon Federation Joint Congress. Dedicated to Ellen Dickinson & Rachel Dorset. Free video at https://youtu.be/kgUgiNSSOkE

Agencia Creciente for carillon

$4.99

The music of "Agencia Creciente" depicts journalist Ana Avila's growing agency to leave a domestic violence situation and stand up in solidarity and collective healing with other survivors. A Collaborative Investigative composition.

Metro Asfixia for carillon

$4.99

"Metro Asfixia" text paints the sounds of moving subway cars in Mexico City, where men routinely sexually harass and assault women in the overcrowded metro cars. Hear how Ana Avila and friends protested the gender violence by dressing in black robes and carrying orange placards that said, "El Metro is público. ¿Mi cuerpo? ¡No!" "The metro is public. My body? No!" A Collaborative Investigative Composition (CIC).

Yo También, Me Too... for carillon

$4.80

"Yo También, MeToo..." was composed in solidarity with the #MeToo movement. I set the phrase "Yo También," or "MeToo" in languages spoken in 24 countries where the most sexual violence is recorded, and encoded those phrases into the musical alphabet to generate the themes.

Rays of Hope for C Carillon (meantone) Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra

$5.40

When I was commissioned to write a piece to honor Ray McLellan, I asked Ray what theme he would like me to feature. Distanced, masked, and outside the Lurie Carillon Tower (University of Michigan) one cold day in late October, 2020, we discussed how it felt to be in the midst of a pandemic, polarized politics, and social viruses of racism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc. Ray said that he longed for music that fosters hope and peace. "Rays of Hope" opens with an "Overture of Hope," followed by an imitative section in which "Hope Leads to Peaceful Action." After an upbeat rhythmic section of "Fostering Hope and Peace," the stately overture recurs, followed by a powerful fugue that represents "Peace Through the Ages."

Commissioned by Rick & June Swartz, composed by Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, dedicated to Ray McLellan. Available for G-compass and C-compass carillons. An organ version will be available in July 2022. Appropriate for meantone instruments.

Rays of Hope for G carillon Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra

$5.40

Commissioned by Rick & June Swartz, composed by Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, dedicated to Ray McLellan. Available for G-compass and C-compass carillons and organ. Appropriate for meantone instruments.

La Boca del Dragón for carillon, Marielba Núñez & Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra

$4.99

Immersed in a humanitarian crisis, Venezuela is experiencing a forced migration: millions of people are looking for a chance to escape from a country where the access to food and medicine is more difficult each day. In April and May of 2019, two peñeros with tens of migrants from Venezuela were shipwrecked on that trip to Trinidad. A total of 60 people disappeared, mostly adolescent women, and it is feared that they have been victims of human trafficking. Mystery surrounds the story like a shroud. Survivors of one of the shipwrecks said that one of these peñeros sank in la Boca de Dragón. The piece “La Boca del Dragón” recreates the tragic story to try to keep alive the memory of these migrants of uncertain destiny who faced unimaginable dangers in search of hope. -A Collaborative Investigative Composition (CIC) This version requires a low B-flat. If you prefer a C-compass version, you may find it in Global Rings.

Organ

Concertina on Psalm 42-"Freu dich sehr" [for organ]

$4.99

A Baroque-style concertina based on FREU DICH SEHR. This versatile tune is Genevan Psalm 42, "Freu dich sehr," and set to the Advent text, "Comfort, comfort ye my people." Accessible intermediate level.

Agencia Creciente for Organ; Ana Avila & Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra

$4.80

In “Agencia Creciente” (“Growing Agency”), Ana Avila tells her story of domestic abuse, and the growing agency from obtaining a restraining order to feeling physically safe until emotional freedom and healing came. Ana continued to cultivate this agency as she worked with battered women at GIRÉ, a human rights feminist organization in Mexico City. Through courageously sharing her story, Ana and CIC promote collective healing, where survivors of abuse stand up in solidarity together. Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra interviewed Ana, and with Ana’s permission, composed this piece as an alternative means of telling a story that can be too difficult to tell in words alone. Filmmaker Brielle Bonetti joined the CIC team, and is currently working on a short documentary to tell the story of “Agencia Creciente,” which has global resonance.

Metro Asfixia for organ; by Ana Avila & Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra

$4.80

The music of "Metro Asfixia" paints the sounds of the moving subway cars, complete with squealing brakes and cries for help. In the overcrowded Mexico City metro, women are routinely sexually assaulted and harassed. Ana Avila and some work colleagues protested the violence by dressing in black robes and carrying orange placards that read, "El Metro es público. ¿Mi cuerpo? ¡No! (The Metro is public. My body? No!) ¿Me tengo que vestir así para que me respetes? (Do I have to dress like this for you to respect me?)

A Collaborative Investigative Composition (CIC) by Ana Avila and Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra.

La Boca del Dragón for organ; Marielba Núñez & Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra

$5.40

A Collaborative Investigative Composition (CIC) by Marielba Núñez & Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra

Yo También, Me Too... for Organ by Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra

$4.99

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that “violence against women is a major public health problem and a violation of women’s human rights.” WHO estimates that “about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime." As a response to the #MeToo movement, I wrote this piece in solidarity with survivors. I researched the top which countries rank highest in sexual violence and encoded languages spoken in those countries to the music pitch alphabet. As the #MeToo movement shows, through speaking our truth and standing up against violence, we can foster collective healing and change.

Also available for carillon.

Rays of Hope for Organ by Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra

$5.40

When I was commissioned to compose a piece in honor of Ray McLellan, I asked Ray what theme he'd like. He said that he longed for peace and hope amidst our divisive world. Soon thereafter, the title "Rays of Hope" came to me–a play on Ray's name, and a metaphor of hope radiating from person to person like sun rays. I composed the work as a Baroque overture and fugue, with an imitative Latin rhythmic section in the middle. On April 20, 2021, I emailed the score of "Rays of Hope" to Ray. He responded, "What a wonderful gift to have your new piece arrive in my inbox on one of the most hopeful days for our country (the world)! There is more hope for us all after the verdict from the George Floyd trial." On April 29, Ray emailed to tell me that his health was declining rapidly. He wrote, "I will keep focusing on the title 'Rays of Hope' and let that lead me into my future. God bless you, Ray." Ray died the next day. -Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra

Alphabetical List of Compositions by Instrument

For external publishers and for free downloads, click on the title, and you will be linked.

Questions about a title? Please email me at pamela.ruiterfeenstra@gmail.com. Thank you!

Carillon

Agency Creciente (Growing Agency) Journalist Ana Avila gives a personal account of domestic violence and her growing agency to stand up against gender violence and to work for collective healing with other survivors.

Bacharabán, Op. 169 (Arab modes and Bach meet), ACME. Free video of the carillon solo. Free audio of Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, carillon with Paul Eachus, ewi. Score is written for carillon solo, can be adapted to add instruments.

Belonging: A Carillon Call to Care for All, American Carillon Music Editions (ACME)

Mo(u)rning Call (Arab). Free audio.
Earth Blood Reprise (African American). Free audio.
The Voice of Weeping (Jewish). Free audio.
Border ID (Latinx; immigrants). Free video. Free audio.

Enough is Enough: Never Again Sketches, Op. 163, free download; free audio: Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, carillon; Paul Eachus, ewi. Score is written for carillon solo, can be adapted to add instruments.

Empower, dedicated to Sarah Goddard Power and inspired by her indefatigable activism for women and marginalized people. Composed for the University of Michigan's Center for the Education of Women+'s 2023 Sarah Goddard Power Award Ceremony. See the video.

In Global Rings: "A la una naci yo," "Adio Querida," "La Boca del Dragón" (with Marielba Nùñez), "Byelorussia Symphony of Nature," "Go Down Moses" & "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child," "Hava nagila," "Healing Bells" (with Jet Schouten), "HK Anthem," "Kang ding Love Song," "Llanto de Tepuyes" (with Marielba Núñez), "Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama," "MLK's Dream," "Once upon a time...," "Shalom, chaverim," "Sounds of Sewol" (with Kwang Young Shin), "To Jamaica, with Love," "Westminster Carillon," "Zum gali gali."

Healing Bells, free download. Video on the Baird carillon; Lurie carillon. Facebook link to world-wide collaborative premiere on 6 continents.

Love is Love is.... Variations set to a poem celebrating love in all forms: nature, music, and human love. LGBTQIA2S+. Commissioned by Trinity College, Hartford for the 2021 GCNA & WCF Congress. Dedicated to Ellen Dickinson & Rachel Dorset. Free video.

Metro Asfixia (Metro Asphyxiation) Journalist Ana Avila and friends organize protests of men's endemic sexual harassment and assault of women on the Mexico City Metro.

Our Time: Me Too, Op. 162, free download. Free audio.

Peacemakers, Op. 168, Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA). Free audio.

Plyve Kacha, a Ukrainian lament. Free download.

Pulse 49, dedicated to the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre. [See store above.]

i. Fragmentos de Espejo (Mirror Shards) Free audio.

ii. Memoria (Remembrance) Free audio.

iii. Donde la Luz brilla (Where the Light shines) Free audio.

Rays of Hope. See store for two carillon versions. Free video. Organ version forthcoming.

Shenandoah: River of Life?, Op. 161. Free audio, Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, carillon; Paul Eachus, ewi. Score is written for carillon solo, can be adapted to add instruments.

Chamber

“La Boca del Dragón," Marielba Núñez, documentary poet & Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, composer. In an attempt to escape famine and poverty, asylum-seekers (mostly young women) board precarious peñeros (small rickety boats) to reach the neighboring coasts of Trinidad and Tobago. On the way, they must cross turbulent waters named “La Boca del Dragón” (The Mouth of the Dragon) by colonizer Christopher Columbus. In 2019, two peñeros transporting young women departed. In these ominous waters, the young women disappeared. Human trafficking is suspected. “La Boca del Dragón” features narration of Marielba Núñez’s gripping Documentary Poetry with Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra’s film-scoresque instrumental–vocal musical portrayal of the story. The piece concludes with a Venezuelan lullaby to acknowledge the grief and despair of the parents of the missing young women. See the live premiere at the Diversity & Belonging conference 2022. See the program notes and Documentary Poetry in the D&B program book, pages 25–32.

"Kang Ding Love Song" (vln, vla, ‘cello)

Plyve Kacha, a Ukrainian lament (vln, 'cello, organ). Free download.

Choral

"Behold, I Am Coming Soon" (SATB)

"Christmas Triptych" (unison, keyboard)

"Lord, Make Me an Instrument" (SATB or SAT)

"May the Peace that Passes Understanding" (unison, keyboard)

"Nesting" (unison with keyboard or handbells)

"Our Father" (SATB)

Plyve Kacha, a Ukrainian lament, adapted as a Kyrie (SATB choir), abbreviated version. Free download.

Plyve Kacha, a Ukrainian lament, adapted as a Kyrie (SATB choir), full version. Free download.

When Justice Awakes, commissioned for the dedication of the Richards, Fowkes & Co. organ, Op. XXII. SATB choir, organ, and opt. children choir sing Kyries for global suffering, Glorias and Alleluias when justice awakes.

Harpsichord

Barone de Cles Allemande

Hymns & Psalms

"For Remembered Music Sounding"

"God Creator, Hear Our Music"

"May Your Life be Filled with Gladness"

"Our Father" (hymn for congregation)

"Psalms 9–10"

"Psalm 136"

"Psalm 150"

Hymn Concertatos

"For Remembered Music Sounding" (SATB, organ)

"May Your Life be Filled with Gladness" (SATB, flute, organ)

"Too Often, God, Your Name is Used"

"With Gratitude, In Shadows and in Light"

Organ (see Store for sheet music; most audio versions featured on the Ruiter-Feenstra on Richards, Fowkes & Co. organs .mp3 tracks or CD)

Ciaccona nella Fuga in memoriam Chandler Matthews

Concertina on Genevan Psalm 42

Easter Toccata on Genevan Psalm 118 & “Northridge”

Festive Processional on “Ode to Joy”

"Komm, Heiliger Geist" Trio

Liturgy LIVE!

Advent Anticipation: Chorale Prelude on “Nun komm, der heiden Heiland” (“Savior of the Nations, Come”).
Christmas Counterpoint: Fugue on “Vom Himmel hoch” (“From Heaven Above to Earth I Come")
Epiphany Escapades: Fantasy Gigue on “Wie schön leuchtet” (“How Bright Appears the Morning Star”
Lenten Lament: Aria on “An Wasserflüssen Babylon” (“By the Rivers of Babylon, We Sat and Wept” Psalm 137
Easter Exuberance: Toccata on NORTHRIDGE & GENEVAN 118 (“Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands” & “Give Thanks to God for All His Goodness”)
Pentecost Phantasmagoria: Chorale Fantasia on “Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott” (Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord”)

Plyve Kacha, a Ukrainian lament, for Organ. Free download.

Triptych on Genevan Psalms 65 & 130

Triptych on Genevan Psalm 98

Trio on “Children of the Heavenly Father” with “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” (“Tryggare kan ingen vara” with “Herzlich tut mich verlangen”)

Variations on HYFRYDOL: “God Creator, Hear Our Music” Audio from Michael Barone, Pipedreams

Yo También, Me Too... Free download.

Vocal: Children & Adults

100+ unison pieces for children ages 3–9 in Muse.

Aqua Dulcis (Three Songs for Baptism and Beyond) (unison, keyboard)

Christmas Triptych (unison, keyboard)

I Felt a Funeral in My Brain (soprano, piano)

May the Peace that Passes Understanding (unison with keyboard)

Nesting (unison with keyboard or handbells)

Our Father (pentatonic unison)

The Vow (duet, keyboard)