New titles at musicroom

There’s a constant stream of New Titles coming into musicroom every day, so we thought it would be interesting to showcase the highlights for your perusing pleasure. This week we have everything from a guide on how to make and customise your very own electric guitar, to the new Eric Whitacre choral album, taking in a few album songbooks along the way.
So, ever thought of making your own guitar? Custom guitar builder, Will Kelly, has poured all his knowledge into this book, aptly titled How to Build Electric Guitars. Taking you through the tools you’ll need, how to choose a good kit, spraying a sunburst finish, setting the action to perfection, and creating a roadworn look, there’s not much you need to know that isn’t covered. In the foreword, Eric Clapton’s guitar technician of 30-plus years, Lee Dickson, sums it up: “When your Guitar is finished and you strum your handiwork, you’ll be amazed at what you’ve accomplished with the expert guidance in these pages.” ‘Nuf said.
Next we have the new Carol Songbook from beloved choral arranger, Mack Wilberg. Known worldwide for his inspirational choral arrangements, Mack Wilberg was encouraged by his wife to release a solo album; this Christmas tour de force is the result. Usefully released in versions for Low Voice and High Voice, the Carol Songbook features beautiful arrangements of seven well-loved carols for solo voice with Piano accompaniment.
The stunning animation in The Adventures of Tintin, the blockbuster cinematic remake of the Tintin comics, was suitably matched by its soundtrack, written by master film composer John Williams. This songbook presents the music from the soundtrack in solo Piano arrangements. Perfect for reliving the suspense and excitement of the film, this songbook is also ideal as a fun diversion for progressing intermediate pianists.
Continuing on the silver screen theme, we’ve also just received stock of a new album of fingerstyle guitar arrangements of film music. Fingerpicking Movie Music features 15 of the most memorable songs from cinema past and present, all arranged for intermediate guitarists in notes and TAB and featuring the melody and harmony combined.
In response to the demand for guitar arrangements of Adele‘s soaring songs, we now have stock of Adele for Easy Guitar. Also with notes and TAB, this album packs 11 of Adele‘s best, including Rolling in the Deep and Make You Feel My Love.
Whether or not you agreed with us about our suggestion that Bob Dylan‘s guitar playing wasn’t his best recognised contribution to music, there’s no denying that his songs are timeless and enduringly popular, a fact attested to by the presence of his song, Make You Feel My Love, in the aforementioned Adele album. That song also features in this intermediate Bob Dylan Solo Piano Album, containing fresh solo Piano arrangements of 15 Bob Dylan greats, spanning his career from raw, revolutionary ’60s brilliance to his later more stately works.
Two matching album songbooks have also just hit the musicroom shelves. Both are critically acclaimed, both are the fourth studio album released by their respective female artists, both feature expert arrangements for Piano, Voice and Guitar, and both feature the artist standing next to an all-American automobile (the similarities just kept coming there).  Similarities aside, whether you’re into country or R&B/soul, we have the songbook for you in the shape of Four the Record by Miranda Lambert or The Light of the Sun, by Jill Scott.
Finally, one for the choral buffs, Eric Whitacre‘s choral writing brilliance has made him one of the most popular figures in the choral world, leading many to take up singing for the first time. His new album, released in the wake of his Grammy award-winning album, Light and Gold, is named after one of his earliest compositions, Water Night. Our matching choral collection features that work and five others from the album: Alleluia and Oculi omnium, written for Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge; Her sacred Spirit Soars, written for the Heartland Festival, setting a 14-line sonnet by Tony Silvestri; and When David Heard, a devastatingly emotional setting of the King James Bible, II Samuel 18:33, where David mourns the death of his son, Absalom. Featuring works suitable for liturgical and concert use, Water Night is a must have album for today’s choir.