Corporate member, YOURACCOMPANIST, introduces their mission, their library of downloadable piano accompaniments and their piano recording services. Helen Salgo, Director of the company, tell us more.
Photo: Helen Salgo, Director of YOURACCOMPANIST
We are absolutely delighted to be joining Making Music as a corporate member this year because it means we can do even more of what we set out to do: supporting singers in developing their repertoire and promoting the everyday enjoyment of singing at all levels. We do this by making performed piano tracks which are also enjoyable listening experiences.
We are a family enterprise with a mission to provide affordable, highly listenable, deeply accurate piano accompaniments for standard singers’ repertoire, well-loved songs and rare gems.
Our MP3s can help you if you are a singer, teacher or the parent of a young singer looking for materials which will underpin success in the various stages of vocal studies. If you are studying music, regardless of your life stage, you may be seeking new materials to challenge yourself and delight your audiences. Our catalogue development has largely been led by requests from some of our 50,000 customers across the globe. We have something in store for everyone, and we’re always open to suggestions.
Our materials allow deep familiarisation with songs and choral repertoire, so that you can be prepared to work with live accompanists in performance, exams and auditions. The tracks can be obtained for less than the price of a cup of coffee, but have a utility which can last for a lifetime.
Making Music members can redeem a special discount, visit the Corporate Member resource page to find out more.
The catalogue
Our library of over 5,000 repertoire items covers opera and oratorio, art song, operetta, folk, early music, baroque, all the great composers, hymns, motets, community songs, Victorian parlour songs… and everything from the Wurtemburg Gesangbuch to the Teddy Bear’s Picnic! The selection reflects the sorts of music enjoyed in schools, churches, operatic and choral societies across the UK’s four nations.
We began our project in 2007. Each track is performed by a musically versatile and singer-sensitive accompanist, and can be downloaded instantly and played on any device. Our materials are completely DRM-free (so precisely the opposite of iTunes in terms of moving your purchased files from A to B) and we provide highly personable, approachable customer service with a real human being (usually me) looking after you.
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Here is a brief overview of our categories: Lieder, Kunstlieder, Art Song, Mélodies, Modern Art Song, Song cycles Watch an introduction video about YOURACCOMPANIST and our track songs for singers. |
Who’s at the piano?
For the first 15 years or so, all our tracks were performed by Michael Baron, a music teacher and life-long piano accompanist and organist. It was Michael’s mission to ‘bottle’ his highly developed knowledge of the singing repertoire and sensitivity to various styles of performance for the benefit of future generations of musicians.
Michael comes from a mainstream music education and community music-making background, and he understands just how much potential for excellence there is in the UK amateur music scene. He also has a strong desire to share with the world his extensive collection of sheet music for vocal and choral repertoire, some of which are unique or rare items.
‘As a young man in the 1970s, I was probably a little old fashioned for my generation, interested mainly in the music of what you might call ‘yesteryear’. It meant that I had the very rare experience of accompanying some singers early in my own career who started out performing before the First World War, and still upheld their traditions. And, I’ve got all this ancient sheet music. It’s been piling up my whole life into an enormous library. I didn’t want it to just gather dust with no one else benefitting from it. Some of it is very rare and won’t be easily found again these days.’ Michael, YOURACCOMPANIST
Bespoke piano accompaniment
In 2021, we were fortunate to be able to bring onboard another extremely talented professional accompanist, Katherine Rockhill, whose experience and versatility have been continuously highly praised by our customers.
Katherine fulfils the bespoke recording projects and has now made hundreds of recordings to order for those looking for something not already covered by the catalogue, or seeking a fully bespoke, tailored version. This frequently includes instrumentalists of all kinds, and many singing groups who now use us to create tools to help their singers master their individual lines.
Katherine’s services are limitless, and her ability to sight-read accurately and respond to musical direction is unmatched: if it can be done with a piano, and you need it fast, she is the ideal person to call upon. We offer per-bar pricing as a starting point for estimating a project, but we can usually find a cost which works for everyone. Each project starts with an instant quotation.
‘Making note-learning materials is always a real joy for me. Some people might think it’s boring, just “note-bashing”, but to be honest, it gives me real insight into the composer and what they were doing with the voice leading. I find it absolutely fascinating to break it all down and, again, I just know that the choir will sound so much nicer if everyone is completely secure in their lines. I enjoy helping people to achieve things that they might not otherwise.’ Katherine, YOURACCOMPANIST
Katherine’s services can be obtained via our dedicated website for custom piano recordings, or by email to custom@youraccompanist.com
Testimonials
‘There are no words to describe the unbelievably fast, professional, beautiful, and kind service Your Accompanist delivered on a custom order. Please know that they will bail you out at the drop of a hat from those ‘situations’ we singers tend to get ourselves into.’
‘Brilliant! A creative and detailed approach to something that was not at all mainstream, and a determination to give me what I was looking for. Came in ahead of time and on budget. The end result is excellent and exactly what I wanted. I will certainly recommend, in fact have already done so, and will use again.’
Seasonal singing accompaniments
If you’re looking for a hymn or Christmas carol to sing with your friends who just love a seasonal sing-song, we supply much loved carols in our carefully selected ‘Comfortable Keys’ versions, ideal for modern voices enjoying carol singing at Christmas. They are ideal accompaniments to the traditional SATB part arrangements found in the most recognisable books, such as Carols for Choirs. Traditional keys are also available.
Browse the Christmas category at YOURACCOMPANIST
Where to begin?
Please visit our website to start exploring our catalogue and be sure to avail yourselves of the relevant discount codes.
It’s one of the many benefits which Making Music brings to amateur musicians in the UK, and we very much encourage Making Music group organisers to let their members know about the discounts, and supply a link to the catalogue.
Please see our Making Music resource page for full details and a discount code for 50% off instant downloads and sharing licences for the use of your group to obtain and distribute YOURACCOMPANIST tracks.
If you can’t find the tracks you’d like to have in the instant access selection, then please count the bars in the music and head over to our Get a Quote page for an instant estimate. When you’re ready to receive a formal offer for the work, just submit the form. The team is on hand to discuss your needs and find a price which works for everyone.
We look forward to accompanying you all on your musical journeys this year and long into the future!
Helen Salgo
Director of YOURACCOMPANIST
