King of Prussia, PA – Theodore Presser Company is proud to announce the Charles Ives Society Critical Edition of Ives’ Psalm 42 (As Pants the Hart) (342-40197 — $2.25) for SATB chorus, tenor or soprano solo, and organ, edited by Robert A.M. Ross. The earliest of Ives’s many psalm settings, Psalm 42 (As Pants the Hart) was said to be premiered when the composer was 16, with sketches beginning several years earlier. The setting is a fairly traditional verse anthem with organ interludes and a vocal solo, illustrating Ives’s early mainstream writing, and occasional glimpses of the young composer’s penchant for surprise. Dur.: 3’30”

Born in Danbury, Connecticut, on October 20, 1874, Charles Ives was the son of famed Civil War bandleader George Ives. At the age of 5, he started piano lessons; and he began composing at around age 13. He attended Yale University, after which he chose to forego a musical career, moving to New York in 1898 to take a job as a clerk with an insurance firm. This did not prevent him from pursuing music on the side, however. He worked as a church organist and choirmaster until 1902, and continued composing new works until 1927. Charles Ives’s music was innovative, daring and explorative, ahead of its time; but respect for his music gradually rose. In the 1930s and 40s many influential musicians took interest in his work, including Aaron Copland, Lou Harrison and pianist John Kirkpatrick, whose performances of Ives’ music received much praise. Among these important performances was the 1946 premiere, conducted by Lou Harrison, of his Symphony No. 3, for which Charles Ives won a Pulitzer Prize the following year. Charles Ives died in New York City on May 19, 1954. He is remembered today as one of the great American composers, and as a maverick whose musical experimentation and exploration set the stage for, and continues to influence the course of, American classical music for generations to come. For more information about Charles Ives and his music, visit the The Charles Ives Society’s website.

Offering music by today’s greatest composers and teachers, Theodore Presser Company is the leader in publishing educational and recital music. Theodore Presser Company is a full-range music publisher and distributes the music of over 30 publishers from around the globe, with a combined sales catalog that features over 60,000 available works. For more information about new publications from Theodore Presser Company or to locate a dealer near you, log on to www.presser.com or e-mail us at sales@presser.com. For review copies of the publications listed in this release, please contact Heidi Vanderlee at (212) 777-0900, ext. 230 or send an e-mail to hvanderlee@presser.com.