Terms of Use

for all scores, music preview files, original images, and charts offered from the web page

“Fresh Choral Music Online” or its attached web pages

Copyright & license.  While these works are offered free on the Internet, they are not technically “in the public domain;” there are a few small distinctions.  First, I claim a personal copyright on all pieces in the year of completion (2005+; marked at bottom of first page of each work).  {My full legal name is George Peter Bird and I am a resident of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A..}  Second, I offer them to you under the Creative Commons license with Attribution-ShareAlike restrictions.  In simple terms, this means that you may download, distribute, print, photocopy, perform, record, and/or broadcast these works without paying any fees (to me) or filing any paperwork (with me).  The Attribution restriction means simply that the musical and/or graphical work(s) must be attributed to “Peter Bird” in whatever form it/they may appear.  The ShareAlike restriction is explained below in the paragraph on “Derivative Works.”

Derivative works.  I am making available the original source files for scores and for charts.  If you have the necessary software (i.e., Sibelius or Finale or MuseScore for scores; Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape for the history chart) you can open any source file and make changes.  A score could be transposed to another key, or translated to another language.  The history chart could be modified by adding composers, removing composers, adjusting their colors, etc.  Any such editing results in a “derivative work” in which I still retain my original rights.  Specifically, the Attribution requirement of the Creative Commons license means that you must still attribute the original work to “Peter Bird” and that you must indicate that it has been modified.  The ShareAlike requirement of the Creative Commons license means that if you decide to offer the derivative work to the public, you must do so under the same (free) license, or a compatible license.

Suggestions for Use

Saving files.  Any file presented as a link can be saved to your own computer.  In Google Chrome, just right-click the link and select Save Link As... and choose a location.  (Similar operations are possible in other browsers and operating systems.)  Therefore, it is not necessary to keep returning to my web site for each access (although you are certainly welcome to).

Viewing scores.  All scores are presented in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (.PDF).  To view these, you should download a (free) copy of Acrobat Reader software from Adobe (or the open-source GhostScript/GSview).  If you already have Acrobat Reader installed, just double-click on the PDF link and the score should open.  (If you don't see the score immediately, it may have opened in a new tab or another browser window.)  Many scores have a page of text and commentary following the full/choral score.

Music preview files.  MIDI (.MID) files are very small, and they are provided for users with slow Internet connections.  Most computers already have software to “perform” these files (e.g., Windows Media Player, or Apple QuickTime), so just double-click on the MIDI link and it will probably play.  (Note that music-player controls may be found either in a new browser tab or new browser window, or else in a music-player app that starts as a separate program coordinated with your browser.)  The result will sound different (and sometimes rather odd) depending on your software and your sound card.  Naturally, you will not hear the words, so it is nice to have  the score file open on-screen while you listen.  MP3 files are larger but more pleasant, and give a better suggestion of how a good performance might sound.  Most computers already have software to play these files (e.g., Windows Media Player, or Apple QuickTime, or iTunes), so just double-click on the MP3 link and it will probably play.  Naturally, you will not hear the words, so it is nice to have  the score file open on-screen while you listen.  Some singers may want to load these MP3 files onto their iPods while they get familiar with the overall sound of the work.  See the paragraph “Saving files” above.

Printing the first copy of a score.  All scores are presented in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (.PDF).  To view these, you should download a (free) copy of Acrobat Reader software from Adobe (or the open-source GhostScript/GSview).  If you already have Acrobat Reader installed, just double-click on the PDF link and the score should open.  Then choose the Print command from within Acrobat Reader.  Note that my scores are formatted for American 8.5” x 11” paper in portrait orientation. If you have this size paper loaded, then I would suggest that you use Page Scaling: None, and DE-select the “Auto-Rotate & Center” option.  Users with other paper sizes (or very wide unprintable margins in their physical printers) may need to make other choices.  I would also suggest (for both quality and simplicity) that your first printed copy should be one-sided.

Keyboard and instrumental parts.  If separate keyboard and/or instrumental parts are provided, they are in the .PDF file, following the full/choral score.  Naturally, you will want to separate these pages before moving on to the next step...

Photocopying multiple copies of score.  The best way to do this is to take it to a copy center where the machines are loaded with double-width paper (e.g., 17” wide x 11” tall, in America), and where they offer an option to reproduce a one-sided original as a two-sided "Magazine" or “Booklet” with “100%” scaling.  If the copy center is self-service, then the issue of “copying copyrighted music” will not arise.  If the copy center is not self-service and the staff objects, then show them the statement on the bottom of the first page of each score: “This edition may be freely distributed, duplicated, performed, and recorded.”.  (You might also wish to show them this web page.)  For a professional finish, invest in a “long arm stapler” or “long reach stapler” from an office-supply store and put 2 staples into the center-fold of each booklet.

One request.  I could benefit from your feedback about my music, and I would especially like to hear about performances.  To get in touch with me, please use the e-mail address that is (slightly) hidden in the blue-green graphic at the top of the previous page. *Please NOTE that this e-mail address changed in January 2020.

Sincerely yours,

Peter Bird

Los Angeles

14 January 2020