for SATB and keyboard or orchestra Setting a text by David Warner, this charming composition has a warm, memorable tune and rich, expansive harmonies. Wilberg masterfully moves through different keys and scorings, culminating in a stirring unison 'amen'. Benediction has been recorded on the CD Heavensong: Music of Contemplation and Light, and is ideal for use both in concerts and services throughout the year. An orchestral accompaniment is available on hire.

for SA (with divisions) and piano Setting a love poem by W. B. Yeats, Tread Softly is a charming addition to the upper-voice repertory. Gradually opening out from unison, this piece features melodic vocal lines, colourful harmonies, and luscious modulations, and the rhythmic contrasts in the choir are complemented by a gently flowing piano part. Suitable for use in a variety of concert programmes and at weddings.

for SATB choir and piano four-hands or orchestra First published in My Song in the Night (2009), Wilberg's Down to the River to Pray is a spirited arrangement of the traditional melody. The piano duet accompaniment provides a folk-like rhythmic underpinning, and the piece ascends to a magnificent finish. Orchestral material is available on hire/rental.

Discussion of original performance conventions of Bach's sacred works - cantatas, Passions, masses - by practising musician and director of Taverner choir. What type of choir did Bach have in mind as he created his cantatas, Passions and Masses? How many singers were at his disposal in Leipzig, and in what ways did he deploy them in his own music? Seeking to understand the verymedium of Bach's incomparable choral output, Andrew Parrott investigates a wide range of sources: Bach's own writings, and the scores and parts he used in performance, but also a variety of theoretical, pictorial and archival documents, together with the musical testimony of the composer's forerunners and contemporaries. Many of the findings shed a surprising, even disturbing, light on conventions we have long taken for granted. A whole world away from, say, the typical oratorio choir of Handel's London with which we are reasonably familiar, the essential Bach choir was in fact an expert vocal quartet (or quintet), whose members were also responsible for all solos and duets. (In a mere handful of Bach's works, this solo team was selectively supported by a second rank of singers - also one per part - whose contribution was all but optional). Parrott shows that this use of aone-per-part choir was mainstream practice in the Lutheran Germany of Bach's time: Bach chose to use single voices not because a larger group was unavailable, but because they were the natural vehicle of elaborate concerted music. As one of several valuable appendices, this book includes the text of Joshua Rifkin's explosive 1981 lecture, never before published, which first set out this line of thinking and launched a controversy that is long overduefor resolution. ANDREW PARROTT has made a close study of historical performing practices in the music of six centuries, and for over twenty-five years he has been putting research into practice with his own professional ensembles, the Taverner Consort, Taverner Players and Taverner Choir.

Oxford Choral Classics: English Church Music assembles in two volumes around 100 of the finest examples of English sacred choral music of the past five centuries. The first volume, dedicated to anthems and motets, presents both favourite and lesser-known works, from the exceptional Renaissance polyphony of Taverner, Tallis, and Byrd, through the Restoration led by Purcell, to the glorious works of the great nineteenth- and twentieth-century composers, including Wesley, Elgar, Stanford, Vaughan Williams, and Howells. The volume contains a number of more substantial works, including Mendelssohn's Hear my prayer, Stainer's I saw the Lord, and Naylor's Vox dicentis: Clama, as well as a wonderful selection of shorter pieces, from Gibbons's O Lord, in thy wrath to Walton's Set me as a seal upon thine heart. With the second companion volume of canticles and responses, this bipartite collection presents a comprehensive survey of English sacred music at its best.

for SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied Displaying Chydenius's unique style, I am the great sun is a driven and focused setting of Charles Causley's poem. This is textured choral writing: you'll find imitative passages, melodic and rhythmic motifs, sections requiring precise articulation, and full homophonic climaxes. An exciting challenge for established choirs!

for SATB and piano Following the success of the upper-voice version, Chilcott has arranged the beautiful Like a Singing Bird for mixed choir. Combining texts by Christina Rossetti and Robert Burns, this version retains the upper-voice opening of the original, with the latter section being expanded into mixed-voice harmony.

for SATB, solo violin (or flute), and organ This charming melody is a refreshing and beautiful alternative to Cesar Franck's setting of the same text, taken from Sacris Solemniis and written by St. Thomas Aquinas. The inclusion of the violin adds something special to the texture. This work is appropriate for multiple denominations and includes an English singing translation. The violin part is included in the back of the vocal score.

for SSAATTBB unaccompanied This is a truly beautiful addition to the Christmas repertory, setting a specially commissioned poem by Charles Bennett. The flexible metre creates a sense of movement, while the luscious harmonies and often-homophonic textures provide an anchor to the choral writing. The Rose in the Middle of Winter will appeal to all mixed-voice choirs looking for a poignant centrepiece for a Christmas concert or service.

for SATB unaccompanied This lively and uplifting carol sets a joyful fifteenth-century Christmas text by James Ryman. The music is rhythmic and powerful, with moments of rich and vibrant harmony offset by the strong, fanfare-like Latin refrain.

Described as the "life and soul of British contemporary music", Jane Manning is an internationally celebrated English concert and opera soprano. In this new follow-up to her highly regarded New Vocal Repertory, Volumes I and II, she provides a seasoned expert's guidance and insight into the vocal genre she calls home. Vocal Repertoire for the Twenty-First Century spans the late middle-20th century through the second decade of the 21st. Manning's comprehensive selection of contemporary art songs ranges from the avant-garde to the more easily accessible, including substantial song cycles, shorter encore pieces, and songs suitable for auditions and competitions. The two-volume guide presents expertly-informed selections tailored to particular voice types. Each of the 160 selections is accompanied by a highly detailed performance guide, music examples, levels of difficulty, and a brief encapsulation of vocal characteristics or challenges contained in the piece. A supplemental companion website provides composer biographies and an up-to-date list of recommended recordings. With a focus on younger composers in addition to prominent figures, Manning encourages singers to refresh and expand their recital repertoire into less familiar territory, and discover the rewards therein. Volume 2 features works written from 2000 onwards, including pieces from contemporary composers Mohammed Fairouz ("Annabel Lee"), Missy Mazzoli ("As Long as We Live"), Judith Weir ("The Voice of Desire"), and Raymond Yiu ("The Earth and Every Common Sight").

Due to popular demand, this exquisite piece has been made available as a separate choral leaflet. It is also in the anthology Weddings for Choirs. Ideal for concerts, and special occasions such as weddings and anniversaries, this choral song sets a beautiful text by Paul Eluard to rich, sumptuous music which will delight singers and listeners alike.

for SATB unaccompanied Meaning 'Souls of the Righteous', this reflective anthem is especially suitable for the Feast of All Saints but may be sung at any time of year. Jackson masterfully balances the still, mesmerizing music of the opening and close with a more agitated and emotionally powerful central section. This piece is suitable for church and secular mixed-voice choirs, and a non-singing translation of the text is included.

for SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied Commissioned by King's College, Cambridge for the 2009 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, this beautiful carol sets a well-loved text by G. K. Chesterton. With Jackson's trademark luscious harmonies alongside gentle changes in metre and mode, this piece would make an ideal introduction to Jackson's music for mixed choirs.

for SATB and harp or piano This delightful choral work brings together arrangements of four well-loved folksongs: 'Green Bushes', 'The Rambling Sailor', 'The Crystal Spring', and 'O, No John!'. A joyful celebration of youthful love and courtship, A Fancy of Folksongs bears all the hallmarks of Cecilia McDowall's appealing and popular style: rhythmic vitality, occasional astringent harmonies, and strong melodies, all brought together to create a distinctive and fresh sound. A Fancy of Folksongs can be accompanied by piano or harp (harp part available separately), and it is sure to be an instant hit with all lovers of McDowall's music. Vocal scores and harp part are available on sale and on hire/rental.

for flexible voices in one or two parts, with optional mixed-voice choir and piano or organ or chamber orchestra Due to popular demand, this tuneful carol is being made available as a separate choral publication. Setting a text by Timothy Dudley-Smith, the piece is characterized by a strong, memorable melody and warm harmonies. The choral leaflet preserves the flexible scoring of the original (first published in The Oxford Book of Flexible Carols), making it accessible to choirs of all types and sizes.

for SATB (with divisions and Soprano solo) unaccompanied This gentle and expressive carol provides a wonderful alternative to more familiar settings of this well-loved text. The music is harmonically rich, and the floating soprano line adds another dimension to the texture. Suitable for a wide range of choirs at Christmas.

for SATB and organ The four motets in this set are adapted from Bob Chilcott's large-scale choral work, Salisbury Vespers, which was premiered in Salisbury Cathedral in May 2009. Setting a variety of early Marian texts, the set includes the gentle and expressive 'I sing of a mayden' and the fervent 'Hail, Star of the sea most radiant'. Re-scored for SATB and organ, the motets will be welcomed by choirs of all sizes looking for a more intimate introduction to Chilcott's magnificent landmark work. The motets can be performed as a set or individually, and are suitable for concert and liturgical use. Accompaniments for instrumental ensemble or for brass and organ are available to hire separately for each of the accompanied motets.

for soprano and tenor solo, SATB chorus, and orchestra or small ensemble Following the success of Salisbury Vespers, Bob Chilcott further explores the large-scale liturgical genre with his solemn yet uplifting Requiem. Setting words from the Missa pro defunctis and the Book of Common Prayer, the work gives a new slant to established texts: a beautiful setting of 'Thou knowest, Lord' sits alongside the powerful 'Offertorio', driving 'Sanctus', and enchanting 'Pie Jesu'. Deserving of a place among the canon of previous settings, Chilcott's Requiem is an elegy for the modern day. Accompaniments for orchestra and small ensemble are available on hire, and the piano reduction in the vocal score may be adapted for performance on the organ.

for SATB (with divisions) and organ Commissioned by the choir of Merton College, Oxford, In the beginning was the Word provides a welcome musical setting of this iconic biblical text. The choral lines combine plainchant with harmonically intricate passages, and all is complemented by a soloistic organ part. Suitable for use throughout the church year.

for SATB with optional solo, unaccompanied This is a sonorous and dramatic arrangement of Robert MacGimsey's Christmas spiritual by Canadian composer Larry Nickel. It opens with an optional solo that may be sung by the sopranos, and, towards the end, the rest of the choir sings a beautiful and repetitive pattern on 'oo' while the sopranos take the melody towards a surprising but effective close.

for unison voices and piano The central piece in Three Children's Songs, this setting of words by Frances Farrer is charming and lively. Having sung about the various professions to be pursued by their peers, the young choir proclaim their love of singing in a joyful chorus.