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Books > Music > Other types of music > Vocal music > Choral music
for tenor soloist, SATB choir, and organ Written for the marriage
of HRH The Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in
Westminster Abbey, 20 November 1947.
for STB soli and unaccompanied SATB choir This unaccompanied motet
was first performed at the dedication of the Battle of Britain
Chapel in Westminster Abbey, London, and has an accordingly sombre
tone. It opens with a haunting treble/soprano solo, and this
ethereal atmosphere continues with unexpected harmonic shifts and
hushed vocal writing. The words are taken from The Wisdom of
Solomon (3: 1-5) and convey death as peaceful for those who have
been 'righteous'. This motet would therefore be particularly
well-suited to funeral or memorial services.
for SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied Vaughan Willliams made
numerous arrangements of the old English folk song Greensleeves
throughout his career, most notably the Fantasia on 'Greensleeves',
based on music from his opera Sir John in Love. This version for
mixed choir uses four-part scoring to create a continuously flowing
texture, with hushed dynamics and expressive harmonies bringing a
sense of timelessness to the setting.
Originally entitled Thanksgiving for Victory, A Song of
Thanksgiving is a powerful and moving work that celebrates the
Allies' victory in World War II. It was first recorded in 1944
while the war was still ongoing, but was not broadcast until
victory had been achieved in May of the following year. Comprising
seven movements, it sets texts from the Bible alongside words by
Shakespeare and Kipling, lending the work a sense of timelessness
and grandeur. Scores and parts for both the full and reduced
accompaniments are available on hire.
The practices of singing and teaching singing are inextricable,
joined to each other through the necessity of understanding the
vocal art and craft. Just as singers must understand the physical
functions of voice in order to become musically proficient and
artistically mature, teachers too need to have a similar mastery of
these ideas - and the ability to explain them to their students -
in order to effectively guide their musical and artistic growth.
With this singer-instructor relationship in mind, Richard and Ann
Alderson's A New Handbook for Singers and Teachers presents a
fresh, detailed guide about how to sing and how to teach singing.
It systematically explores all aspects of the vocal technique -
respiration, phonation, resonance, and articulation - with each
chapter containing exercises aimed at applying and teaching these
principles. Beyond basic vocal anatomy and singing fundamentals,
the handbook also covers such understudied topics as the young
voice, the changing voice, and the aging voice, along with helpful
chapters for teachers about how to organize vocal lessons and
training plans. Thoughtfully and comprehensively crafted by two
authors with decades of singing and teaching experience between
them, A New Handbook for Singers and Teachers will prove an
invaluable resource for singers and teachers at all stages of their
vocal and pedagogical careers.
for SATB and strings or organ This is a full anthem for mixed
voices with a brief section for SA. The words are based on Psalm
39. String material is available on hire.
for SATB unaccompanied Based on the well-known carol e wish you a
merry Christmas this arrangement provides a spirited setting for
mixed voices with an introduction from the upper voices. Short in
duration and entertaining, this piece is a perfect closer for any
holiday program.
This majestic, approachable piece was arranged for the funeral of
US President Gerald Ford and is also commonly known in the US as
The Navy Hymn. Useful throughout the church's year, the text speaks
of God's unending love, support, and protection for all those in
peril. Cycling through three distantly related keys, the setting
has exciting and seamless transitions and each verse feels fresh.
The end is presented in unison with a final 'Amen', reflecting the
unity of all those touched by God's unconditional love.
for SATB and piano This is the final movement (Epilogue) of the
cantata In Windsor Forest, which is based on music from the opera
Sir John in Love. It sets a text from The Book of Airs (1601) by
Philip Rosseter and Thomas Campion, creating a celebratory
atmosphere with a spirited opening theme and rich choral textures.
for SATB with organ or orchestra O what their joy And their glory
must be is a wonderful anthem, based on a traditional French
melody. The text has been translated from the Latin of Abelard by
J.M. Neale and the work is scored for SATB with an Organ reduction
of the original Orchestral score. Orchestral parts ffor full
orchestra are available on hire.
Late medieval motet texts are brimming with chimeras, centaurs and
other strange creatures. In The Monstrous New Art, Anna Zayaruznaya
explores the musical ramifications of this menagerie in the works
of composers Guillaume de Machaut, Philippe de Vitry, and their
contemporaries. Aligning the larger forms of motets with the broad
sacred and secular themes of their texts, Zayaruznaya shows how
monstrous or hybrid exempla are musically sculpted by rhythmic and
textural means. These divisive musical procedures point to the
contradictory aspects not only of explicitly monstrous bodies, but
of such apparently unified entities as the body politic, the
courtly lady, and the Holy Trinity. Zayaruznaya casts a new light
on medieval modes of musical representation, with profound
implications for broader disciplinary narratives about the history
of text-music relations, the emergence of musical unity, and the
ontology of the musical work.
for soprano soloist, SSA chorus, and piano This tender lullaby sets
William Ballet's well-known text 'Sweet was the song the Virgin
sang'. An expressive soprano solo is gently accompanied by SSA
chorus and a piano reduction of the original orchestral
accompaniment. The lullaby is taken from the Christmas Cantata
Hodie, for which scores and parts are available on hire.
for SATB and piano or organ This expressive anthem brings together
excerpts from the gospels that express God's commandment to mankind
to love one another. Underpinned by a flowing piano or organ
accompaniment, Love one another explores this profound topic with
sensitive harmonies and effective modulations. Although suitable
for performance throughout the church year, this anthem would be
particularly affecting in a Wedding or Maundy Thursday service.
for SATB and organ This uplifting anthem combines two well-known
texts that are commonly read at weddings: 1 Corinthians 13:13 ('And
now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of
these is love.') and Song of Solomon 8:6-7 ('For love is strong as
death. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown
it.'). The music perfectly mirrors the message of the texts, with
flowing solo organ passages and melodic vocal lines building to
full homophonic textures at the climax. Portraying a theme that is
both personal and eternal, Faith, hope, and love remain is suitable
for use not only as part of a wedding ceremony but also for general
services and concerts.
for SA (plus lead voice) and percussion Following the success of
Songs of Africa (for mixed voices), Fred Onovwerosuoke presents six
authentic arrangements of African songs scored for upper voices and
percussion. Published in two small collections - this set for SA
and the second for SSA - the songs originate from a variety of
locations, including Zimbabwe, Botswana, Nigeria, and the Republic
of Benin. With texts to celebrate an assortment of themes, such as
harvest, Christmas, play/leisure, and marriage, these arrangements
are sure to delight all choirs looking for something a bit
different. An English translation and a pronunciation guide are
provided for each publication.
for SATB and piano, organ, or orchestra First published in a
two-part version in The Oxford Book of Flexible Carols, Alan
Smith's In the Beginning is presented separately here in a
mixed-voice arrangement. Kevin Carey's text is set to gently
lilting music, perfect for choirs and settings at Christmas.
Orchestral material is available on hire/rental.
Most histories of nineteenth-century music portray 'the people'
merely as an audience, a passive spectator to the music performed
around it. Yet, in this reappraisal of choral singing and public
culture, Minor shows how a burgeoning German bourgeoisie sang of
its own collective aspirations, mediated through the voice of
celebrity composers. As both performer and idealized community, the
chorus embodied the possibilities and limitations of a
participatory, national identity. Starting with the many public
festivals at which the chorus was a featured participant, Minor's
account of the music written for these occasions breaks new ground
not only by taking seriously these often-neglected works, but also
by showing how the contested ideals of German nationhood suffused
the music itself. In situating both music and festive culture
within the milieu of German bourgeois liberals, this study uncovers
new connections between music and politics during a century that
sought to redefine both spheres.
A History of Western Choral Music explores the various genres, key
composers, and influential works essential to the development of
the western choral tradition. Author Chester L. Alwes divides this
exploration into two volumes which move from Medieval music and the
Renaissance era up to the 21st century. Volume I surveys the choral
music of composers including Josquin, Palestrina, Purcell, Handel,
and J.S. Bach while detailing the stylistic, textual, and
extramusical considerations unique to the topics covered.
Consideration of Renaissance music includes both sacred and secular
works, specifically addressing the growth of sacred music, the rise
of secular music, and the proliferation of sacred polyphony from
Josquin to Palestrina. Discussion of the Baroque era is organized
by geographic location, exploring the spread of Baroque style from
Italy to German, France, and England. Volume I concludes by
examining the aesthetic underpinnings of the early Classical and
Romantic eras. Framing discussion within the political, religious,
cultural, philosophical, aesthetic, and technological contexts of
each era, A History of Western Choral Music offers readers
specialized insight into major composers and works while providing
a cohesive understanding of choral music's place in Western
history.
for SATB and organ This setting of Psalm 139 by Chilcott is warm
and mesmerizing. The chant-like texture and shifting tonalities
impart the sensation of being entranced in prayer. The words offer
respite, as one is safe in the omnipresence of God. Tranquil yet
powerful, this work captures a sense of the total stillness after a
storm. The sustained chords in the organ swell and fall, binding
and supporting the choir's phrases while adding to the magical
atmosphere of the anthem.
for mezzo-soprano and baritone soli, SATB, and full orchestra In a
style influenced by Vaughan Williams and Finzi, this work evokes a
reflective and sometimes other-worldly atmosphere. The seven
movements may be sung as individual pieces. The text is in Latin
for some movements and English in others. Orchestral material and
vocal scores are available on hire/rental.
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