"This Awareness of Beauty" is the first book to consider the orchestral and wind band music of Canadian composer Healey Willan, who was known primarily for his choral work. A succinct biography accompanies historical, analytical, and critical investigations of Willan's instrumental music, asserting Willan's seminal place in Canadian music and the significance of his orchestral and wind band music both nationally and internationally.

Each composition is investigated in chronological order to illustrate the composer's evolution as a creator of instrumental music from his early years in England to his later, and more notable, accomplishments in Canada. Willan's orchestral music may be seen as both a reaction to and a stimulus for the significant improvement in Canadian orchestral performance during the 1930s and 40s, a factor in the creation of his large-scale compositions, including two symphonies and a piano concerto.

Although much has been written about Willan, most of it has centred on his choral work, with biography and/or musicology as the frame of reference; this project considers his instrumental music in terms of performance, provides historical context for many of the works included, and corrects errors that have crept into the literature.

Olney Hymns in Three Books; Book I On Select Texts of Scripture; Book II On Occasional Subjects; Book III On the Rise, Progress, Changes, and Comforts of the Spiritual Life. Includes categories such as Sacramental Hymns, Prayer, Creation, Conflict, Comfort, Dedication and Surrender.

This classic work of hymnody from 1863 draws together a rich selection of German chorales with their tunes, translated by Catherine Winkworth, and edited by William Sterndale Bennett and Otto Goldschmidt. They were arranged for use in the Church of England, and grouped into subjects such The Church and its Seasons and Services, aspects of Christian Life and Special Occasions. Although some of the contents are still in common use today, it is primarily a rich sourcebook for many beautiful forgotten hymns of the Lutheran tradition. This handsome new edition from Benediction Classics uses high-quality scans for the music only, all the text has been carefully typeset using a modern font for ease of reading.

This book addresses a highly complex and elusive matter: why the Christian Church was able to contribute so generously to music from its earliest days through the 18th century and why it has suffered since that time from a creeping artistic paralysis. Modern attitudes and assumptions often find the values and accomplishments of the Christian worldview enigmatic, even repellant, and church music has come to be one of the primary areas in which the tension between conflicting worldviews continues to be worked out on a daily basis. This thoughtful work investigates the historical interaction of theology, philosophy and music, and will be of interest to church musicians, theologians, music historians and cultural anthropologists. In its concluding chapter this work explores a number of basic questions: In what sense, if any, can the arts (and then the fine arts) be considered profoundly significant for modern society? Is there a meaningful role for artists of genius and total commitment? Do the arts (and then the fine arts) have any profound significance for the Church in the modern world? Of what significance, if any, to the Church in the modern world are the great Christian artistic accomplishments of the past? This exploration is by means of excerpts from historical sources, quotations from modern authors, and commentary on both. It calls upon historical, philosophical, theological, liturgical, anthropological, and musical sources and concepts in an attempt to develop a comprehensive understanding of musical developments that have served the Christian church for centuries and that have also provided a rich heritage of art music.

for soprano soloist, mixed choir, and orchestra or ensemble (with organ) This is one of the best-loved and most widely performed choral works of the twentieth century. The texts (in Latin and English) are from the Missa pro Defunctis, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Psalms. The seven sections form an arch-like meditation on the themes of life and death: prayers on behalf of all humanity, psalms, personal prayers to Christ, and in the central Sanctus an affirmation of divine glory. The full scores have been edited and engraved by the composer himself and are presented in handsome, cloth-bound editions. Vocal and orchestral material is available on hire.

The first edition of this book is the classic study of one of the most popular musical forms in early eighteenth-century France, not only because it documents and examines its considerable repertoire for the first time, but also because it places the genre in the wider context of both French and Italian baroque music styles. In uniting the two national styles the cantata was one of the major influences in transforming the seventeenth-century French classical tradition in music into a style that owed much to the Italian baroque, yet retained a distinctive gallic expression. As well as its musical interest, the French cantata provides an arresting example of the influence of society upon music, and the book commences with a chapter that views the emergence of the form in its social setting. Cantata texts enjoyed a vogue as poetry and this literary aspect is also dealt with in a separate chapter. This new edition incorporates research by the author and other scholars over the twenty years since the first edition, reflecting today's growing interest in French baroque music. It also features a new chapter dealing with the French cantata in performance.

Hymnody is widely recognised as a central tenet of Methodism's theological, doctrinal, spiritual, and liturgical identity. Theologically and doctrinally, the content of the hymns has traditionally been a primary vehicle for expressing Methodism's emphasis on salvation for all, social holiness, and personal commitment, while particular hymns and the communal act of participating in hymn singing have been key elements in the spiritual lives of Methodists. An important contribution to the history of Methodism, British Methodist Hymnody argues that the significance of hymnody in British Methodism is best understood as a combination of its official status, spiritual expression, popular appeal, and practical application. Seeking to consider what, when, how, and why Methodists sing, British Methodist Hymnody examines the history, perception, and practice of hymnody from Methodism's small-scale eighteenth-century origins to its place as a worldwide denomination today.

In the seventeenth century Bologna developed a rich and diverse musical culture through the enterprise of musicians attached to the Basilica of S. Petronio and affiliated to the Accademia de'Filarmonici. Their achievements in the field of instrumental music (sonata, concerto) and festive church music (concerted mass) are well documented, but little of their output in the fields of oratorio, amounting to 300 performances in the period 1659-1730, has been subjected to critical scrutiny. This book relates the genesis and development of oratorio in Bologna to the city's religious, political, and cultural aspirations. The oratorio repertory is surveyed in three historical phases: under Cazzati (1657-74), Colonna (1675-95), and Perti (1696-1730), and eight oratorios by the city's leading composers are analysed in detail. A chronological list of performances is given in the Appendix.

Arthur Sullivan is best known as W. S. Gilbert's collaborator in the Savoy Operas, However, Sullivan was far from being simply a composer of light operettas. At the height of his fame and popularity in late Victorian Britain, Sullivan was regarded as the nation's leading composer of sacred oratorios on a par with Mendelssohn and Brahms. Yet despite his contemporary popularity and enduring legacy, little attention has been given to Sullivan's sacred work. The last twenty years have seen a considerable revival of interest in and critical appreciation for this aspect of Sullivan's work. Lost Chords and Christian Soldiers provides the first detailed, comprehensive, critical study and review of Sullivan's church and sacred music. As well as exploring issues of repertoire and ecclesiology involved in these and other formative influences and experiences, consideration will be given to how far Sullivan's own personal beliefs and faith influenced his settings of sacred texts and the extent to which his own spiritual and theological leaning are expressed in his choice of material and style of setting. Sullivan's motivation in setting religious texts will be probed and comparison will be made with the motivation, output and approach of his closest contemporaries in this field, most notably Stainer.

for SATB and piano Mack Wilberg's calming and pensive Meditation is an adaptation of Charles Gounod's famous Ave Maria which is itself based on J.S. Bach's Prelude in C Major from the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier. The accompaniment is derived from the piano solo transcription of Gounod's work by Georges Bizet. To the piano's rising arpeggios and Gounod's melody, Wilberg has added a gently weaving choral texture, setting the words 'Alleluia, Amen'.

In this revision of the book first published in 1941, the music examples have all been revised. The period covered is that from Edward VI to Edward VII, or from the introduction of the Prayer Book to the late Victorian and Edwardian composers.

Over 200 hymns (arranged by topic with four-part harmony and guitar chords) are included in this work. Includes several indexes, including scripture references and composers and sources clearly organized.

for SATB unaccompanied This gentle anthem, written for the Choir of St Chad's College, Durham, sets a text that is adapted from several prayers of St Chad. Warm dynamic swells and rich harmonies emphasize the meaning of these prayers. Bednall has added movement to this calm and reflective piece through the use of melismatic vocal phrases and falling triplet figures.

for SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied A powerfully emotive setting that contrasts moments of reflection with declamatory exultation, Psalm 57 uses passages from the eponymous psalm in the King James translation. Written in 1972, it is dedicated to the Brazeal Dennard Chorale, a Detroit-based choir known for championing the music of Black composers. Jackson King employs imitative writing to great effect, and the anthem's slow tempo makes space for expansive melodic lines.

for SSAATTBB and piano Rebecca Dale's reimagining of Cesar Franck's Panis Angelicus was commissioned for the second instalment of Sonoro's Choral Inspirations project. Dale has drawn upon the harmonic framework of the original setting, as well as playing with fragments of the well-known melodies. She cleverly sets this within a modern sound-world, supported by a rippling, arpeggiated piano accompaniment, original melodic material, and subtle layering of the divisi vocal lines.

for SATB, unison voices, and organ This celebratory anthem sets Psalm 100 'O be joyful in the Lord' from the Book of Common Prayer and uses organ flourishes, dancing vocal melodies, and lively articulation to emphasize the exultant message of the text. Jubilate Deo was commissioned by Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Dallas, Texas and was premiered at Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee concert in 2022.

for SATB with piano and organ This is a substantial setting of the canticles of Mary and Simeon, suitable for performance in both concert and liturgical settings. The choral writing features fugal counterpoint and a chromatic soundworld rooted around the octatonic scale. The text is in English throughout, with occasional Latin interjections in the Magnificat. Notably, the choir is accompanied by both piano and organ, a combination that reflects the tradition of the Black American church in which the composer grew up, where both instruments were used simultaneously for almost all service music. The resulting timbral effect is quite unique, with the more percussive piano sound twinkling over the sustained organ writing. Bringing a fresh voice to an established genre, this setting presents a rewarding challenge for singers and the opportunity for congregations or audiences to appreciate familiar words in a new way.