In this volume fifteen musicologists from five countries present new findings and observations concerning the production, distribution and use of music manuscripts and prints in seventeenth-century Europe. A special emphasis is laid on the Duben Collection, one of the largest music collections of seventeenth-century Europe, preserved at the Uppsala University Library. The papers in this volume were initially presented at an international conference at Uppsala University in September 2006, held on the occasion of the launching of The Duben Collection Database Catalogue on the Internet. For the first time, the entire collection had been made acessible worldwide, covering a vast number of musical and philological aspects of all items in the collection.

for SATB and piano or orchestra Written for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, this new arrangement of the well-known spiritual is presented in two versions: one for mixed chorus and the other for men's voices. Each version opens gently with an effective unaccompanied unison section, and the accompaniment and further choral parts are gradually added. In classic Wilberg style, the piece builds up verse by verse with expanding textures, via two upward modulations, towards a grand and triumphant climax, leaving no doubt about the joy expressed in the text. Orchestral material is available on hire/rental.

for TTBB and piano or orchestra Written for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, this new arrangement of the well-known spiritual is presented in two versions: one for mixed chorus and the other for men's voices. Each version opens gently with an effective unaccompanied unison section, and the accompaniment and further choral parts are gradually added. In classic Wilberg style, the piece builds up verse by verse with expanding textures, via two upward modulations, towards a grand and triumphant climax, leaving no doubt about the joy expressed in the text. The male-voice version of He's got the whole world in his hands features on the CD 'Men of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir', with the Orchestra at Temple Square, conducted by Mack Wilberg (SKU 5053126). Orchestral material is available on hire/rental.

for soloists, SATB, and organ Written for the Choir of Wells Cathedral, of which Matthew Owens is Organist and Master of the Choristers, this setting of the St Matthew Passion is ideally suited to liturgical performance during Holy Week. The principal role of the Evangelist is taken by a baritone soloist, who narrates the story of Christ's trial and Crucifixion in unaccompanied chant. The other, smaller, solo roles of Judas (tenor), Pilate (tenor), Jesus (bass), and Pilate's wife (alto) continue in the same vein, with four-part choral interspersions from the crowds, soldiers, and priests providing a contrast in texture. The hymn 'When I survey the wondrous cross', set to the Rockingham hymn tune, appears twice throughout the work, and the congregation are encouraged to join in on both occasions. The simple organ part supports the voices for the hymn, and may also optionally double the choir during the narrative.

for TTBB and piano or organ or small orchestra Originally published in versions for SA and SATB voices, this classic Rutter anthem has now been adapted by the composer for performance by male-voice choirs. The flowing choral melodies perfectly complement the positive message of the well-known thanksgiving text by F. S. Pierpoint, and the gentle, arpeggiated keyboard part provides a supportive harmonic accompaniment.

for TTBB (and two soloists) unaccompanied This is a stirring arrangement of the gospel classic for unaccompanied male voices, with two idiomatic solos. The popular text uses the imagery of combat to express faithfulness to God, and Jefferson's characterful arrangement of the familiar melody features swing rhythms, jazz harmonies, and scat-style accompaniments. Also available in an SATB version.

In Singing the Glory Down, William Lynwood Montell contributes to a fuller understanding of twentieth-century American culture by examining the complex relationships between gospel music and the culture of the nineteen-county study area in which this music has flourished for a hundred years. He has recorded the memories and feelings of those who were young while the movement gathered steam and who remember it at its high point, and stories about those who have passed over that river about which they loved to sing. In the early 1900s, a singing school or gospel convention was a major social event that enticed people to walk for miles to learn to sing or to hear someone who already had. The shape-note teachers of those days conducted days or even weeks of nightly practice, which culminated in a performance that confirmed the teacher's skill. Quartet music originated in these settings. Today, some area quartets still sound much like those early groups; others teach themselves to sing by imitating their favorite professional gospel ensembles.They travel every weekend in buses emblazoned with the names of their groups, with tapes and albums to sell. Through all the changes, the four-part southern harmony of Kentucky gospel music has remained the same. In the words of these performers, through letters, diaries, and interviews, Montell details the attitudes and joys of those involved most deeply in the gospel music scene. He also brings the reader into their personal relationships, their professional jealousies, and their struggles to keep alive the music they love.

You need only minimal playing skills and three chords; G, C and D7 to accompany the beautiful songs of faith in this innovative book. If you are a beginning or "casual" player on a chording instrument, this is the book for you. The book is bursting with a great variety of timeless standards your entire family will enjoy. An outstanding collection of innovation arrangements made playable for folks who play for their own enjoyment. Melody and lyrics are included with all songs.
Guitar, ukulele and five-string banjo diagrams are included for the three chords along with tips on strumming. Transposing and use of capo tips are included for singers.

for SSATB and organ This attractive and uplifting anthem sets the text of the Eastertide Vidi aquam antiphon. Different parts of the text are treated to contrasting musical ideas, including extended melismatic upper-voice passages and mainly homophonic full-choir sections, and the undulating organ part represents the flowing water of the text. A welcome addition to a service or concert programme for all fans of Gabriel Jackson's music. Commissioned by the Friends of Lincoln Cathedral for their 75th anniversary and first performed by the Choir of Lincoln Cathedral with Charles Harrison (organ), directed by Aric Prentice, on 25 June 2011.

for SATB unaccompanied Let nothing trouble you is a striking and atmospheric setting of a prayer by the Spanish mystic, St Teresa of Avila. This work is both comforting and meditative, reflecting the mood of the text, and the music adds a beautifully haunting quality, through the use of a murmuring two-note motif, widely arching melodies, and reflective imitation. Commissioned by The Genesis Foundation for Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, this piece has been recorded by them on the disc 'O Guiding Night' (COR16090).

for SSATB unaccompanied This is an innovative yet accessible setting of the well-known Vespers hymn. A meditative rendering of the familiar plainchant is nestled within a lyrical setting of a verse from John Donne's A Litany, making for an intriguing narrative juxtaposition. With unusual harmonic shifts, dynamic contrasts, and rhythmic interest, this motet is sure to maintain the attention of both choir and listener from beginning to end. Veni Creator Spiritus is particularly suitable for Pentecost and other celebrations of the Holy Spirit, but can be used throughout the church year.

The standard of congregational singing in mid-eighteenth-century parish churches was often in a parlous state, a situation viewed with alarm by many influential clergy and social commentators. In this authoritative study, Maggie Kilbey explores attempts to improve parochial music-making over the following century and the factors that played a part in their success or failure. Using Hertfordshire as a basis, original research by this respected author and historian uses a wide range of documentary evidence to reveal a complicated picture of influence and interaction between the gentry, clergymen and their parishioners. Her innovative approach to the social history of church music-making sheds light on interactions between militia and church bands, singers, organists, the role of charity school children and the use of barrel organs. Because of its proximity to London, Hertfordshire was particularly attractive to elites with an interest in the capital, and fell under the influence of metropolitan music-making more readily than less accessible parts of England. The involvement of both fashion-conscious and socially aware gentry was mirrored by those further down the social scale, and formed part of a complex pattern of support for church music-making. Unsurprisingly, this support was not universal, and often short-lived once initial enthusiasm or funding ran out. Consequently, although many attempts were made to 'improve' music-making in parish churches, sooner or later these were considered to be failures, swiftly forgotten - and then tried again. To make matters worse, church rate disputes hampered efforts to improve or sustain parish music-making during the nineteenth century, resulting in financial hardship for organists and other church musicians. Yet this was followed by an 1850s 'singing craze' which led to the formation of many church choirs, alterations to the church fabric, and installation of organs. This investigation into patterns of parochial music-making will appeal to both those with an interest in the history of music-making, and also those with a general interest in the social history of Hertfordshire.

Although the choral arrangements of the African-American spirituals constitute the largest group of folk song arrangements in western literature, they have received little scholarly attention. This book provides the needed historical and stylistic information about the spirituals and the arrangements. It traces the history and cultural roots of the genre through its inception and delineates the African and European characteristics common to the original folk songs and arrangements. Ensembles that have perpetuated the growth of the spiritual arrangements--from Fisk Jubilee Singers of the 1870s through those currently active--are chronicled as well.

Musicians, choral directors, and scholars will welcome this first complete text on the African-American spiritual genre. Annotated listings of titles provide information choral directors need to make ensemble-appropriate performance choices. Arrangements indexed by title, arranger, and subject complement the accompanying biographies and repertoire information. Well-organized and thoroughly researched, this text is a valuable addition to music, choral, multicultural, and African-American libraries.

The Hispanic rite, a medieval non-Roman Western liturgy, was practiced across the Iberian Peninsula for over half a millennium and functioned as the most distinct marker of Christian identity in this region. As Christians typically began every liturgical day throughout the year by singing a vespertinus, this chant genre in particular provides a unique window into the cultural and religious life of medieval Iberia. The Hispanic rite has the largest corpus of extant manuscripts of all non-Roman liturgies in the West, which testifies to the importance placed on their transmission through political and cultural upheavals. Its chants, however, use a notational system that lacks clear specification of pitch and has kept them barred from in-depth study. Text, Liturgy and Music in the Hispanic Rite is the first detailed analysis of the interactions between textual, liturgical, and musical variables across the entire extant repertoire of a chant genre central to the Hispanic rite, the vespertinus. By approaching the vespertini through a holistic methodology that integrates liturgy, melody, and text, author Raquel Rojo Carrillo identifies the genre's norms and traces the different shapes it adopts across the liturgical year and on different occasions. In this way, the book offers an unprecedented insight into the liturgical edifice of the Hispanic rite and the daily experience of Christians in medieval Iberia.

Taking seriously the practice and not just the theory of music, this ground-breaking collection of essays establishes a new standard for the interdisciplinary conversation between theology, musicology, and liturgical studies. The public making of music in our society happens more often in the context of chapels, churches, and cathedrals than anywhere else. The command to sing and make music to God makes music an essential part of the DNA of Christian worship. The book's three main parts address questions about the history, the performative contexts, and the nature of music. Its opening four chapters traces how accounts of music and its relation to God, the cosmos, and the human person have changed dramatically through Western history, from the patristic period through medieval, Reformation and modern times. A second section examines the role of music in worship, and asks what-if anything-makes a piece of music suitable for religious use. The final part of the book shows how the serious discussion of music opens onto considerations of time, tradition, ontology, anthropology, providence, and the nature of God. A pioneering set of explorations by a distinguished group of international scholars, this book will be of interest to anyone interested in Christianity's long relationship with music, including those working in the fields of theology, musicology, and liturgical studies.

"Christian musicians know of the obligation to make music as agents of God's grace. They make music graciously, whatever its kind or style, as ambassadors of Christ, showing love, humility, servanthood, meekness, victory, and good example . . . Music is freely made, by faith, as an act of worship, in direct response to the overflowing grace of God in Christ Jesus."

Co-sponsored by the Christian College Coalition, this thought-provoking study of music-as-worship leads both students and experienced musicians to a better understanding of the connections between music making and Christian faith.

"Christian music makers have to risk new ways of praising God. Their faith must convince them that however strange a new offering may be, it cannot out-reach, out-imagine, or overwhelm God. God remains God, ready to swoop down in the most wonderful way, amidst all of the flurry and mystery of newness and repetition, to touch souls and hearts, all because faith has been exercised and Christ's ways have been imitated. Meanwhile, a thousand tongues will never be enough."

Best relates musical practice to a larger theology of creation and creativity, and explores new concepts of musical quality and excellence, musical unity, and the incorporation of music from other cultures into today's music.

for SATB choir (with soprano solo) and strings or keyboard This beautiful and moving piece in seven sections combines text from the Ave maris stella antiphon and Psalms 26 and 106. Starting and finishing in a mood of peace and certainty, the work is structured around a turbulent middle section anticipating the gathering storm. Orchestral material and vocal scores are available on hire/rental.