for SATB and piano or organ or orchestra This sprightly setting of a sixteenth-century English text tells the tale of a jolly shepherd named Wat. With an upbeat triple metre and a joyful swing feel, this carol has imaginative, contrasting textures, a memorable refrain, and a rousing finish. Two versions of the vocal score are available: one with piano accompaniment and one with organ accompaniment. Full scores and parts are available for purchase or hire.

for SATB and piano or harp Higgins's arrangement of Away in a manger is beautiful and delicate. The first verse is taken by unison upper voices; the second is a cappella, with a soloist (or small group) on the melody accompanied by sustained 'ooh's; and the last verse features fresh, homophonic harmonies. The piano/harp accompaniment twinkles gently around the voices, contributing towards the magical character of the arrangement.

for SATB and organ Written for the 2018 BBC Advent broadcast sung by the choir of St John's College, Cambridge, A Prayer to St John the Baptist sets an artfully crafted text that combines Guido d'Arezzo's Ut queant laxis (itself a Hymn to John the Baptist, as well as a medieval music-teaching mnemonic) with Thomas Merton's poem on the same subject. The organ's flowing quavers represent Merton's baptismal 'rivers of water', while the largely octatonic melodies conjure a tellingly mysterious atmosphere.

for SATB (with S. solo) unaccompanied This thought-provoking carol takes up the topical theme of the plight of refugees, drawing parallels with the stories and reception of Christ's birth. The text, by the composer, alludes to familiar lines from the Coventry Carol, rooting the piece in tradition while encouraging us to consider our present. The verses feature contrasting textures and changing metres, while a soft, reflective refrain stands steadfastly in triple metre.

for SS and organ This movement from Make We Merry sets the words of the seventeenth-century Christmas text 'Sweet was the song' to a straightforward and lyrical solo line in the first soprano part, with an imitative second soprano part joining towards the end. The organ accompaniment gently underpins the tender vocal lines throughout.

for SATB and piano or orchestra Male voices take the leading role in this mixed-voice arrangement of the tender and well-loved solo piece attributed to Caccini (and usually sung to 'Ave Maria'). In keeping with the cumulative embellishment of the original, Wilberg's version starts with unison men and gradually adds more parts, always grounded by the lower voices. Similarly, the accompaniment's texture thickens as the piece develops, with the instrumental version starting with strings only, building up to a full orchestral climax before a gentler coda.

for SSA, piano, and optional guitar, bass, and drum kit Samba Mass is a joyous and colourful setting of the Latin Missa brevis. The work is framed by the gentle bossa nova style of the warm Kyrie and relaxed Agnus Dei, which is prefaced by a funky Benedictus. The compelling rhythms of samba come to the fore in the second movement, a vivacious Gloria, which is followed by a beautiful Sanctus that offsets a steady flow of quavers with rhythmic syncopations. The stylistic piano part can be played as written or serve as a guide, and an optional guitar, bass, and drum kit part is available separately for band accompaniment. Performers will enjoy exploring the interplay between voices and the rich, warm colours of the samba and bossa nova styles.

for SATB and piano or organ or orchestra This sprightly setting of a sixteenth-century English text tells the tale of a jolly shepherd named Wat. With an upbeat triple metre and a joyful swing feel, this carol has imaginative, contrasting textures, a memorable refrain, and a rousing finish. Two versions of the vocal score are available: one with piano accompaniment and one with organ accompaniment. Full scores and parts are available for purchase or hire.

for SATB unaccompanied Alan Bullard's simple, uplifting setting of words by eighteenth-century writer and Calvinist minister Joseph Hart is perfectly suited to the Every Voice Rejoice series. The anthem is characterized by flexible rhythms that sensitively complement the metre of the text and a beautifully reflective set of Amens at its close.

This is a complete edition with critical commentary of the Byzantine Communions in thirteenth-century manuscripts of the Asmatikon, all known sources being used. The chants concerned are the earliest known examples of Communion Chants of the Orthodox Church, and are found in a book which may go back to the rite of St Sophia at Constantinople during the tenth century-the earliest copies of which date from the thirteenth-century and come from South Italy and North Greece. Further more, there are also a few manuscripts from Kiev with text in Church Slavonic and an untranscribable musical notation. This is the first systematic transcription of the Asmatikon ever to be published.

for SATB and piano or orchestra Tree of Life is an expansive setting of an evocative text by David Warner that depicts the sacred archetype of the life-giving tree through the cycle of all four seasons. The lyrics, coupled with simple, memorable melodies, speak of spiritual planting and growth, nourishment, and an abundant harvest; each observation is punctuated by an 'Alleluia' as an expression of praise and gratitude. Wilberg's imaginative orchestration creates an abundant soundworld, with arching woodwind phrases, sweeping strings, and a cacophony of handbells that lifts the closing alleluias skywards in celebration. This is the title track on the Tabernacle Choir's 2018 CD release.

In the last decades of the 17th century, the feast of Christmas in Lutheran Germany underwent a major transformation when theologians and local governments waged an early modern "war on Christmas," discouraging riotous pageants and carnivalesque rituals in favor of more personal and internalized expressions of piety. Christmas rituals, such as the "Heilig Christ" plays and the rocking of the child (Kindelwiegen) were abolished, and Christian devotion focused increasingly on the metaphor of a birth of Christ in the human heart. John Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio, composed in 1734, both reflects this new piety and conveys the composer's experience living through this tumult during his own childhood and early career. Markus Rathey's book is the first thorough study of this popular masterpiece in English. While giving a comprehensive overview of the Christmas Oratorio as a whole, the book focuses on two themes in particular: the cultural and theological understanding of Christmas in Bach's time and the compositional process that led Bach from the earliest concepts to the completed piece. The cultural and religious context of the oratorio provides the backdrop for Rathey's detailed analysis of the composition, in which he explores Bach's compositional practices, for example, his reuse and parodies of movements that had originally been composed for secular cantatas. The book analyzes Bach's original score and sheds new light on the way Bach wrote the piece, how he shaped musical themes, and how he revised his initial ideas into the final composition.

for SSAATTBB unaccompanied When spring comes walking is a warm and optimistic setting of an evocative poem by Charles Bennett that explores themes of rebirth, nature, and celebration. Chilcott embraces the return of spring with gentle sustained melodies, rich harmonies, and a quote from the traditional carol 'O come, O come, Emmanuel'. This piece is suitable for both advent and Easter.

for SATB and piano or organ or orchestra This sprightly setting of a sixteenth-century English text tells the tale of a jolly shepherd named Wat. With an upbeat triple metre and a joyful swing feel, this carol has imaginative, contrasting textures, a memorable refrain, and a rousing finish. Two versions of the vocal score are available: one with piano accompaniment and one with organ accompaniment. Full scores and parts are available for purchase or hire.

for SATB and piano or organ or orchestra This sprightly setting of a sixteenth-century English text tells the tale of a jolly shepherd named Wat. With an upbeat triple metre and a joyful swing feel, this carol has imaginative, contrasting textures, a memorable refrain, and a rousing finish. Two versions of the vocal score are available: one with piano accompaniment and one with organ accompaniment. Full scores and parts are available for purchase or hire.

for SATB (with divisions) and piano or small orchestra Originally published in Carols for Choirs 2, Rutter's arrangement of this well-known carol is energetic and joyful. The memorable and buoyant melody is supported and driven by lively piano accompaniment, making it well-suited for Christmas concerts and services. Orchestral material is available on hire.

for SATB accompanied or unaccompanied Offprinted from Carols for Choirs 5, this exquisite setting of a familiar text by Isaac Watts has flexible scoring, with choirs encouraged to explore different options for each of the four verses. The music is gentle, flowing, and peaceful, perfectly reflecting the nativity scene the poet so vividly depicts.