|
Books > Music > Other types of music > Sacred & religious music
for SSAA, solo cello, djembe, and piano This evocative anthem, from
the larger work Snow Angel, is a piece of two halves. Opening with
a haunting cello line, the first section ('God Will Give Orders')
is mystical and ethereal, until a vibrant figure from the djembe
lifts the music into the second section ('Sweet Child'), which is
uplifting and bold in character, with a distinctly African feel and
an effective a cappella ending.
With a host of accessible, quality new settings, and with pieces
based on all the major hymn tunes, these volumes are a must for
every church organist's library.
for SATB, trumpet in C, and organ This substantial anthem was
composed in 2015 to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta
and to mark Salisbury Cathedral's stewardship of the charter since
1215. Rutter succeeds in weaving together passages from the books
of Isaiah, Zechariah, and Amos with music that is both ceremonial
and mysteriously intense to create a dignified and powerful work.
for SATB, trumpet, and organ/orchestra The second of two Rutter
anthems celebrating the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, Give the
king thy judgments, O God is a ceremonial work that draws upon the
Book of Psalms alongside text written by the composer to create a
suitably festive piece. Although the prevailing mood is jubilant,
the closing pages provide a prayerful moment as Orlando Gibbon's
gentle hymn tune Song 1 is interpolated to great effect. This
anthem is featured on Rutter's highly-acclaimed CD The Gift of
Life. A trumpet in C part is included in the vocal score, and a B
flat trumpet part is available separately.
for SATB (with divisions) and organ Set to Ursula Vaughan
Williams's celebrated paean to the patron saint of music, this work
is by turns joyous and reflective. Rich harmonies, shifting
tonalities, and expressive melodies combine to evoke the changing
moods explored within the text. The poignant Andante section midway
through the piece, sung by a solo soprano, is a pivotal moment; it
gives way to increasingly jubilant and powerful writing that brings
the work to an ecstatic conclusion.
for SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied This serene communion motet
sets the last two verses of the Pangue Lingua and oscillates
between 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures. The melodic lines are
expressive and at times melismatic and the divisi in all parts
creates a rich texture.
for SATB (with divisions) and two soloists unaccompanied In this
beautiful setting, Latvian composer Laura Jekabsone presents a
modern, popular take on the familiar carol text by Henry John
Gauntlett. The piece is led by two soloists (one upper voice, one
lower voice), who the choir underpin with a rich harmonic cushion
of a cappella-style scats. The melodies are instantly memorable,
and the choir's move from an accompanying role to presenting the
final chorus gives a powerful lift and emphatic conclusion to this
effective Christmas work.
for SATB (with divisions) and organ This jubilant carol sets a
fifteenth-century text that rejoices in the birth of the baby
Jesus. Bednall's rhythmically exciting setting features frequently
changing time signatures, with 7/8 passages creating a jaunty feel.
There are a variety of tempi and textures: a slower, tender middle
section contrasts with the lively outer sections, and an
unaccompanied section for the choir is juxtaposed against
glittering, rhythmic organ passages. An ideal opener for any
Christmas Carol concert, the work is featured on the Choir of Truro
Cathedral's CD A Year at Truro (Regent Records).
for SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied Helvey's skilful
arrangement of the popular hymn by American Baptist minister Robert
Wadsworth Lowry is joyous and affirmatory. The anthem is suitable
for performance throughout the liturgical year, and the sweeping
melodies, contrasting textures, and rich harmonies complement the
celebratory nature of the text.
for SATB and organ Commissioned by the 2015 Three Choirs Festival,
this is Chilcott's second setting of the Evening Canticles. Bright
and rhythmical, the Magnificat features syncopated chords in the
organ part that punctuate the more sustained choral textures. In
contrast, the Nunc dimittis is reflective, opening with a soaring
soprano melody and building towards an expressive climax on the
word 'glory'. Ideal for church and cathedral choirs looking for
something new for their evening service.
for SATB and piano or organ First published in Carols for Choirs 5,
this is a beautiful and touching setting of the well-known
fifteenth-century words. The contours of Stroope's melodic writing
perfectly mirror the narrative from the manger scene, while the
simple refrain highlights the Christ-child's innocence as his
mother lulls him to sleep.
Music in the California missions was a pluralistic combination of
voices and instruments, of liturgy and spectacle, of styles and
functions-and even of cultures-in a new blend that was non-existent
before the Franciscan friars made their way to California beginning
in 1769. This book explores the exquisite sacred music that
flourished on the West Coast of America when it was under Spanish
and Mexican rule; it delves into the historical, cultural,
biographical, and stylistic aspects of California mission music
during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The book
explores how mellifluous plainchant, reverent hymns, spunky
folkloric ditties, "classical" music in the style of Haydn, and
even Native American drumming were interwoven into a tapestry of
resonant beauty. Aspects of music terminology, performance
practice, notation, theory, sacred song, hymns, the sequence, the
mass, and pageantry are addressed. Russell draws upon hundreds of
primary documents in California, Mexico, Madrid, Barcelona, London,
and Mallorca, and it is through the melding together of this
information from geographically separated places that he brings the
mystery of California's mission music into sharper focus. In
addition to extensive musical analysis, the book also examines such
things as cultural context, style, scribal attribution,
instructions to musicians, government questionnaires, invoices, the
liturgy, architectural space where performances took place,
spectacle, musical instruments, instrument construction, shipping
records, travelers' accounts, letters, diaries, passenger lists,
baptismal and burial records, and other primary source material.
Within this book one finds considerablebiographical information
about Junipero Serra, Juan Bautista Sancho, Narciso Duran,
Florencio Ibanez, Pedro Cabot, Martin de Cruzelaegui, Ignacio de
Jerusalem, and Francisco Javier Garcia Fajer. Furthermore, it
contains five far-reaching appendices: a Catalogue of Mission
Sources; Photos of Missions and Mission Manuscripts (with over 150
color facsimiles); Translations of Primary Texts; Music Editions
(that are performance-ready); and an extensive Bibliography.
for SATB and organ with optional congregation Perfect for
celebrating Pentecost, this joyous anthem on the theme of the Holy
Spirit centres around the Veni Creator Spiritus plainchant,
fragments of which have been skilfully developed to create an
expressive setting of Edwin Hatch's Breathe on me, breath of God.
Masterfully crafted, the anthem moves seamlessly between the
familiar plainchant and Bullard's original melody, before
culminating in a climactic final verse in which the two melodies
are sung simultaneously, bringing the anthem to an exultant close.
for SATB and organ Setting a text by the composer, this choral hymn
addresses God, the risen Christ, and the Holy Spirit in turn, with
a strong sense of worship and adoration. With an appealing melody,
sumptuous harmonies, and a captivating soprano descant, this is the
ideal piece for Trinity Sunday.
for SATB (with divisions), oboe, and organ The text combines the
nineteenth-century poet and Christian minister George MacDonald's
emotive poem Lost and Found with the 'In paradisum' antiphon from
the Burial Service in the Liber Usualis. The music is at times
ethereal, melancholic, poignant, and life-affirming. The solo oboe
and organ writing is integral to the emotive character of the
piece, and the word-painting and angelic chorus moments encourage
the listener to reflect on the subject at hand. The Quest is
featured on the Collegium Records CD The Gift of Life. An
orchestration for chamber ensemble (solo oboe, harp, and strings)
is available on hire/rental.
for SATB, piano, and optional bass and drum kit The Nidaros Jazz
Mass draws on a variety of jazz styles to present a fun and
innovative setting of the Latin Missa brevis. With a gentle Kyrie,
funky Gloria, ballad-like Sanctus, laid-back Benedictus, and
passionate Agnus Dei, this work breathes new life into familiar
words, perfectly combining the contemporary with the ancient.
Recorded by a professional jazz trio (piano, bass, and drums), this
backing track is a useful tool for rehearsal and performance, and
is compatible with both mixed- and upper-voice versions.
for baritone solo, SATB chorus, children's choir (or semi-chorus),
and small orchestra (or piano/organ) McDowall's setting of the
Stabat Mater has been described as 'an outstanding work of great
solemnity and poignancy' (Tempo, 2013). The work comprises seven
movements in a symmetrical structure-from the impassioned choral
opening, through two intense yet diverse baritone solos and
contemplative plainchant chorales, to the stately finale uniting
all the voices. The optimistic central movement, in a major
tonality, may be performed by children's choir or a semi-chorus of
sopranos and altos from the main group. A plaintive meditation on
the sorrows of the Virgin Mary as she stands by the Cross,
McDowall's Stabat Mater is a sophisticated modern alternative to
more well-known settings, ideal for performance at non-liturgical
Lenten services. The piano reduction in the score, which can be
adapted for organ, may be used for concert performance if an
orchestra is not available.
With a host of accessible, quality new settings, and with pieces
based on all the major hymn tunes, these volumes are a must for
every church organistas library.
for SATB and organ Archer's setting of this well-known Christmas
text is lilting and buoyant, with a memorable melody and charming
organ interludes. Suitable for liturgical or concert use, the carol
features great textual variety, building to a rousing finish that
is sure to fill audiences with Christmas cheer!
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.
|
|