Rounds and canons drawn from the folk and classical repertoire provide an introduction to two-part singing.

This is the first ever book-length study of the a cappella masses which appeared in France in choirbook layout during the baroque era. Though the musical settings of the Ordinarium missae and of the Missa pro defunctis have been the subject of countless studies, the stylistic evolution of the polyphonic masses composed in France during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries has been neglected owing to the labor involved in creating scores from the surviving individual parts. Jean-Paul C. Montagnier has examined closely the printed, engraved and stenciled choirbooks containing this repertoire, and his book focuses mainly on the music as it stands in them. After tracing the choirbooks' publishing history, the author places these mass settings in their social, liturgical and musical context. He shows that their style did not all adhere strictly to the stile antico, but could also employ the most up-to-date musical language of the period.

Tallis's Canon for 2, 3, 4, or 5 equal voices and chamber orchestra or organ and strings Accompaniment for chamber or string orchestra is available on hire

for SATB, congregation (opt), and organ, or string/chamber orchestra, or brass This popular arrangement can also be found in Carols for Choirs 1 and 100 Carols for Choirs. Verses two and five may be sung by two choirs or by choir and audience. The other verses are a mixture of women's voices alone, men's voices alone, and SATB. Orchestral accompaniment is available on hire.

The Oxford Book of Flexible Choral Songs is the perfect resource for secular choirs and singing groups who like the flexibility to perform songs in a range of combinations from unison to SATB. Each piece may be performed by a mixed choir, but is also presented with flexible scoring options, clearly explained throughout, enabling performance by various combinations of singers, including upper voices or men's voices alone. As well as new arrangements of existing repertoire, the collection also features newly commissioned original works, specially written for flexible forces.

for SATB and congregation (opening phrase to be played on trumpets or organ) This striking anthem sets the Latin text of Psalm 33 (an English singing translation is included). Dynamic melismatic vocal lines feature throughout, with the texture switching between homophony and polyphony. It was first performed in 1956, the same year as the composer's similarly lively motet A Vision of Aeroplanes.

for soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists, SATB choir, and orchestra In this Christmas cantata Vaughan Williams uses and a wide range of musical styles to create a compelling, vivid, and highly original retelling of the Christmas story. Composed in 1953-4, Hodie (This Day) was Vaughan Williams's final large-scale choral-orchestral work, and was premiered under his own baton in Worcester Cathedral as part of the 1954 Three Choirs Festival. It comprises sixteen movements, including 'narrations' of words from the Bible, chorals, and a variety of other forms for both soloists and choir. The words are taken from diverse sources, with sacred texts from the Vespers of Christmas Day and the Bible interspersed with secular texts by poets including John Milton, Thomas Hardy, and the composer's own wife Ursula Vaughan Williams.

for SA and piano This setting of the much-loved English folksong Greensleeves employs sophisticated harmony to adorn the simple yet timeless melody. An SATB version is also available.

for SATB unaccompanied Vaughan Williams composed this setting of a poem by his wife Ursula in 1953 to form part of A Garland for the Queen, a collection of ten tributes to the newly-crowned Queen Elizabeth II by leading British composers and poets. It is dedicated 'to the memory of Charles Villiers Stanford, and his Blue Bird', and reflects Stanford's masterpiece in its harmonic language, floating soprano part, unaccompanied scoring, and haunting atmosphere.

for unison or two-part voices and piano Adapted from music from The Pilgrim's Progress, this setting of words from Revelation 2 is profound and mystical. Flowing melodies, atmospheric harmonic shifts, and hushed dynamics all give the piece an ethereal quality that powerfully evokes the religious transcendence described in the text.

This cantata features sixteen highly-varied folk song settings, bound together in seasonal groupings to take the listener on an engaging journey through the year from Spring to Winter. The prologue implores us to 'sing and be merry', and many of the songs facilitate this with their charmingly light-hearted melodies and imaginative orchestral accompaniment. There are also darker moments, such as the haunting and heart-rending setting of 'The Unquiet Grave' in 'Autumn'. An orchestral suite (arranged by Roy Douglas) is available on hire, and several of the individual movements are available on sale.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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 TTBB and piano, or orchestra, or piano and strings This hearty song from the cantata In Windsor Forest (adapted from the opera Sir John in Love) is full of character. With a rollicking 'oom-pah' accompaniment and spirited vocal writing, it makes a fun and entertaining closing number or encore. Orchestral material is available on hire.

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.