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Books > Arts & Architecture > Music > Other types of music > Vocal music
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 double choir and piano or small ensemble Another winning
collaboration between Bob Chilcott and author Charles Bennett, this
work was commissioned by Age UK Oxfordshire as part of a project to
highlight and combat loneliness. The singers assume the role of
narrator, guiding the listener on a journey made by boat, with nine
choral songs presenting their own stories within this larger
excursion. The outer movements provide a watery framework with
rippling figures and gentle choral waves. An air of nostalgia
pervades 'My father's boat' and 'What we did on our holiday', while
the central songs use naval and meteorological imagery to speak of
some of life's difficulties. Soliloquies between the choral songs
highlight a variety of solo instruments, but these may be omitted
if performing with piano.
for SSA and piano This playful song sets the famous 'Beautiful
Soup' poem from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in
a suitably tongue-in-cheek manner. With lilting rhythms,
intertwining lines, and opportunities for portamento, Beautiful
Soup will make an enjoyable addition to any concert programme.
for SSA and piano As She Goes sets words by the composer on a
reflective yet inspirational theme ('We were born to fly, but your
wings come without a trial run'), against the backdrop of images
from the natural world. The choral lines are simple and melodic,
drawing on the sound-world of the folksong 'My Love's An Arbutus',
which opens the work. Ideal for adult and youth upper-voice choirs,
as well as children's choruses.
for SATB and piano As Joseph was a-walking is a lilting and
uplifting setting of the well-known traditional text about the
prophecy of Christ's birth, as received by Joseph from an angel.
The accessible musical language, with interesting harmonic
inflections, and attractive piano writing makes this an appealing
choice for Christmas concerts and services.
for TTBB and piano Like the original version for SATB voices, this
new male-voice arrangement of Wide Open Spaces reflects on the
journeys and adventures to be found in the wide opens spaces within
ourselves and in the world around us. The uplifting melody is
passed from the tenors to the baritones before the piece opens out
into an expansive texture with rich harmonies. Quartel introduces a
playful episode of scat singing before a resolute final chorus
brings this evocative piece to a peaceful and serene close.
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 SSATB unaccompanied Setting part of a Eucharistic hymn text by
Thomas Aquinas, Adoro te devote is a beautiful, devotional piece
suitable for liturgical or concert use. Flowing and expressive, it
features homophonic sections, melismatic lines, and optional
soaring soprano solos. Adoro te devote was written for Martin Baker
and Westminster Cathedral Choir and is dedicated to the memory of
the victims of the Nepalese Earthquake in April 2015.
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.
for SSAATTBB unaccompanied Ave gloriosa mater salvatoris is a
challenging and yet delicate anthem, with subtle key-signature
changes, vocal divisions in up to eight parts, and alternating
homophonic and polyphonic passages. The text includes excerpts from
the synonymous medieval hymn and Wordsworth's poem The Virgin,
making the piece suitable for a variety of sacred celebrations and
particularly those of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
for SATB and piano Composed in celebration of David Willcocks's
95th birthday, Jonathan Willcocks sets a suitably uplifting
traditional text from Cornwall, the county of his father's birth.
Telling the story of the shepherd's and wise men's visits to Jesus,
this carol is both joyous and sprightly, and would be suitable for
both Christmas and Epiphany.
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 or piano Horatius Bonar's well-known hymn
Beloved, let us love is a perfect text for wedding services,
expressing the belief that it is only through loving others that we
can know God's love for us. Bullard's celebratory and emotive
setting begins by offsetting male and female voices, before
exploring full-choir textures, rich harmonies, and contrasting
keyboard accompaniments. Both affirmatory and exultant and
reflective and wondrous, the anthem should find a place in church
services and concerts throughout the year.
for SSATB and piano Originally the second movement of Chilcott's
choral work Five Days that Changed the World, this poignant setting
of words by Charles Bennett reflects on one of the most significant
events of our time. The choral parts are melodic and interweaving,
and the flowing piano part provides harmonic support for the voices
throughout.
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 SSAA and piano Originally the second movement of Chilcott's
choral work Five Days that Changed the World, this poignant setting
of words by Charles Bennett reflects on one of the most significant
events of our time. The upper-voice choral parts are melodic and
interweaving, and the flowing piano part provides harmonic support
for the voices throughout.
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 with piano accompaniment and unaccompanied Mo li hua
(Jasmine) is a tri-language publication suitable for Chinese- or
English-speaking choirs. A collection of arrangements of five
well-known traditional Chinese songs depicting the simplicity and
beauty of everyday life, it includes simplified and traditional
Chinese scripts, as well as English singing translations. A Pinyin
version of the Chinese - for non-Chinese reading choirs - will be
available from the OUP website.The songs-drawn from across
China-are arranged sympathetically and in Chilcott's original
style, suggesting a musical fusion of East and West. The song 'Mo
li hua' was written for The Bach Choir and David Hill, who gave its
premiere while on tour in China in April 2014.
for SATB double choir, children's choir, and piano Setting a text
by Charles Bennett, The White Field presents a dreamlike scene in
which blackbirds plant songs in the cold earth and await the growth
of their music. Chilcott's melodies echo through the voices, before
a climactic tutti central section giving full voice to the idea of
renewal and hope in the depth of winter. A wistful coda completes
the reverie as the blackbirds settle to await the return of the
sun. The piano part provides harmonic support and rhythmic energy
to the voice parts with chordal and semiquaver figurations
throughout the work. The White Field was commissioned by the
Barbican Centre for London Symphony Chorus and BBC Symphony Chorus
for Sound Unbound, November 2015.
for SATTBB unaccompanied Thou, my love, art fair was written for
The King's Singers and first performed by the group on St
Valentine's Day 2015. Setting the William Baldwin poem, Christ to
his spouse, this delightful song makes full and effective use of
the voice parts and features charming harmonies and interweaving
melismas. Chilcott has treated the sixteenth-century text with due
care and style, creating a beautifully elegant piece of music.
for SATB and organ or small orchestra In this setting of haunting
simplicity, Rutter employs rich orchestral colours and a beautiful,
imploring melody. The composer has taken the opportunity of this
anniversary edition to recast the original accompaniment for organ,
to facilitate performance in church. Conductor's scores and
instrumental parts are available on sale and on hire/rental.
for SATB unaccompanied Setting a well-known poem by Percy Shelley,
Love's Philosophy is a sweet and tender choral song reflecting on
the idea of love with reference to nature and the interdependent
relationships evident in the world around us. Mellifluous choral
writing and sighing 'ah' interjections convey the sometimes wistful
feel of Shelley's words, and numerous repetitions of 'thou' at the
end of the piece emphasize the theme of unrequited or lost love.
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