These four splendid anthems were composed for the coronation of George II in October 1727 and have since retained a position at the heart of the English choral tradition. The popular anthem Zadok the priest has been performed at all subsequent coronations, and Handel's other contributions to the royal occasion - Let thy hand be strengthened, The King shall rejoice, and My heart is inditing - have the same majestic grandeur, with affecting contrasts between different sections of the sacred texts. The editor, Clifford Bartlett, has corrected various inconsistencies in Handel's score, and complete details of sources and editorial method, additional performance notes, and a critical commentary can be viewed in the companion full score available on hire.

This stimulating guide will help students and their teachers to achieve stylish performances of music of the Baroque period. Individual chapters from leading experts focus on historical background, notation and interpretation, and sources and editions, presenting the latest thinking on performance in a clear, helpful and practical way. There are also dedicated chapters of specialist advice for keyboard, string and wind players, and singers, plus a recommended playlist of illustrative, authoritative recordings. Fully illustrated throughout with many music examples, facsimiles and pictures, this is a valuable resource for students of the Baroque period which will also add to the knowledge and understanding of amateur and professional musicians.

This collection gathers together nearly sixty of the finest examples of the secular choral repertoire into one volume. Due space is given to the magnificent sixteenth century madrigals of England and Italy, with favorite works by Gibbons and Morley placed alongside less familiar selections by Lassus, Marenzio, and Weelkes. German and French pieces are also represented, for example, with Passereau's ever-popular Il est bel est bon. Works by Haydn and Schubert lead to the nineteenth century repertoire, which includes Brahms's lovely Nachtwache, from Five Songs, Op. 104, and Pearsall's exquisite Lay a Garland. The survey is completed by Debussy's Trois Chansons de Charles D'Orleans and examples of the glorious outpouring of English Romantic partsongs, with works by Elgar, Parry, Stanford, Britten, Finzi, and Vaughan Williams. Ranging from the late fifteenth to the twentieth century, and spanning all major European countries, this is a masterly survey suitable for all choirs. Clifford Bartlett has prepared completely new editions of all pre-twentieth century pieces, going back to the earliest and most reliable manuscript or printed sources. English translations are provided to aid understanding, with playable keyboard reductions in every case.

for SATB soloists, SATB choir, and orchestra There is no single definitive version of Messiah. Handel continued to make revisions to the score throughout his life either to improve it or to suit the abilities of individual performers or the needs of an occasion. This edition presents the standard version (with which most people are familiar) complete with a new, practical piano reduction. The appendix contains most of Handel's alternative movements and transpositions. The full score includes all the alternative movements and transpositions in their correct sequence and all material is signposted clearly and cross-referenced with the vocal score. Clifford Bartlett provides a text that is as close as possible to the sources, yet is presented with performers' needs in mind. Both full and vocal scores provide guidance on performance practice, and the vocal score includes ance piano/organ reduction suitable for both rehearsal purposes and performance without orchestra. Complete orchestral material and vocal scores are available on hire/rental,

for SATB soloists, SATB choir, and orchestra There is no single definitive version of Messiah. Handel continued to make revisions to the score throughout his life either to improve it or to suit the abilities of individual performers or the needs of an occasion. This edition presents the standard version (with which most people are familiar) complete with a new, practical piano reduction. The appendix contains most of Handel's alternative movements and transpositions. The full score includes all the alternative movements and transpositions in their correct sequence and all material is signposted clearly and cross-referenced with the vocal score. Clifford Bartlett provides a text that is as close as possible to the sources, yet is presented with performers' needs in mind. Both full and vocal scores provide guidance on performance practice, and the vocal score includes ance piano/organ reduction suitable for both rehearsal purposes and performance without orchestra. Complete orchestral material and vocal scores are available on hire/rental,