Few details are known about the life of Henry Purcell. This book provides an in-depth analysis of the most obvious documentary evidence of Purcell's career - the music manuscripts of his own hand and those copied by his colleagues. Robert Shay and Robert Thompson offer a richly illustrated study of Purcell's sources, examining in detail the physical features of the manuscripts as well as their musical content. Their survey sheds light on the chronology of composition and copying of Purcell's works and reassesses the place of extant autographs in his musical development. Major sources are fully catalogued, providing information about the context in which Purcell's music was collected and performed, and his handwriting is more closely examined than ever before. The book represents a significant reference tool for scholars, applying a forensic approach that greatly enriches our knowledge of the composer and the music of his time.

A survey of the influence of the Arthurian legends on musical works. King Arthur in Music is the first book to be devoted to the subject. The range of musical material is too wide for a single author to tackle satisfactorily, and the nine contributors to this volume are experts in the very different fields involved. The first essay, by Robert Shay, deals with the late seventeenth century semi-opera King Arthur, while the final essay by William Everitt looks at the appearances of Arthur on stage and screen and the scores that have accompanied these. Between these two extremes, the main body of the book deals largely with opera as we now understand it, from Wagner's 'Tristan' and 'Parsifal' to Harrison Birtwistle's 'Sir Gawain and the GreenKnight'. Some works have never been performed, such as Hubert Parry's 'Guenever' and Rutland Boughton's Arthurian cycle, while others have only recently been staged or revived, such as Isaac Albeniz's 'Merlin' and Ernest Chausson's 'Le roi Artus', both striking post-Wagnerian works in very different styles: 'Merlin', for instance, begins with a passage based on Gregorian chant. The range of music is therefore wider than one might at first suspect, and other aspects of Arthurian music are brought out in the introduction, which is a general survey of the field, and in Jerome V.Reel's comprehensive listing of Arthurian musical items which is printed as an appendix. Contributors ROBERT ADLINGTON, RICHARD BARBER, WALTER A. CLARK, JEREMY DIBBLE, WILLIAM A. EVERITT, TONY HUNT, MICHAEL HURD, JEROME V. REEL, NIGEL SIMEONE, ROBERT SHAY, DEREK WATSON.

Heart of Hearts by Robert Shay raises timeless questions about life, love, spirit, and the nature of reality. It presents an intimate and revealing exploration into the depths of human meaning and understanding to illuminate a path many seek, where the answers to these grand questions can be found. Robert Shay brings a bright light to a subject that has grown dim from pop culture cliches and consensus media sound bites: spirituality and personal growth. So many books promise an answer to the big questions of life, but fail to deliver. Heart of Hearts is a book that gives deep, clear, and personal answers for spiritually minded beginners and advanced students. It uses clear language to explain complex thoughts, thus helping the reader to easily incorporate them into their lives. Written with compassion and the wisdom of the ages, Heart of Hearts is a must-read for anyone searching for deeper meaning in their lives. Author Robert Shay has written a book that is truly life changing.

Best-selling Christian educator Ginny Ward Holderness and Robert S. Hay give us a comprehensive guide and workbook that involves youth in their own ministry programs and encourages them to become the church leaders of the future. According to Ward and Hay, the key to effective youth ministry is shared leadership between youth and adult leaders. The techniques presented in this book will help readers create healthy and thriving youth ministry programs.