Festival Jubilate

This joyous choral setting by Patti Drennan combines the traditional Latin text, Jubilate Deo, with English text adapted from Psalm 100. Appropriate for worship throughout the year, especially for stewardship and Thanksgiving. / Choeur SAB

Nigel Hess's Jubilate Deo for SATB and organ was originally written for a production of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII at the Chichester Festival Theatre and accompanied the Christening and Coronation scenes in the play. It was originally recorded in Chichester Cathedral with its wonderful acoustic ideal for a grand Tudor ceremony. Even with more modest forces it is helpful to imagine this majestic sound and atmosphere. The Faber Choral Signature Series introduces a wealth of new or recently written choral music to choirs in search of fresh repertoire. The series draws in a richdiversity of living composers and includes both lighter and more challenging contemporary works offering a thrilling array of varied styles.

A joyous and bright beginning to a worship service or for general or festival use Jubilate Deo features dynamic rhythms and melodies and a constant playful metre shift between 9/8 4/4 and 3/4.

Britten's Jubilate is written for SATB choir and Organ accompaniment.Benjamin Britten's birthday (22nd November 1913 Lowestoft) falls on St. Cecilia's Day a happy augury for the career of one of Britain's greatestcomposers. Essentially a vocal composer Britten won international fame for his operas and song-cycles. He never abandoned the principles of tonality and was a 'modern' composer who reached a mass audience and a conservative whoseoriginality no radical would sensibly deny. He shared with his predecessors Parry Vaughan Williams and Holst an intense interest in works for amateurs and children. His brilliant gifts as a pianist and conductor coupled withhis virtuosic inventiveness also led him to compose music for great performers such as the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and the singers Galina Vishnevskaya Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Janet Baker.The greatestpersonal influence on his music was the Tenor Peter Pears for whom he composed many operatic and vocal roles. In 1948 Britten Pears and Eric Crozier founded the Aldeburgh Festival now one of the most respected established fornew English music. In 1952 he was made a Companion of Honour in 1965 received the Order of Merit and in 1976 the year of his death he became the first composer to receive a life peerage.Oxford University Press wasBritten's first publisher. In the early 1930s A Boy Was Born and the Simple Symphony brought him great critical acclaim and launched his compositional career. Oxford is delighted to present some previouslyunpublished pieces in collaboration with the Britten Estate. These include the Double Concerto for Violin and Viola premiered at Snape by the Britten-Pears Orchestra under Kent Nagano in June 1997; Two Portraits forString Orchestra premiered on BBC Radio 3 in December 1995 by the Northern Sinfonia under Martyn Brabbins; The World Of The Spirit the full version first performed in 1938 on the BBC Home Service the abridged

Britten did write extensively for chorus but set standard liturgical texts on three occasions only (not counting his highly unorthodox War Requiem): First an early Te Deum (1935) to which he appended a Jubilate in 1961 and this Festival Te Deum composed for the 1944 centenary of St. Mark's Church in Swindon. Despite the mostly Latin title this work employs an English translation of the usual text. Britten also maintains some degree of musical tension through this work (or perhaps comments on the staid unchanging nature of the church) by restricting the organ to a steady dotted-half-note accompaniment even while the chorus widely enjoys varying tempi.

With the Latin text from the Book of Psalms this piece offers interesting rhythms making it a strong opening number in concert or festival performance. For mature high school and beyond this challenging work will be rewardingfor choirs and audiences! Duration: ca. 2:45.

Here's a proven winner from Emily Crocker a buoyant setting of Psalm 100. Crisp rhythms and dynamic music come together in this powerful concert festival work. Available: SATB 2-Part 3-Part Mixed Instrumental Pak. Performance Time: Approx. 3:00.