James Whitbourn: The Choral Collection

Par WHITBOURN JAMES. This glorious collection of beautiful choral music by composer James Whitbourn includes fifteen short works drawn from his oeuvre from the first few years of the 21st century. Many of his greatest compositions are included in The Choral Collection, with many of the pieces working perfectly for seasonal performances, while also reflecting the many fruitful collaborations of Whitbourn's distinguished career. All works are arranged for SATB Choir. James Whitbourn has become renowned throughout the world for his acclaimed compositions and settings of numerous texts. He has been described as truly original and an innovator of contemporary British choral music, collaborating with people like Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. The former appears here, as A Prayer Of Desmond Tutu, a setting of one of the Archbishop's prayers. His arrangements and compositions for the King's College Choir have been universally critically acclaimed, with A Great And Mighty Wonder, Nunc Dimittis and Were You There? representing these hugely popular collaborations. Whitbourn has also had a very close relationship with the BBC since his beginnings as a composer, working with them on three pieces within The Choral Collection. Eternal Rest and Give Us The Wings Of Faith were both composed specifically for television broadcast, the former (in its orchestral form) was played for the funeral of the Queen Mother in 2002. His longest work, for which he is most famous, is a setting of text from'the Diary of Anne Frank'. There Is No Speech Or Language comes from this work, taking its text from other sources, but that still maintain the beauty and tragedy of the wider piece. The Choral Collection of fifteen compositions by James Whitbourn is full of beautiful, haunting, uplifting and inspiring melodies for SATB Choir and Organ Accompaniment from one of the most treasured British choral composers. The brilliant choice of texts throughout is matched only by the sheer compositional skill of Whitbourn in evoking the emotions of the words in the musical form. Also included are suggestions for seasonal song use, a list of recordings, and fascinating song notes written by Whitbourn himself. The joy of choral singing is nowhere more evident than in a work by James Whitbourn, and performances of any piece within this collection is sure to be remembered for a long time to come./ Recueil / Choeur Mixte (SATB) et Orgue

Today's Choral Classics is a special collection of pieces from the most exciting talents in choral composition today. From the church to the concert hall, it is the perfect volume for choruses seeking a contemporary choral repertoire, rich in accessible, modern arrangements in a variety of styles. Featuring Paul Mealor's Wherever You Are , a Christmas #1 for The Military Wives choir, and Ubi Caritas , his specially commissioned piece for the royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - serene miniatures by John Tavener and Eric Whitacre - simple gems by Richard Rodney Bennett and Richard Blackford - and more substantial works by Judith Weir, James Whitbourn, Tarik O'Regan and Nico Muhly - choirs of all styles, sizes and abilities will discover a wealth of variety of inspiring pieces to delight singers and audiences alike. Today's Choral Classics is a fantastic addition to any music library or choral resource, and provides a solid and accessible basis for any contemporary choral concert programme. / SATB

The New Novello Book Of Short & Easy Anthems For Upper Voices is a wonderful collection and an invaluable resource for Upper Voice choirs who have the desire to sing a variety of beautiful anthems but who have an unfortunately limited amount of rehearsal time. Selected and edited by David Hill this collection includes anthems that are easy to learn enjoyable to sing but also sound simply fantastic. Some works included in this collection are universally-loved pieces like Ave Maria?by Marcel Dupré The Lord's Prayer by John Tavener and James Whitbourn's wonderful APrayer Of Desmond Tutu. Despite the title of Short And Easy these pieces are anything but mundane or tired they are all exciting versatile and enjoyable making this collection perfect for any choir. The collection is an antidote to the fact that many choirs have to rehearse on a limited time with limited resources. Learning from this collection is quick and efficient but the songs don't compromise in beauty. A review from the September 2015 issue of Sunday by Sunday from the Royal School of Church Music says that 'He [David Hill] has surely succeeded here offering a collection of church music that is worthy interesting effective and can be learned quickly. It is wholeheartedly recommended!' With a range of styles and settings for Eucharist and Evensong this collection offers a carefully-chosen diversity for Upper Voice Choirs large and small. With James Davy's Sun Of My Soul Philip Moore's Listen To The Song Of The Children and Elizabeth Poston's The Dormouse's Carol the selection here is brilliant including pieces for all occasions and events throughout the year. This makes Short And Easy Anthems?indispensable for Upper Voice Choirs and directors who will instantly be able to draw from a

Noël! 3 is an exciting collection of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany music for mixed-voice choirs, from the easy to learn to the more challenging and unconventional. The contents range from the Baroque to the present: familiar settings of traditional and lesser-known carols through the ages to Howells, Berkeley and Warlock, and works by today's composers including Richard Rodney Bennett, Paul Mealor, John Tavener, Francis Pott and Richard Allain. Mixed-voice choirs of all levels will enjoy these new arrangements of favourite carols as well as stimulating original works for the Christmas season. / Choeur SATB Et Orgue (Ou Piano)