John Tavener: Choral Collection

Music played an enormous role in the works of William Shakespeare, while his own sonnets, poems and soliloquies have provided continuing inspiration for many composers through the years. The Novello Shakespeare Choral Collection, inspired by the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death in 2016, is an exciting anthology of choral works that are settings of Shakespeare's words. For choirs of all types and abilities, this collection has been edited by David Wordsworth so that all the pieces are fantastic both to sing and hear.The collection features some beautiful settings that have well and truly stood the test of time, such as Thomas Arne's Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind and Henry Leslie's How Sweet The Moonlight Sleeps. More recent settings from 20th century and contemporary composers include Ernest Moeran's Sigh No More, Ladies, Gary Carpenter's Lo, Here, The Gentle Lark and John Tavener's Fear No More and Look In Thy Glass.Not only this, the Shakespeare Choral Collection boasts several works that were specially commissioned, including John Joubert's Be Not Afeard, Richard Sisson's Light Thickens and Pawel Lukaszewki's Weary With Toil, I Haste Me To My Bed. Some pieces have never appeared before in print, such as those by Kevin Olsen, Bernard Hughes and John Gardner. These songs truly are a joy to perform, with some relatively simple arrangements that are purely fun to sing, while some more complex settings that will be thoroughly rewarding for choirs and audiences alike.A total of 26 fantastic works comprise The Novello Shakespeare Choral Collection, which would work as a wonderful concert programme on its own, or could provide a wealth of options for choirs looking to expand their repertoire with a range of unique settings. Also included is a fascinating introduction by editor David Wordsworth, and notes describing each piece.Words written by indisputably the greatest writer in the English language can only be matched with music by composers of talent and renown such as these. The Novello Shakespeare Choral Collection is an essential anthology of stunning settings of beautiful words which will be performed and enjoyed for many years to come. / Choeur Mixte (SATB)

John Tavener's Ex Maria Virgine is a sequence of Christmas carols their emphasis on the Nativity and the Virgin Mary. Scored for SATB unaccompanied or with Organ the collection isrepresentative of the broad range of Tavener's choral writing. These carols may be performed as the full sequence or as individual pieces: carols such as Ding! Dong! Merrily on High and Unto Us is Born aSon to familiar texts made novel and exciting or Rocking a simple four-part setting sure to become a favourite with choirs of any accomplishment. Includes a performance CD recorded by the choir of ClareCollege Cambridge.

The Vocal score for John Tavener's beautiful work Lament For Jerusalem arranged for Soprano Countertenor and SATB Chorus with a Piano Accompaniment. This score can be used for both the 'Original'and 'Jerusalem' versions of the work. The composition was commissioned by Father Arthur E. Bridge OAM for Ars Musica Australis and was first written in 2002. The 'Jerusalem' version was arranged for theChoir of London in 2004. Tavener himself calls the work 'a mystical love-song' that reflects the 'mystical sacred and sublime nature of the texts'.  Lament For Jerusalem isdivided into seven stanzas each of which contain Christic Judaic and Islamic inspirations making this work truly innovative and interesting. The piece is around 45 minutes long and it is recommended to be performed in a spacein which there are generous acoustics that will allow each individual voice as well as the collective whole to 'breathe' and dissolve into the air.  The work is a wonderful one receiving greatcritical acclaim upon its premiere and impressing audiences the world over for its soaring Soprano melodies and its left-field Middle-Eastern harmonies. The composition is one in a long line of Tavener pieces thatimmediately silences audiences and captivates their attention throughout.  Any performance of Lament For Jerusalem is guaranteed to be a special event and one that audiences willremember for a long time.

Noel! is an exciting collection for mixed voice choirs, selected and edited by David Hill. The contents range from the Renaissance to the present: the polyphony of Victoria and Byrd, via Bach, familiar settings of traditional and lesser known carols through the ages, and works by today's composers including Richard Rodney Bennett, Judith Bingham, John Tavener and Judith Weir. Mixed voice choirs of all levels will find here new arrangements of favourite carols as well as stimulating works for the Christmas season, from the easy to learn to the more challenging and unconventional. / Choeur SATB

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

An original and exciting collection of anthems and other choral pieces written for the Orthodox Church and inspired by the Church in Russia selected by Ralph Allwood. Partly because of the re-emergence of the Church in the former Soviet Union interest in Christian musical sources alternative to the great body of the Anglican and other Western Christian traditions has grown sharply in recent years. Though the works presented here may be unfamiliar they are all masterly. Designed to appeal to choirs of various levels the collection includes a Kontakion and Ikos for the funeral service anthems by Great Russian Romantics: Tchaikovsky Rachmaninov Grechaninov; andcomposers from our age: Stravinsky Schnittke or Arvo Part speaking for a tradition outside the Orthodox Church as well as settings of the Lord's Prayer in both Russian and English by John Tavener.

In celebration of Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee this unique collection showcases the very best of the sacred music composed in the last 10 years. Not for 500 years has such a compilation been made: in the late 15th century the Eton Choirbook was made to record the best of early Tudor church music. Under the artistic direction of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies Master of the Queen's Music 45 anthems have been selected 12 of which are new commissions for this project including a setting of Rowan Williams' poem Advent Calendar by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. During 2012 BBC Radio 3's Choral Evensong will feature anthems from this collection and a specially boundcopy will be presented to HM The Queen. Featured composers include John Tavener John Rutter Judith Weir Roxanna Panufnik Judith Bingham Richard Rodney Bennett Peter Maxwell Davies and othersFormat: Paperback: 2 volume set

We Will Remember Them: Music For Remembrance is a collection of some of the finest pieces of choral music on the theme of remembrance. We Will Remember Them: Music For Remembrance is suitable for church, cathedral, school, youth and community choirs. It contains music appropriate for Remembrance Sunday services, and beautiful pieces suitable for concerts, memorial and funeral services and other acts of remembrance and reflection. We Will Remember Them: Music For Remembrance includes classic choral works such as Samuel Barber's Agnus Dei , Edgar Bainton's And I saw a new heaven and William Harris's Bring us, O Lord God alongside other works by well-loved composers, including John Tavener, Richard Rodney, Paul Mealor and Eric Whitacre. New arrangements, such as David Hill's choral reworking of Edward Elgar's Nimrod , are included with other new works by some of the best contemporary composers. / Choeur Mixte (SATB)

& Epiphany for Mixed Voice Choirs Vol. 2-Noël 2 is an exciting collection of Advent Christmas and Epiphany music for mixed voice choirs which follows on from the highly acclaimed Noël! Volume 1 (Catalogue No. NOV310800). The contents range from the Renaissance to the present: from Byrd and Sweelinck via Bach familiar settings of traditional and lesser known carols through the ages to Howells and Leighton and work by today's composers including Richard Rodney Bennett Eric Whitacre John Tavener Tarik O'Regan and Richard Allain.Mixed voice choirs of all levels will find here new arrangements of favourite carols as well as stimulating works for the Christmasseason from the easy to learn to the more challenging and unconventional.Selected and edited by David Hill Choral Advisor to Novello Chief Conductor of the BBC singers Musical Director of The Bach Choir Chief Conductor of The Southern Sinfonia and Music Director of Leeds Philharmonic Society. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate by the University of Southampton in 2002 in recognition of his Services to Music.'Noël was a welcome addition to the Christmas list for decent standard choirs; Noël 2 adds even more to the repertoire in a handy volume...The main enticements are some fantastic new arrangements of old favourites a number of works previously only available in single sheets (Whitacre's Lux Arumque among others) and some fantastic new surprises. Adrian Peacock's Venite Gaudete is a wonderfully original and vibrant setting Richard Rodney Bennet's I Wonder as I Wander is both reflective and effective and there are plenty more.Some of the pieces here will challenge your choir but there's a vast amount to get the Christmas inspiration flowing.' - Jonathan Wikeley Music Teacher November 2009

Quelques-uns des morceaux les plus originaux de compositeurs contemporains de musique sacrée sont rassemblés ici, dans cette superbe collection. Ils sont plus particulièrement dirigés vers les directeurs de chorales qui cherchent à interpréter des morceaux spéciaux pour Noël. Dix-sept chants - dans des versions "a capella" et accompagné. Inclus entre autres "The Lamb" (Tavener), "I Sing Of A Maiden" (Berkeley), "The Holly And The Ivy" (Lutoslawski), "Jesus Christ The Apple Tree" (Poston) et "One Star At Last" (Maxwell Davies). / [Chester Book Of Carols] / Classique / Partition /