David Bednall's Some Corner Of A Foreign Field for SATB unaccompanied. A group of three miniatures for unaccompanied mixed voices  Some Corner of a Foreign Field sets poems by three First World War soldiers: John William Streets Goldfeld (about whom no more than his surname is known) and Rupert Brooke. Bednall's settings are slow expansive and expressive giving space for the listener to reflect on the profoundly moving texts. Brooke's 'The Soldier' brings a particularly poignant conclusion to the set with melismas employed for dramatic effect.

In Flanders Fields is a series of poignant and evocative choral works with a theme of reconciliation and remembrance set to iconic texts by John McCrae and Rupert Brooke.Alan Smith was born in London in 1962 and spent his childhood in Croydon. He sang with various local choirs and attended the nearby Royal School of Church Music where he began organ lessons with Michael Fleming at the age of ten. He was appointed as Organist and Choirmaster of a local church at the age of 16 and later became Organ Scholar at Kings' College London where he studied from 1981 to 1984. As part of his music degree he specialized in composition studying with Nicola LeFanu David Lumsdaine and George Nicholson.Following postgraduate training at the London Institute of Education Alan began his teaching career. After working in various schools he became Head of Music at Hazelwick School Crawley in 1990 a post he continues to hold. In the same year he came to some prominence by winning the RSCM's annual composing competition. His successful entry Let the Peoples Praise You became his first published piece and continues to be widely performed. Since then his choral compositions have won several awards most recently the Thornesian Prize in 2003 and an honorable mention in the 2004 Vanguard Premieres Competition.Alan's output is predominantly of choral and vocal music much of it written for specific choirs or occasions and his catalogue runs to over 150 works. In the UK his music is published by Animus Curiad Cantiones Press Escorial Edition Fagus Music and RSCM while in America he is published by Abingdon Press CanticaNOVA OUP Pavane and Roger Dean.Since 1998 Alan has been Director of Music at St Andrew's church in Burgess Hill West Sussex where he lives with his wife and three children.

Strawberry Fields Forever was John Lennon’s homage to the garden of a Salvation Army children’s home in Liverpool. It gave The Beatles a psychedelic hit in 1967. The name was eventually adopted for a small memorial garden on the West Side of New York’s Central Park opposite Lennon’s final address The Dakota apartment building. Here this evocative song is arranged for SATB with piano accompaniment by Jeremy Birchall.

The world première of A New Commandment a piece by the late Sir John Tavener specially commissioned for Summer Fields was in February 2014 at the Sheldonian Theatre Oxford.This work waspossibly one of his very last commissions before his sudden and untimely death in November 2013. COMPOSER’S NOTE'I have set these words from St John’s Gospel many times because I feel them to beamong the most profound and therefore key texts in the Christian faith.This setting falls into three sections with an ABA structure.A New Commandment is dedicated to my mother-in-law Mary but it is also an unspokentribute to the Spanish master Victoria who has inspired me throughout my life.'

POD-Communion Service In D is a work by John Joubert for Unison Voices SATB Choir and Organ Accompaniment. Commissioned by the Lord Bishop of Wakefield for the Diocese and by Dean Close School Cheltenham.

This setting of the famous World War I era poem by John McCrae is stunning in its simplicity and emotional impact. Perform it for Memorial Day and veteran's ceremonies or at any concert occasion. Available: SATB SAB SSA and TBB. Performance Time: Approx. 2:15.

As a lily among thorns was composed as a wedding present for Katie Johnston and John Hillier in March 2004. It was performed at their marriage in Christ Church Cathedral Oxford and later performed publicly by Commotio directed by Matthew Berry. The words are taken from the Song of Songs.The Novello New Choral Series is an inspiring selection of new works from a range of contemporary composers offering pieces for all types of choirs including sacred and secular works from simple four-part settings to more expansive yet accessible repertoire in an exciting variety of styles. This collection is perfect for choirs looking to broaden theirrepertoire and explore some of the best new music around.Thomas Hyde (b.1978) studied at Oxford University where he gained a doctorate in composition in 2008 and the Royal Academy of Music. His teachers have included David Matthews Simon Bainbridge Peter Maxwell Davies and Robert Saxton. In October 2008 he was appointed Lecturer in Music at Worcester College Oxford and since September 2009 has been visiting lecturer in composition at City University London. Prizes include finalist in English National Opera’s young composer festival ‘New Visions New Voices’ (1992) the National School Band Association Prize (1993) and a Wingate Scholarship (2004-5). His music is performed regularly in Britain at festivals including Spitalfields City of London Presteigne Deal and Little Missenden as well as abroad and has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Recent works have included a string quartet for the Allegri Quartet and the one-man opera That Man Stephen Ward for the Hampstead & Highgate Festival.

G.F. Handel's masterful L'Allegro Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato have been expertly-edited by Donald Burrows to present this complete vocal score arranged for two Soprano Tenor and Bass Soli with an SATB Chorus and Orchestra. This complete edition of L'Allegro Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato features the 1740 1741 and 1743 scores reflecting Handel's personal changes involving alternative and additional movements. The 1740 score is a complete reconstruction requiring two Soprano  a Tenor and a Bass soloists. For the longer 1741 score Handel added extra movements toaccommodate additional soloists the complete version of which is included here. Finally the 1743 score boasts a radical change from the previous years with a removal of part three and a significant rearrangement of other movements.  L'Allegro Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato was first performed on the 27th of February 1740 at the Lincoln's Inn Fields theatre after just over a month of drafting. The work is a setting of a libretto by James Harris and Charles Jennens based on John Milton's two complementary yet contrasting poems about the relative virtues of happiness and melancholy.  This edition of L'Allegro Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato presents practical versions of the score which are based on the musical schemes of Handel's performances in 1741 and 1743. For a complete vocal score of this masterpiece by one of the all-time great composers this Novello Handel Edition is authoritative.

Here is a new setting of an interesting text with a great piano accompaniment! The beautiful harmonies and minor to major mode change will make this a favorite for high school choirs as well as for advanced middle school choirs. Duration: ca. 3:30.