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'sBlow 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 Olson 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

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 WilliamHarris’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.In a glowing review in the January/February 2015 edition of Choir & Organ Jeremy Summerly writes of the appropriateness of many of these works for Remembrance concert programmes and the effectiveness of a great number of these choral pieces.

Twentiana weaves seven of the best of the tunes from the twenties into a nostaligic choral montage which provides a glorious impression of golden age in American popular music.

Choral Dances-Choral Dances from Act II of Benjamin Britten's opera Gloriana op. 53. Queen Elizabeth I is on a state visit to the city of Norwich. After a formal address of welcome she is entertained by a Masque. To these unaccompanied Choral Dances dancers representing time and concord country girls and young rustics and fishermen all pay homage and tribute to the Queen. Six movements are featured for mixed choir with piano accompaniment for rehearsal only.

Award-winning contemporary Polish composer Pawel Lukaszewski is highly celebrated as a creator of sacred Choral music. His style owes everything to the great traditions of Western music though his harmonic palette is more modernin style and he sometimes makes use of unusual Vocal effects when suggested by the text.Psalmus 102 is scored for unaccompanied Chorus SATB with a chant-inspired rendering of the words that the Western Bible knows as Psalm 103.

Holst's choral fantasy on old carols Christmas Day arranged for mixed voice choir SATB with organ accompaniment.

An anthology of Carols and Anthems by Kenneth Leighton one of the most distinguished of the British post-war composers chiefly regarded today for his choral output. This anthology includes many pieces that are less well known and find themselves in no other collection. Arranged for mixed voice choir SATB and organ.

Hewitt Jones’ timeless new carol Baby in an ox's stall beautifully captures the joyful essence of Christmas and is sure to become a popular addition to choral seasonal repertoire.   Featuring text written by the composer this accessible carol is available in two formats – SATB & Organ/Piano and Unison Voices & Organ/Piano.   

A stunning choral work by Danish post-romantic Carl Nielsen. This 1927 composition is for unaccompanied SATB mixed chorus.

Master of the Queen’s Music Judith Weir was commissioned by St Paul’s Cathedral in London to write a piece for SATB choir and organ in celebration of HM The Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016.The piece is now available from Chester Music so that choirs all over the world can join in with the festivities. Churches and other local organisations are planning events on Sunday 12th June and many may want to include thisapproachable setting of Robert Bridges’ poem.Directed by Andrew Carwood the St Paul’s Cathedral Choir performed I love all beauteous things as part of the National Service of Thanksgiving whichtook place on at 11am on 10 June 2016 in the presence of HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. At the service the Archbishop of Canterbury gave the address and the Prime Minister read a lesson.  Judith Weircomments:'It is a particular honour to contribute new music for this great occasion and a pleasure to write a choral version of Robert Bridges’ beautiful verse.'COMPOSER’S NOTEAt the suggestion of Michael Hampel Precentor of St Paul’s Cathedral I have set words by Robert Bridges who was Poet Laureate from 1913–1930. Bridges was an outstanding humanitarian and writer whose poetry hasinspired me before in The Voice of Desire a song-cycle for mezzo-soprano and piano. This short fast-tempo setting aims to emulate the swift fleet-footed rhyme and metre of the two-verse poem with its unobtrusive but tellingreference to ‘man in his hasty days’.J.W.Commissioned by the Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the 90th birthday of HM The Queen generously supported by the Boltini Trust. Performed at theNational Service of Thanksgiving for HM The Queen’s birthday at St Paul’s Cathedral London on Friday 10th June 2016 in the presence of HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.Music by Judith Weir Master of

SATB arrangement of this haunting sacred choral work. Includes a Piano part for rehearsal purposes.

Written for the Exon Singers' 2013 Festival this setting of Te Lucis Ante Terminum offers choirs an ideal introduction to the choral works of Matthew Martin. This work is suitable for use throughout the church year and combines musical sophistication with accessible choral parts. An English singing translation is included.

Annelies is the first adaptation of the diary of Anne Frank into a large-scale choral work. It brings to life the diary written by Annelies Marie Frank between 1942 and 1944 when she and her family hid in the backof an Amsterdam warehouse. Scored for Soprano soloist and SATB chorus with Piano reduction this vocal score can be used for both the chamber and orchestral versions of the work.

Missa Aedis Christi combines powerful dramatic writing with a melodious charm that characterises Howard Goodall's choral music. A substantial work of moderate difficulty it will be found valuable for both church and concert use and has been arranged for SATB choir.