Sing Pop A Cappella is a collection of a cappella arrangements of fantastic pop songs old and new, by renowned teacher, singer and director Gitika Partington. Her arrangements are used by choirs across the UK, and she emphasises that being able to read music is not necessary. Rewarding and enjoyable, Book Three continues her project to bring people together through the power of song.What's great about Gitika Partington's Sing Pop A Cappella series is how she understands that to make great music or to sing a great song, it's not necessary to be able to sight-read. It may be useful, but she has learned that there are other ways to communicate music, namely through ear training, repetition and gesture. Her arrangements, five of which appear in this book, have enabled youth and community choirs to spring up across the country, making singing truly and universally accessible. Included in this book are wonderfully rich a cappella arrangements of Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers, Black Is The Colour Of My True Love's Hair, Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up, Adele's Rolling In The Deep and a huge favourite, Sway (Quien Sera). Vocal scores for these innovative and enjoyable arrangements are included in standard notation, although Partington recommends learning by ear as something equally beneficial. To aid with this, the accompanying download card includes five tracks of audio for each song. One features a full performance demonstration while the other four each focus on either soprano, alto, tenor or bass. The easy download of these tracks makes learning efficient and fun, as you are able to listen wherever you are.The great thing about a cappella singing is that it can be done anywhere, with limited resources, with members who don't necessarily have any musical training. Partington has created a book that can be used by a cappella choirs who love pop music that sounds great and will thrill audiences. Sing Pop A Cappella is not just a songbook, though, it also includes an extensive introduction by Partington, as well as performance tips for each song and information on voice care and learning the tunes. It's a personal book for Partington, who is passionate about the power of music to bring people together, and enthusiastic about getting people who wouldn't believe they had the confidence or ability, to sing pop!Sing Pop A Cappella is a brilliant book for choirs of any type or size who would enjoy singing five incredible pop tunes without accompaniment. The fantastic sound of a group of people singing a well-known song in a completely new and interesting way is something that Gitika Partington knows well, and something that she wants to impart to groups across the country. Songs like this were made to be sung, so pick up Book Three and Sing Pop A Cappella! / Choeur Mixte (SATB) Et Piano

Arranged for SSSAAATTTBBB the lyrics are from an anonymous writer of the fourteenth century and have been adapted by the composer.The composer says: 'Woefully arrayed is a supreme choral setting by William Cornysh Junior who died in 1523 of a text usually regarded as of anonymous composition though there have been some attributions to John Skelton. It is a thoughtful powerful meditation on Christ on the Cross and though Cornysh’s setting has remarkable intensity and contrapuntal artistry I felt a strong wish to add my own response to this fine text. The different versions of it have different verses that used by Cornysh has three verses (plus therefrain) while there are others with four or even five (one attributed to Skelton has five). I have chosen to restrict myself to the three used by Cornysh using my own adaptation of the modernised words which yet incorporates some archaisms a deliberate choice for reasons of rhythm and verbal sound. This setting was commissioned by the Three Choirs Festival 2009 for Stile Antico to whom it is dedicated.''Difficult to perform but not difficult to listen to this 2009 Three Choirs Festival commission was first performed by Stile Antico who have since toured it. It is a heartfelt response to the fourteenth-century text passionate and anguished Christ is on the cross ‘woefully arrayed’. Although written for a secular choir it is a piece that could be sung by many cathedral and collegiate choirs: there is considerable doubling between the sixteen lines and a keyboard reduction to help the initial sorting out. Above all it is dramatic and would communicate directly to audiences if given a chance to hear it.'       - James L Montgomer RSCM review

Bob Chilcott's mighty setting of words from the Gospel of St John is a dramatic yet optimistic retelling of the Passiontide story. As with Bach's great Passion settings the role of the Evangelist is taken by the tenor soloist who provides a melodious narrative throughout the work in arioso style. The words of Jesus and Pilate are performed by solo baritones. Within the narrative the SATB chorus becomes a crowd or a group of soldiers commenting on the story in short outbursts although the larger role of the choir is to perform the four meditations and five hymns that support the story. For the meditations-two of whichinclude soprano solos-Chilcott has selected English poems from the 13th to the early 17th centuries.The five well-known hymn texts are set to new original melodies which are also intended for performance by an audience or congregation.

Anna R. Matthews writes: 'Frederick Niven's poem tells the story of Christmas in 1914. On Christmas Day a truce was spontaneously enacted by the two sides fighting in Flanders in World War One. This was five months into the war which until this point many in Britain had confidently believed would be over by that time. When the two sides lay down their weapons in the name of humanity and met in the middle of no-man's-land they would not have realised the bloodshed that was to come as the war dragged on for a further four years - a conflict so atrocious that it came to be known as 'the war to end all wars'.This carol conveys the unknowing innocence of thosemen and the joy of Christmas yet explores the sinister context in which they met and the future which was to come. Ultimately the events of the 1914 Christmas truce came to symbolise the universality of hope and peace at Christmas. This carol brings this message into the twenty-first century.' Anna R. Matthews is a composer living in Exeter England. Born in Devon Anna studied music at Durham University where she was awarded the Rosalind Dickinson Prize. She enjoys working with some of today's most talented and creative ensembles: from Psappha to EXAUDI and from cathedral choirs to youth ensembles. Her music has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and she has been a featured new music composer in Choir & Organ magazine. Anna was a finalist in the 2011 King James Bible Composition Awards and is a 2013/24 Arts Council England fellow on the Clore Leadership Programme. She is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.