Come to the Cross SATB

A jolly Christmas carol-This lively carol was commissioned in 2005 by Lichfield Cathedral Special Choir (now called the Cathedral Chorus) to celebrate the birth of Hannah Scriven and Holly Mason the daughters of the two cathedral organists at that time. The words were specially written by Tony Barnard the then Canon Chancellor at Lichfield and a member of the choir. This carol whilst not entirely foreign to my normal style touches more ‘country and western’/popular buttons than I am in the habit of touching. But I wanted to write a tuneful piece which swayed and danced and reflected the colourful imagery of Tony Barnard’s text. Recommended recording: Comeout Lazar – The shorter choral works of Paul Spicer (Regent REGCD280) by The Chapel Choir of Selwyn College Cambridge and Claire Innes-Hopkins (organ) directed by Sarah MacDonald. Text: This child of God who’s born on Christmas day whom shepherds view to whom kings homage pay is called to be a shepherd and a king. Sing alleluias praise this wondrous thing. This child of God is shepherd born to lead through pastures green by banks of golden reed; nor left nor right but ever on the way which leads to Calvary and endless day. This child of God this Son of David’s line is root of tree a shoot a fruitful vine it shelter gives to all who see the way which leads them to the cross and Easter day. This child of God this many spangled star is light’ning flash which dazzles near and far; bright light to guide our feet along the way that leads to Calvary and endless day. This child of God is called to save mankind to open eye and ear the heart and mind; to heal and make the lame man leap and play along the road that leads to Easter Day. This child of God let angel voices praise. Give God the glory live his loving ways. Let peace on earth o’er come our worldly strife through all who walk his road throughout their life. Tony Barnard

'Yankee Doodle' with variations is the most concise way to describe the piece commissioned by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra to commemorate Conneticut's participation in The United States Bicentennial. 'Yankee Doodle' a tune dating back to the Middle Ages in Holland and England (and used by the British as early as 1755 to poke fun at untrained American troops in the French and Indian war) is interwoven with other folk and national melodies to stitch a patchwork or a musical collage. It is a personal view of American history.'To explain my approach to They All Sang Yankee Doodle I must explain my own background because the piece is made up ofmusical memories imprinted from early childhood.My earliest musical memories are a juxtaposition of sounds - hymns and Bach chorales from the church next door where my mother was choir director; early twenties jazz from my oldest brother's dance band; classical piano from my middle brother and my mother's piano studio; and cowboy songs and turn-of-the-century ballads that I have always identified with my father. Concord California where I was born was once part of a land grant from the Mexican government and the Spanish-Mexican influence remained strong even as the town expanded from a sleepy settlement into an American microcosmos with a wide variety of ethnic groups. Over fifty years ago most of us who sang 'Yankee Doodle' in Concord could not trace our ancestry to the founding fathers. Those of us with Anglo-Saxon names were at the end of the Westward push our forefathers having left behind the Eastern cities a few generations before settling for a time mid-continent then restlessly pushing further West. Little is known of my paternal grandfather for instance except that he had come to California from Indiana walking across Nevada desert to become one of the first settlers in Mordoc Indian territory.Of course the native American the Indian was there to greet each new migration and it is his

Górecki's Church Songs, based on melodies from Rev Jan Siedlecki's ?piewniki Ko?cielne ('church songbooks'), were composed in 1986. This edition is based on the PWM edition of 2013, which was produced with the assistance of Anna Górecka and Miko?aj Górecki. A special feature of the Boosey publications is the new, alternative Latin sung text by Edward Tambling, which will be attractive to the many choirs who do not wish to sing in Polish. The Latin text is carefully crafted to fit Górecki's score and is both poetic and sensitive to the devotional aspect of the songs. English translations from the Polish are also included, for reference only. The three publications present the songs for sacred use according to devotional subject-matter. In concert performances the songs, or a selection of them, may be performed in any order and combination. Vol 1 contains six songs in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The seven songs in vol 2 take the themes of Good Friday, the Crucifixion, The Cross of Christ and the Resurrection. Vol 3 contains seven songs in praise of St Joseph, St Anne and St Nicholas, the Blessed Sacrament, the Trinity and the Black Madonna of Cz?stochowa. / Choeur Mixte (SATB) A Cappella

The Novello Book Of British Folksongs For Mixed-Voice Choirs is an enjoyable collection of diverse tunes that have descended from the folksongs across the British Isles. A variety of arrangements are included, both old and new, of well-loved tunes as well as some lesser-known pieces. All 34 tunes are arranged for SATB Chorus with Piano accompaniment, making this a brilliant way to enhance your choir's repertoire.This Book Of British Folksongs offers a grand selection of favourite folk tunes arranged by composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, Paul Mealor and George Dyson. Tunes like A-Hunting We Will Go, Auld Lang Syne, Bonny At Morn, Come Lasses And Lads and Scarborough Fair suggest the sheer diversity on offer here. From sad tunes to happy songs, the arrangements here are at once beautiful and touching, coming truly to life when sung by a Mixed-Voice Choir. These thirty four folk songs will enrich a performance programme, whether as one part or the entirety. Choirs of all types and abilities will be able to discover their favourite arrangements, either the most beautiful, the funniest, or the most enjoyable to sing. With the country experiencing a revival in singing traditional folksongs, this collection is a great way to experience the unabashed joy that performing these British tunes can bring. With a great number of favourite tunes as well as some lesser-known songs, this collection includes songs like There Were Three Ravens, Yarmouth Town, My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose, Dance To Your Daddy and The Rio Grande, as well as an extensive and fascinating introduction by Jeremy Summerly.The wonderful thing about singing folksongs is they are like a window into our country's history. They are occasionally funny, often dramatic, but always enjoyable to sing, and their diversity reflects the different people, landscapes and cultural history of the British Isles. These folk tunes can be traced back through British history, evolving through the oral tradition, continually changing lyrics and melody, being amended and sculpted according to the people who sung them. These timeless tunes have been recorded in this innovative Novello Book Of British Folksongs For Mixed-Voice Choir, however, the joy of these songs is you can put your own spin on them, adapting them to how you want them sung and continuing their legacy. This wonderful collection is a fantastic addition to any choir's performance repertoire, and is sure to lead to success for the choir and audience for many years to come. / Choeur Mixte (SATB) Et Piano

Eric Whitacre has become a musical sensation across the globe. His new chart-topping CD release Water Night comes hot on the heels of his Grammy award-winning album Light and Gold.Water Night is an inspiring collection showcasing a mixture of sacred and secular choral pieces. The album is here presented as perfectly engraved sheet music for the most discerning choral connoisseur andperformer. New works such as the beautiful Alleluia and the ethereal Oculi omnium rub shoulders with earlier Eric Whitacre classics including the epic When David Heard and theever-popular title track: Water Night in a perfect showcase of Whitacre???s powerful choral writing.

The Novello Book Of British Folksongs For Mixed-Voice Choirs is an enjoyable collection of diverse tunes that have descended from the folksongs across the British Isles. A variety of arrangements are included both old and new of well-loved tunes as well as some lesser-known pieces. All 34 tunes are arranged for SATB Chorus some with Piano accompaniment making this a brilliant way to enhance your choir's repertoire. This Book Of British Folksongs offers a grand selection of favourite folk tunes arranged by composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams Gustav Holst Paul Mealor and George Dyson.Tunes like A-Hunting We Will Go Auld Lang Syne Bonny At Morn Come Lasses And Lads and Scarborough Fair suggest the sheer diversity on offer here. From sad tunes to happy songs the arrangements here are at once beautiful and touching coming truly to life when sung by a Mixed-Voice Choir.  These thirty four folk songs will enrich a performance programme whether as one part or the entirety. Choirs of all types and abilities will be able to discover their favourite arrangements either the most beautiful the funniest or the most enjoyable to sing. With the country experiencing a revival in singing traditional folksongs this collection is a great way to experience the unabashed joy that performing these British tunes can bring. With a great number of favourite tunes as well as some lesser-known songs this collection includes songs like There Were Three Ravens Yarmouth Town My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose Dance To Your Daddy and The Rio Grande as well as an extensive and fascinating introduction by Jeremy Summerly. The wonderful thing about singing folksongs is they are like a window into our country's history. They are occasionally funny often dramatic but always enjoyable to sing and their diversity

(Novello New Choral Series)-There is no rose of such virtue is an anonymous mediaeval text already well known through beautiful settings by Britten (in his Ceremony of Carols) John Joubert and others. The poem is ‘macaronic’ (it presents a verse in English followed by a varying Latin refrain). This new version follows the illustrious examples above by remaining strophic and presenting broadly the same music in a succession of slightly different guises. The first verse is a straightforward four-part setting the second gives the melody to the tenors and surrounds them with hushed wordless writing for the other parts and the third explores a freely canonic relationshipbetween the tenor and soprano lines before carrying the previous verse-endings to a higher more exalted pitch and mood. The fourth verse then expands its texture in a free climactic passage evoking the songs of praise sung by the angels. This subsides towards the final verse where the texture of the music attenuates again to four parts and canonic writing (based on the first four notes of the original melody) permeates all of them. This slightly extended statement leads to a hushed final cadence.Francis Pott (b. 1957) began musical life as a chorister at New College Oxford. He held open music scholarships at Winchester College and at Magdalene College Cambridge where he studied composition with Robin Holloway and Hugh Wood while pursuing piano studies privately in London with the distinguished British artist Hamish Milne. Throughout the 1990s Francis was John Bennett Lecturer in Music at St Hilda’s College Oxford and a lay clerk in the Choir of Winchester Cathedral. In 2001 he became Head of London College of Music University of West London later leading research across the University’s Faculty of Arts and acceding in 2007 to its first Chair in Composition. Francis Pott has become recognised particularly for his sacred choral and organ music. This has been performed in concert and on radio in

From the highly successful Lenten cantata Colors of Grace comes an invitation to reflect at the foot of the cross to kneel in its shadow to mourn the dying Christ and to find rest in the promise of salvation. Cometo the Cross is rich in powerful imagery swelling to an emotional “Kyrie eleison” after each remembrance of Calvary. And in the middle of all the drama and chaos surrounding his death words of unending love “Father forgive them...” is heard with haunting clarity and purity. Come to the Cross will be incredibly powerful during Lent or Holy Week and an especially poignant moment for Good Friday.

Quoting Burgon: My first thought on receiving this commission was what sort of text would suit. Something on the general idea of growth - starting very small and blossoming was the obvious way to go but it wasn’t until I foundthe Andrew Marvell poem Music’s Empire that I really got going. The poem is about the invention and development of music; this might sound a bit dry but in fact it is both charming and dramatic and it is also apt in that it canbe set for both solo voice and chorus.The other factor to be considered in writing this piece was the Purcell connection. Purcell wrote Come Ye Sons of Art in 1964 the year the bank was founded and this piece is alsoincluded in the celebratory concert. So I wanted to include some homage to HP as well.Marvell’s poem is the sort of text that Purcell might have set had he come across it. It is a sort of Ode of text that Purcell might haveset had he come across it. It is a sort of Ode to St Cecelia and he wrote one of those as we know. So I have referred to Purcell in two particular ways; I have quoted Come Ye sons of Art directly and I have used thecountertenor. Purcell himself sang countertenor in many of his own pieces and wrote some of the most gorgeous music ever written for that voice. I also happened to love both Purcell’s music and the countertenor so writing thispiece was really a labour of love.It is scored for countertenor mixed chorus and symphony of orchestra - rather larger than any orchestra that Purcell had access to as far as I know but one in which I’m sure he would haverevelled in given the opportunity. It is about ten minutes in duration.

VOCES8 singles series-A beautiful and flowing work for SATB choir SATB solo quartet and piano with textures that celebrate love cherishing our place among the stars. A New World is a musical story across five movements with texts by authors from Cicero and Ovid to George William Russel; from nursery rhymes to war poets. The music and texts link to form a narrative that questions what sort of ?New Worlds? have come into existence or could be created in our future and considers how we balance human traits of fear displacement isolation and conflict with equally human traits of love hope forgiveness and unity. The internationally-renowned British vocalensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. The celebration of diverse musical expression is central to the ensemble?s ethos and this is shown in their versatile concert programmes and innovative educational work. The ?VOCES8 singles? series includes songs for which the group is particularly well known and which have been composed or arranged specifically for VOCES8.

Celebrated choral composers Bob Chilcott and Susan Knight have searched the globe for the most vibrant and exciting festive music representing a range of styles and cultures. This unique collection has it all - from a melismatic Armenian hymn to a percussive villancico from the Dominican Republic; a US spiritual to a Polish folk carol. The collection features: 31 pieces that are perfect for a wide range of SATB choirs New Christmas repertoire from all over the world Each piece in both English and its original language Pronunciation guides to help with singing the original texts Carols by popular andlittle-known composers This anthology not only offers a world of new and unusual music for your choir it also represents a fascinating glimpse into seasonal and musical traditions the world over.

Inspired by the spiritual “Were You There ” this musical experience is based on several monologues by those who were at the cross. The work leads us through many emotions: from the Holy Love shown to Mary Magdalene tothe intimacy of Mother Mary's “Still My Son ” to the regret of Peter in “It Should Have Been Me.” The musical can be of almost any length since each momologue and anthem may be used independently. However“We Were There” is used it will provide a powerful Holy Week resource for years to come. Maximum length if all pieces are used: 53 minutes.Includes: Were You There • Holy Love • Christ Is Our Brother• Surely This Was the Son of God • How Can It Be? • Still My Son • It Should Have Been Me • We Were There • At the Cross.