Georg Friedrich Händel: How Great Thou Art - Voice And Piano: Vocal: Vocal Work

17 Choruses for mixed voices from Handel's sacred works. Selected with introductory notes by Brian Kay. Rarely brought together these diverse choruses demonstrate the enduring vitality of Handel's writing.

This Palm Sunday anthem is filled with imitative counterpoint typical of George Frederic Handel. Great for church choirs but also successful with high school voices the work could be used on any festive occasion. This is a great teaching piece that will help you develop independence in all voice parts.

In his libretto for “Riccardo Primo” Paolo Rolli drew on Antonio Lotti’s opera “Isacio tiranno” which had been performed in Venice in 1710. Handel needed a text with two great women’s roles for the two best female singers of the day were members of his troupe – Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni. He had already written the operas “Alessandro” and “Admeto” for them. He began composing “Riccardo Primo” in spring 1727 completing the first version on 16 May. However following the death of King George I on 11 June 1727 the theatres remained closed.For Handel who had become a British citizen in February 1727 the accession of George II to the throne offered new possibilities and he embarked on a revision of the opera. With this he was able to offer a new opera for the coronation festivities the hero of which was one of King George’s charismatic forebears. From May onwards Handel thoroughly revised the present score wrote some parts anew and expanded it with particularly splendid music. Handel and Rolli also improved the plot and introduced patriotic elements to honour the British monarchy. The historic background is the third crusade against Saladin the Sultan of Egypt and Syria who had recaptured Jerusalem in 1187. Although King Richard I captured Cyprus and together with French crusaders stormed the fortress of Akko in the Holy Land the crusade ended with a ceasefire and Jerusalem remained in Saladin’s hands. Richard was given the title ‘Coeur-de-lion’ by the English for his great military ability and bravery although the Sicilians had first given him this name because of his relentless cruelty in clashes around Messina . The vocal score is based on the Halle Handel Edition volume published in 2005 edited by Terence Best and contains the second version of the opera which was premiered in November 1727. Performance material available for hire. Based on the Urtext of the Halle Handel Edition. Original Italian text with German singing translation. Straightforward and easy-to-play Piano reduction.

For the occasion of the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline which took place in Westminster Abbey on October 11 1727 Handel wrote four splendid anthems and personally supervised their performance which was according to all reports one of great magnificence. The four anthems were enthusiastically received and one or more of them has been performed at every British coronation since 1727. Anthem No. 2 ('The King Shall Rejoice') although less well-known than Anthem No. 1 is an equally splendid example of Handel's ceremonial style - what Burney has affectionately termed his 'big bow-bow manner'. This work contains an opening Allegro brilliant and elegantrather than pompous; a grandiose setting of 'Glory and great worship hast thou laid upon him'; and a lively fugal Alleluia as a conclusion.For six-part chorus of mixed voices with organ or piano accompaniment. Edited and with keyboard reduction by William Herrman.

The Funeral March is composed in C and proceeds at a grand and stately pace. The Flute duet provides an excellent contrast to the majesty of the piece.Handel’s great oratorio of 1739 Saul was conceived on a grand scale to tell the Old Testament story of King Saul David the slayer of Goliath and Saul’s son Jonathan. By the end both Saul and Jonathan have been killed and this moving funeral march marks that sombre moment in the oratorio. Saul is considered one of Handel's greatest works with particular praise for the Choral writing and for this funeral march.

(from Messiah). What a fabulous teaching tool! This shortened simplified version of the time-honored and most-performed classic from Messiah can now be introduced to young voices. This edition with educator notes is a great way of giving teachers great music to teach. Available: 2-Part.

The Maccabaean Revolt in the second century B.C. provided the background to the story that unfolds in Judas Maccabaeus. It is part of the history of the Ptolemaic and Seleucid Empires. This oratorio follows the story from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. up until Judas' march on Jerusalem in 164 B.C. With a libretto supplied by Thomas Morell Handel's great work was first performed at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden on April the 1st 1747 as part of his annual Lenten season of oratorios. By the time of Handel's death in 1759 Judas Maccabaeus had become the composer's second most popular oratorio having received 33 Londonperformances under the composer's supervision (Messiah had 36).For SATB soli SATB chorus and accompaniment. This version edited by Merlin Channon. Includes historical notes.