Preces and Responses

Preces and Responses SATB is an exquisite set of preces and responses composed for the choir of Merton College Oxford. Perfectly balancing classic sounds with a splash of contemporary sonority these responses provide an exciting alternative to more traditional sets. A great investment for cathedral college and church choirs around the country. The Faber Choral Signature Series introduces a wealth of new or recently written choral music to choirs in search of fresh repertoire. The series draws in a rich diversity of living composers and includes both lighter and more challenging contemporary works offering athrilling array of varied styles.

For SATB unaccompanied-This thoughtful and sensitive setting of the preces and responses for Evensong was written by composer John Gardner for Chorus SATB with solo parts for the priest. Gardner was a modern English composer and teacher held in great esteem who is best known for his setting of Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day which is a most popular arrangement of that carol and frequently performed. While many modern composers have turned their attention to the evening service they have generally confined themselves to the magnificat and nunc dimittis. This step into the liturgical responses is most welcome. The 3/8 setting of The Lord’s Prayer is a particular pleasure.

for SSA choir unaccompanied-Preces And Responses is a work composed by British organist Martin Neary for Unaccompanied SSA Choir. The work consists of short phrases spoken and sung by a minister before being answered by the unaccompanied choral voices. Martin Neary has served as organist and director of music at Winchester Cathedral and Westminster Abbey while he also was the musical director of the funeral service for Diana Princess of Wales.

Skempton's setting of the Preces and Responses is simple well-crafted and harmonically rewarding and is perfect for choirs seeking new material for the liturgy.

The Tallis Psalter comprises a collection of Tallis's 9 tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter, preces and responses, the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (Dorian Service) and a number of easily learnable anthems, all by Tallis. David Skinner is one of the leading scholars in editing music of this period, and this book will be attractive to choirs looking for easily performable and new versions of Tallis choral works. 'I was delighted to see this neat little book cataining the English church music, expressing the simplicity of the needs of the reformed church and the needs of current Anglican choirs.' - Clifford Bartlett, Early Music Review / Choeur Mixte (SATB)

for unaccompanied SATB chorus-For Unaccompanied SATB chorus.First performed on Wednesday 11th August 2010 given by the choirs of Gloucester Cathedral Hereford Cathedral and Worcester Cathedral conducted by Adrian Partington at the 283rd Three Choirs Festival.'In Joubert’s setting the priest’s part is sung in speech rhythm in some places but in others it is measured and occasionally interlocks with the choral parts. The harmonic style vacillates between a language that is recognizably Joubert’s and one that seems to recall Elgar’s partsongs.'    - Sunday by Sunday (RSCM) John Joubert - Preces and Responses by musicroom

including the Lord's Prayer-The Preces and Responses including The Lord's Prayer. For SAATB (with divisions) unaccompanied.

For SSA-This setting of the Responses was written for St. Albans Choristers. It can be sung as either SSS or SSA.

Oxford Choral Classics: English Church Music assembles in two volumes around 100 of the finest examples of English sacred choral music. The second volume presents a wealth of service material suitable for use throughout the year. The evening canticles are given due space with seventeen settings including those by Byrd Gibbons Purcell Walmisley Stanford Noble Howells Walton and Tippett. Also included are settings of the Te Deum and Jubilate Deo alongside seven settings of the Preces and Responses and two additional early Lord's Prayers. The selection is completed with three supplementary items: a set of previously unpublished Psalm chants byHowells John Sanders's Good Friday Reproaches and a written-out Order for Compline.Robert King has prepared completely new editions of all the pre-twentieth-century works going back to the earliest and most reliable manuscripts or printed sources. Playable keyboard reductions have been added for the majority of unaccompanied items.

Novello New Choral Series-A Gaelic Blessing is a simple and catchy piece by Craig McLeish. This piece will be particularly useful for school junior and community choirs and a tuneful introduction to singing simple contrapuntal lines.The second soprano part repeats the tune at bar 33 and should dominate here; the first sopranos and altos should support appropriately. Ease and beauty of tone should be of paramount importance throughout.An inspiring selection of new works from a range of contemporary composers the Novello New Choral Series offers pieces for all types of choirs including sacred and secular works from simple four-part settings to moreexpansive yet accessible repertoire in an exciting variety of styles.Craig McLeish began his musical life as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral under Barry Rose. He began composing at the age of ten and his preces and responses for four trebles are still in the repertoire. After a degree at York University he returned to London to study at the Guildhall and sang again at St Paul’s as a tenor. At the time he also arranged and copied music for West End shows such as Les Miserables and Miss Saigon and played bass guitar for various groups. This led to a spell in the cult pop band ‘Fat & Frantic’ who shaved the top 100 twice with the whimsical anthem Last night my wife hoovered my head. He also worked as musical assistant for David Heneker (Half a Sixpence) and David Fanshawe (African Sanctus).In 1992 Craig became director of the Methodist Association of Youth Clubs Orchestra and Singers performing concerts throughout the UK and becoming involved in a number of recordings and BBC broadcasts. During this time he arranged more than 250 orchestral scores ranging from Queen to Calamity Jane Stravinsky and Stevie Wonder. Alongside this he began arranging and writing songs for children’s collections (Big Blue Planet Love Shone Down) and producing recordings and string arrangements for various artists (Sheila Walsh

A Gaelic Blessing is a simple and catchy piece by Craig McLeish. This piece will be particularly useful for school, junior and community choirs, and a tuneful introduction to singing simple contrapuntal lines. The second soprano part repeats the tune at bar 33 and should dominate here - the first sopranos and altos should support appropriately. Ease and beauty of tone should be of paramount importance throughout. An inspiring selection of new works from a range of contemporary composers, the Novello New Choral Series offers 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. Craig McLeish began his musical life as a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral under Barry Rose. He began composing at the age of ten and his preces and responses for four trebles are still in the repertoire. After a degree at York University he returned to London to study at the Guildhall and sang again at St Paul's as a tenor. At the time he also arranged and copied music for West End shows such as Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, and played bass guitar for various groups. This led to a spell in the cult pop band 'Fat and Frantic', who shaved the top 100 twice with the whimsical anthem Last night my wife hoovered my head. He also worked as musical assistant for David Heneker (Half a Sixpence) and David Fanshawe (African Sanctus). In 1992 Craig became director of the Methodist Association of Youth Clubs Orchestra and Singers, performing concerts throughout the UK and becoming involved in a number of recordings and BBC broadcasts. During this time he arranged more than 250 orchestral scores ranging from Queen to Calamity Jane, Stravinsky and Stevie Wonder. Alongside this he began arranging and writing songs for children's collections (Big Blue Planet, Love Shone Down) and producing recordings and string arrangements for various artists (Sheila Walsh, Kim Hill, Matt Redman). He is also well known as a conductor and arranger for Songs of Praise. Recently Craig has collaborated with composer Tolga Kashif writing orchestrations for the RPO's Seo Taiji Symphony, the Classic FM chart-topping CD by saxophonist Tyler Rix, and the Genesis Suite which was premiered at the Barbican. He has been musical director of Young Voices UK for 13 years, bringing large school choirs together to play with a live band and solo artists, and currently conducts the Milton Keynes Community Choir, Hart and Soul Community Choir and the Milton Keynes Youth Choir. / Choeur SSA