About the Book
A uniquely accessible and comprehensive resource for use in church services and concerts throughout the Church's year. The volume's 50 SATB pieces, both accompanied and unaccompanied, are suitable for choirs of all sizes and abilities. BL Provides an excellent choice of pieces for the Principal Feasts BL champions new, approachable, and unjustly neglected repertoire spanning all periods and traditions, whilst avoiding widely available or difficult music BL includes many previously unpublished or newly commissioned anthems, arrangements, and editions by important composers and church musicians BL contains useful musical and liturgical introductions in addition to full indexes, glossaries of additional uses for the repertoire, and listings of other suitable pieces not included in the book.
Table of Contents:
Arise, Shine O Jerusalem ; Behold the Lord, the ruler is come ; Bethlehem, of noblest cities ; Brightest and best of the sons of the morning ; It was a star ; Lo! star-led chiefs ; Magi veniunt ab oriente ; Surge Illuminare ; The Journey ; Tribus miraculis ; Hodie beata Virgo ; Maria das Jungfrauelein ; Nunc Dimittis ; Nunc Dimittis ; Phos Hilaron ; Prayer for the blessing of light ; Angelus ad Virginem ; Ave, Maria ; Ave Maris Stella ; Dixit Maria ; Hail! Blessed Virgin Mary ; Ne timeas Maria ; Nova! nova! ; Ascendens Christus ; Hail the day that sees him rise ; He that descended ; O clap your hands ; O God, the King of glory ; The Lord ascendeth up on high ; Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost ; Holy Spirit, ever dwelling ; Holy Spirit, truth divine ; If ye love me ; O Spirit all-embracing ; Song 44 (Come, Holy Ghost) ; Spiritus intus alit ; Veni creator Spiritus ; Come, Holy Ghost ; Veni Sancte Spiritus ; Come, thou Holy Spirit ; As truly as God is our Father ; Laus Trinitati ; Oculi omnium ; O trinity, most blessed light ; The Cherubic Hymn ; With all our hearts ; Beati mundo corde ; For all the Saints ; Glorious in Heaven ; O King all glorious ; O quam gloriosum est regnum ; O what their joy and their glory must be
About the Author :
John Scott was born in 1956 in Wakefield, Yorkshire, where he was a Cathedral chorister. In 1974 he became Organ Scholar at St John's College, Cambridge. On leaving Cambridge, he was appointed Assistant Organist at London's two Anglican Cathedrals, St Paul's and Southwark, eventually becoming Organist and Director of Music at St Paul's in 1990. He is now Director of Music at St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York, and also enjoys an extensive career as an international concert organist. He was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the New Year Honours List 2004. John Scott died in August 2015.
Malcolm Archer was educated at King Edward VII School, Lytham, the Royal College of Music, and Jesus College, Cambridge, where he was organ scholar. He studied the organ with Ralph Downes, Gillian Weir and Nicolas Kynaston, and composition with Herbert Sumsion and Alan Ridout.
He is a prolific composer with well over 200 published works, which receive regular performances on BBC radio and TV. Archer was formerly Organist and Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral and is now Director of Chapel Music at Winchester College.
Review :
This array piont to the strengths of the collection - a diversity of traditional styles, interesting texts, and a quality of musical editing and physical presentation which we risk taking for granted with this publisher and such distinguished editors ... But I can readily recommend its utility and suitablility for the particular slice of the liturgical year that it addresses. Alan Lewis, Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians, December 06 Malcolm Archer and John Scott have brought together a wide selection of well- and lesser-known works related to this part of the church's year. In addition to Palestrina, Purcell, Elgar and Rachmaninov, there are contribtuions from contemporary composers - for example, Alexander Flood, Simon Lole, and Peter Crump - all writing in a style that is individual yet approachable. There is a good mixture of accompanied and a capella pieces, and all are accessible to mixed, confident choirs, without too many technical pitalls. Malcolm Goldring, Music Teacher, August 05 This glorious anthology has been put together to accompany the successful Advent for Choirs volume ad Ash Wednesday to Easter for Choirs ... Many church choirs find that they have a small number of pieces suitable for these events which they recycle year on year. This collection of fifty pieces will give you a number of new ideas for each of these important festivals ... It is an extremely useful and all-encompassing resource, and highly recommended. Leah Perona-Wright, Church Music Quarterly June 05 OUP have entrusted this anthology to the safe hands of John Scott and Malcom Archer, both cathedral organists, composers for the church and, respectively, past and present organists at St Paul's ... This anthology has clearly been prepared by editors each with half-a-lifetime's experience of sure-fire programming for these occasions. In consequence, SATB groups of all abilities will find enjoyable, appropriate material in what should be a worthwhile addition to many a choir collection. Matthew Greenall, The Singer, June 05
