Choir, Vocals

This straightforward but effective a cappella arrangement of the well-known English carol speaks directly to the listener, and its occasional unexpected harmonic turns will delight. Offprinted from Ca...

The text for this part-song is a deftly chosen selection of lines from Keats' Ode to a Nightingale. Jackson's setting features many of his stylistic hallmarks: glissandi, melismas, aleatoric patterns,...

This compact anthem for unaccompanied choir is the result of another successful collaboration between Bob Chilcott and the poet Charles Bennett. Well-crafted and tender melodic lines are shared betwee...

This optimistic and affirmatory anthem sets a useful service text of general thanksgiving from the Book of Common Prayer. Chilcott makes full use of the imitation and antiphonal effects that these for...

This beautiful and much-loved Somerset folk-song is No. 2 of Five Traditional Songs arranged for mixed choir by John Rutter (ISBN 9780193437173). The enduring appeal of the song lies in the beauty of...

In this short introit Bednall sets the 'In manus tuas' responsary for the Compline service. A setting of a useful text for church or cathedral services, the anthem is appropriately serene and luminisc...

David Bednall's unaccompanied setting of this Compline hymn contrasts sections of chant, for tenor soloist, with rich responses for full SATB choir. The introit has a gentle sense of ebb and flow, com...

Like as the hart sets reflective yet fervent words from Psalm 42. The vocal writing is emotive and expressive, and the fluctuating metres perfectly complement the rhythm adopted by the psalmist when p...

In this atmospheric piece Gabriel Jackson sets a text by the Victorian poet Christina Rossetti. The first stanza is sung by sopranos only, with expressive chromatic lines evoking the 'darkness' and 'c...

The simple and graceful folk melody of this characterful Romanian carol is skilfully shared between parts in its verse and refrain structure.

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.

This piece sets a poem by Amy Lowell, vividly conveying the effect of the wind through a moving tapestry of eighth notes/quavers intertwined between the different voices. The melody floats over this b...

Here Helvey has created a beautiful musical landscape for George Herbert's tender poem 'Virtue'. Each verse begins with a modal-sounding unison figure which flowers into expressive harmonies built on...

This gentle anthem is built around a warm, hymn-like refrain, which gives way first to a free-flowing and expressive section and then to a more sombre section. With a Latin text from Ruth 1, this affe...

Setting two verses of the Irish traditional carol, Wilberg's version opens simply with unaccompanied unison men, before the piano creeps in gently. The carol melody's haunting, modal qualities are com...

This reflective carol (setting a text by the composer) features an affecting recurring melody, sumptuous harmonies, and long, expressive phrases. Though it has moments of great intensity, the carol is...

Owain Park's arrangement of John Rutter's secular carol presents a new take on this Christmas classic, drawing on Rutter's evocative orchestral colours to create this characterful arrangement. This ar...

James Kevin Gray's tender carol Little Baby, Born of Mary successfully juxtaposes sound and silence, with warm harmonies and gentle rhythms providing the musical backdrop for the timeless story of the...

This arrangement of the popular American folksong is atmospheric and expressive, with the traditional melody moving seamlessly between voice parts and resting on a cushion of rich harmonies. Shenandoa...

Setting a well-known Latin text, Miller mixes expressive harmony and flowing polyphony to create a touching anthem. The opening and closing sections develop the chant-like opening motif, enclosing a j...

This short collection presents the complete set of meditations from Chilcott's St John Passion. Setting English poems from the 13th to the early 17th centuries, the meditations provide a very personal...

This powerful work is a sequence of meditations on loss, longing, fear, and hope. The text is in Latvian and English - a pronunciation guide for the Latvian text is included in the vocal score. Jackso...

This lucidly reflective miniature sets an evocative text by Lucia Quinault that depicts a rural winter scene. There is a sense of waiting for the 'shining star' and, while it would make a beautiful ad...

Following Jackson's settings of the seven 'O' antiphons (Seven Advent Antiphons), this is a setting of the text recognised as the eighth 'O' antiphon and performed as such in many Christian traditions...

This Christmas miniature captures the intimacy and atmosphere of the well-loved 16th-century text. Through homophonic textures, word-painting, the use of extended harmonies, and a lilting rhythm, the...