SATB. Benjamin A

Nr. 5 A New Year Carol- A New Year Carol is from Britten's work Friday Afternoons from 1936. It is arranged here for SSA Choir and Piano accompaniment.

Recorders Guitars Voices Piano. Wastall P

Unison or SA. Britten B

Quarter Military Band QMB 532-Symphonic Band (score & parts). Grundman C

SSAA. Russell-smith G

Vocalise-SATTBB.

Book of Common Prayer 1662-This setting was composed for the choir of the Chapels Royal HM Tower of London on the occasion of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. MacMillan approaches this well-known text (1662 Book of Common Prayer) in a refreshingly original way. As so often in his choral music he requires basses with very low notes (bottom D). The work also needs an agile soprano soloist at the beginning and a group of soprano soloists later. MacMillan’s predilection for melismatic writing is effectively set against syllabic word setting in the lower parts at the beginning. The work then continues with a mixture of these elements and a marvellous contrapuntal passage leading to a climax at ‘thinehonourable true and only Son’. The organ part is not difficult but requires a keen rhythmic sense and includes passages of MacMillan’s often-used ‘filigree’ figuration. This is a highly effective and approachable work that would be easily performable by a competent choir looking for a fresh approach to a familiar liturgical text. This work was composed in 2001 and first performed at matins on 3rd February 2002 at the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula HM Tower of London by the Choir of the Chapels Royal. It is a truly beautiful setting of text from the Book of Common Prayer from 1662. Arranged for SATb choir with Organ accompaniment.

Ceremonial Ode-For St Cecilia Ceremonial Ode for tenor solo chorus & orchestra; words by Edmund Blunden. The original work was commissioned by the St Cecilia’s Day Festival Committee for the 1947 celebration of music’s patron saint. The ceremonial mood is established with fanfares and the sonorous sweep of the choral writing reflects Finzi’s admiration for Parry and Elgar. The ‘catalogue’ of saints shared between the soloist and chorus are deftly delineated: St Valentine St George St Dunstan St Swithin and St Cecilia herself. In rapt stillness the English composers of the past – Merbecke Byrd Dowland and Purcell – are summoned. To close Finzi creates a festal summation withexultant counterpoint and the saint’s name pealing around the chorus. This ceremonial ode to St. Cecilia was commissioned by the St. Cecilia's Day Festival Committee and was first performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 1947. The text is a beautiful and devout celebration by Edmund Blunden and the work is intended for performance by a large SATB chorus. A Piano reduction of the original orchestral score provides an intricate accompaniment.

Christmas Lullaby is a setting for string orchestra of themes form Johannes Brahms op. 91 Two Songs for Contralto and Piano with Viola. The second of Brahms' songs Geistliches Wiegenlied is based on a traditional German Carol dating from the 15th century and forms the basis of this arrangement. The piece should be performed with a lilting gentle rhythm and a sense of one beat per measure. The piano part is optional. String Orchestra (parts). Dabczynski A

Sea Pictures is a song-cycle for Contralto and Orchestra which was first performed on 5th October 1899 at the Norwich Festival. This edition features a Piano reduction of the Orchestral score.

SATB

Tanzlieder-Voice Piano. Bartok B

Voice Piano. Bliss A

Quarter Military Band QMB 392-Symphonic Band (score & parts). Grundman C

on Czech Popular Rhymes-SS/A . Martinu B

Voice Piano. Barratt C

Deo Gracias-This wonderful piece is taken from Britten's A Ceremony Of Carols Opus 28. It is based on a beautiful 15th century text and is arranged for SSS choir with Harp or Piano accompaniment.

10 Lieder-The edition is part of the ABRSM syllabus (grade 8) Ten songs for Baritone and Piano by Gerald Finzi with words by Thomas Hardy.

Horne's music can be viewed both as a response and as a reaction to modernism. This piece is for Solo Marimba.