Music runs through the story of Arion which begins with a singing competition in Sicily. Arion wins the prize and this puts his life in danger: his newfound wealth excites the greed of the sailors who are supposed to be bringing him back to Corinth and they threaten to kill him. They allow Arion to sing one last song and the power of his singing attracts dolphins to the ship.  At the end of his song he jumps overboard and one of the dolphins carries him to safety.  So Arion’s musical gift gets him into trouble but it is also his salvation.   The idea of being rescued by a music-loving dolphin is very appealing. In Robert Graves’account of the myth the dolphin could not bear to be parted from Arion and accompanied him back to court where “it soon succumbed to a life of luxury.”  However Herodotus says that after his rescue and return to Corinth Arion failed to return the dolphin to the sea and it died there.  Apollo placed the dolphin among the stars and next to it Arion’s lyre in recognition of his musical skill.  This is one of the mythical explanations of the origins of the constellations Delphinus and Lyra. It seems natural to sing a story that has singing at its heart. When I was asked by the Nicholas Berwin Charitable Trust to write a choral work for Making Music something that would be within reach of many choirs and involve children this story struck me as ideal: the men of the chorus could be the bloodthirsty sailors and the women could create an atmosphere of mystery for the arrival of the dolphins represented by children’s voices. There would be one solo voice: Arion the marvellous singer. Andrew Fardell the conductor who was advisor to this commission had suggested that I might use the same instrumentation as a popular arrangement of Orff’s Carmina Burana a work that as well as using children’s chorus features a solo countertenor. I thought the magical otherworldly quality of this

Composer's notes:The Fool is a time-honoured Orthodox religious figure: a Saint the highest of all who discards everything for Christ's sake. He discards all convention all decency all wealth actual and spiritual and turns himself into a figure of fun - defying all acceptable behaviour - and all religious decency. He stands in the square and lets down his trousers - he stuffs himself with food on Good Friday - he gets drunk - he 'appears'to fornicate wildly. There is a faint possibility (in not the highest of 'Fools') of gaining worldly popularity by such flagrant denial of all moral behaviour. Can such behaviour be too interesting? The true fool however embraces all of this and also (unseen) shrinks before the face of his God. By his behaviour he plucks out all hypocrisy false piety and corruption. He is a figure much needed in our times!!! The way I have tried to tacklethis extraordinary subject is to show him in seven stages from an obscene huge fat traditional clown who is drunk fornicating etc. through a stumbling frail agonized figure to a sallow-faced gaunt business man in a formalsuit staring at an empty glass. Having first revered him then mocked him the 'people' while they get drunk and jabber away at 'Christmas' and at the Feast of Feasts 'Easter' are no longer aware of him. But the audience seeshim - a tiny ragged scrap of mortality lying in a corner and faintly so faintly the voice of the Fool the true Fool for Christ's sake sings above the ribald crowd. 'He has given His life'. The Gogmagogs are the 'people' 'priests' 'singers' etc. and one male singer who can 'create' or 'uncreate' this vast role (singing and acting miming etc.) John Tavener Arranged for SSATBB chorus. Date of composition 2000. Chorus part only.

This unaccompanied SSATB choral arrangement of The Beatles classic With A Little Help From My Friends by Carsten Gerlitz includes 10 vocal scores to allow mixed choirs to sing this paean to friendship.One of The Beatles' most popular compositions, it was composed for Ringo Starr to sing, and therefore needed to have just five notes in the melody to accommodate his limited vocal range. The song inspired a number of famous cover versions, most notably Joe Cocker's at Woodstock. / Choeur Mixte (SSATB)

Eight madrigals by Thomas Morley SATB, SSAT, SSATB and SATTB Edited by E H Fellowes. Revised by Thurston Dart CONTENTS Clorinda false (SATB) Come lovers follow me (SSAT) Fire, fire my heart (SSATB) Leave, alas, this tormenting (SSATB) Love took his bow and arrow (SATTB) Now is the gentle season (with The fields abroad) (SATB) Now is the month of Maying (SATTB) Shoot false love, I care not (SSATB)

O Saviour of the World. Composed for unaccompanied SSATB with an English text from the Book of Common Prayer. This five-minute anthem was written for the UK?s Thomas Tallis Society, having in mind Tallis?s famous work for 5 voices with latin text, Salvator Mundi. The music matches the sense of anguish in the text.

Written for the King's Singers, A Hymn To The Virgin won the 'A Carol for Christmas' competition run by the vocal sextet and Classic FM.Re-edited for SSATBB, the two languages of the text are set in contrasting styles of solo lines and chordal harmony, coming together at the end of each verse.A meditative work that would make an excellent concert ending. / Choeur SSATBB

No Christmas season would be complete without hearing this well-loved song. Kern's fresh a cappella approach, featuring a world-rhythm drum part, really makes the classic shine. 'Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum!? / Choeur Mixte (SSATB) A Cappella

Edited by Geoffrey Bush and Michael Hurd Four glees and madrigals by Pearsall, Stafford, Smith, Walmisley and S. Wesley. SSATB CONTENTS PEARSALL, R.L. Why weeps, alas! my lady-love STAFFORD SMITH, J. Blest pair of sirens WALMISLEY, T.A. Sweete floweres! ye were too faire WESLEY, Samuel O sing unto mie Roundelaie

For Passion in 1680 Dieterich Buxtehude composed his largest work in the style of an oratorio the cantata cycle Membra Jesu nostri and he dedicated it to his friend the Swedish Court Music Director Gustav Düben. In each of the seven separate cantatas which in principle follow the scheme ?instrumental introduction ? choral movement with biblical texts ? vocal soli (aria) with a sacred text from the Middle Ages ? repetition of the choral movement ? the feet knees hands side chest heart and face of the crucified Christ are interpreted allegorically. The original scoring for strings in No. VI ('Ad Cor') consists of a consort of five gambas. If this group of instruments isnot available then violins I/II can be substituted for gamba I/II and the gamba V parts can be played by the violone (the music for these substitute parts is contained in each respective parts) so that in this case only two gambas (III IV) are needed. For such a performance only two copies of the Gamba performance score (Carus 36.013/16) are required.

aus: Ecclesiodiae novae. Par WALLISER CHRISTOPH THOMAS. Aus: Ecclesiodiae Novae/ Répertoire / Choeur SSATB

Chandons Te Deum HWV 281. Par HAENDEL GEORG FRIEDRICH. Handel composed the 'Te Deum? in B-flat major HWV 281 in 1718 for the future Duke of Chandos, hence its nickname 'Chandos Te Deum?. Here it is called 'Te Deum for Cannons? after the Duke's stately home named Cannons where the first performance took place. The unusual scoring for flute, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, two violins and basso continuo plus a choir (one soprano, three tenors and a bass) probably reflects the musicians which were available at Cannons, bearing in mind that three tenors were used also in 'Acis and Galatea?, the masque which was composed at almost the same time. Though in many respects this 'Te Deum? is reminiscent of the 'Utrecht Te Deum?, its smaller forces tend to give it more the character of chamber music. This edition is based on the Urtext from the 'Halle Handel Edition? (BA 10708), which offers the first complete scholarly text of the music for the 'Te Deum?./ Répertoire / SSATB et Orchestre

Tonalité : B-Dur -. Par GESIUS BARTHOLOMAUS. Wei cor achten - Langue : Allemand/ Répertoire / Choeur SSATB

Adaptation of the motet 'Tristis est anima mea' attributed to Johann Kuhnau. The motet 'Der Gerechte kommt um' comes down to us as part of the Passion cantata 'Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld' by Carl Heinrich Graun into which movements by various other composers including Bach and Telemann were also later inserted. According to the research of Diethard Hellmann editor of this edition the motet was originally an a cappella composition by Johann Kuhnau with the text 'Tristis est anima mea' which then was adapted ? most likely by Bach ? with a new text and the addition of instrumental parts. The motet 'Der Gerechte kommt um' comes down to us as part of the Passioncantata 'Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld' by Carl Heinrich Graun into which movements by various other composers including Bach and Telemann were also later inserted. From the research of Diethard Hellmann editor of this edition the motet was originally an a cappella composition by Johann Kuhnau with the text 'Tristis est anima mea' which then was adapted?most likely by Bach?with a new text and the addition of insturmental parts.

This atmospheric anthem by Cecilia McDowall commemorates the First World War. It sets a stark English text by Dr Joseph Spence alongside Latin text from Psalm 130 with the words 'In memoriam' added. The lower parts sing Spence's English text conveying the relentless hardship of life in the trenches with declamatory and constantly developing vocal lines. The sopranos meanwhile repeat the Latin words from Psalm 130 providing a striking contrast in their constancy and otherworldliness.