SKU: ST.Y287

ISBN 9790220223198.

Composed for the internationally regarded Choir of New College, Oxford, and its conductor Edward Higginbottom, Rhian Samuel's What Cheer? is a bright and uplifting new setting of words already familiar to singers from popular carols by William Walton and Peter Warlock. The scoring is for SATB choir and organ, with optional short solos for soprano, alto and bass.

An eminent and established song composer, Samuel has brought to this text, originally from a 16th-century commonplace book compiled by Richard Hill, her own idiomatic response to the tradition of music for Christmas. Though written for one of the world's great vocal ensembles, What Cheer? is well within the range of accomplished amateur choirs, and the effective scoring for voices captures in ringing choral sounds the buoyant optimism of this poetic celebration of Christ's birth.

SKU: BR.CHB-5381-00

ISBN 9790004413821. 7.5 x 10.5 inches. English.

As director of the Bavarian Radio Choir, Howard Arman has been actively engaged with international Christmas carols through various Christmas-related CD productions in the past years. This has resulted in a number of original arrangements for four- to eight-part mixed choir a cappella, shedding new light on well-known classics such as O du frohliche [O, you joyful], Stille Nacht [Silent Night] and Lasst uns froh und munter sein [Let us be happy and cheerful]. The first volume includes five Christmas carols from the German-speaking regions. They range from simple but harmonically intriguing settings such as Lieb Nachtigall, wach auf [Dear nightingale, wake up] to eight-part sound paintings with bell-like chimes as in O du frohliche and classical double choir settings such as Resonet in laudibus. The second volume includes five Christmas spirituals with English texts, forming a contrast to the solemn and festive character of the first. The choir can prove its swing and jazz qualities here; the stirring arrangements are a gain for classical Christmas concerts, too. Following the tradition of the spiritual, some settings also require soloists, which can, however, also be recruited from the choir if adequate singers are available. The first piece combines the spirituals It's a Birthday and Wasn't That a Mighty Day to form a medley, Ain't That a Rockin' gives a moment of tranquility before the likewise rousing spirituals Mary Had a Baby and Little David conclude the volume. In both volumes, Howard Arman provides a short preface in German and English, explaining the background of each piece and giving advice on performance.

SKU: MN.80-106

UPC: 688670801068. English.

This cheerful set of Eucharistic Acclamations, based on the Christmas melody Resonet in laudibus, was written for assembly, SATB, and organ with optional brass quartet. It is clear that Matthew Koraus knows what works for an assembly. The Holy, Holy and the Amen involve the congregation in a call-and-response fashion, which, combined with the use of a familiar melody, makes it very easy for them to participate. Each of the three memorial acclamations are included, as are two versions of the Amen, one simple and one more involved. For Christmas through the Baptism of the Lord; also appropriate for Advent in a pared down presentation.