SKU: HL.48022495

ISBN 9781476871486. UPC: 884088669676. 6.75x10.5 inches.

Texts: Latin and English

Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes

Difficulty level: 3

The Ceremony of Carols is one of Britten's best-known and most-performed works. It is a brilliantly conceived and dramatic concert work which sees the voices process to their places singing unaccompanied plainsong and, at the end, processing out again to the same chant. These movements can also be accompanied but strictly only if the voices do not process. The final Alleluia can be repeated as many times as necessary to get the singers to and from their destination.The carols are for three-part children's voices (though, of course they can be sung by female adults as well) and they form a two-part work around a central Interlude for harp which is based on the plainsong from the Procession. Variety is the key word here as all the carols have such individual identities. The forthright Wolcum Yole!, the deliciously lyrical There is no Rose, the swinging Balulalow, the fiery and dramatic This little Babe all contribute to a work which is a feast of discovery throughout. Lovely solos and duos add further colour and the harp part, an inspired choice of accompaniment, enriches, colours and surrounds the voices with its pictorial musical imagery. If anything shows Britten's genius for writing for voices it must be this work.

The challenges here are in creating a real equality between voice parts, fielding a confident pair of soloists, and making the most of the wonderfully colourful poems Britten has chosen to set. Pronunciation is not really an issue, but when I recorded this work with the Finzi Singers I decided to follow the example of Sacred and Profane and use authentic medieval pronunciation for which an expert coach was necessary. It brings an added element of colour to a familiar aural experience.

Durati on: 22 minutes

Paul Spicer, Lichfield, 2011.

SKU: HL.49033110

ISBN 9783795755980. German.

The modern guitar method for young people and adults offers the recipe for success when it comes to melody playing, picking and chord accompaniment. It does not make a difference if you are an absolute beginner or if you already know a few chords. For with the pieces that you have always wanted to play, you also learn to play the guitar: plucking, melody and song accompaniment, and the major chords and rhythms with which you can play the best 50 folk and pop songs. The CD as a training partner guarantees a lot of fun and success: You can listen to the songs as they are supposed to sound. Fade out one of the channels! You then have 3 possibilities to play along: melody, picking or rhythm.

SKU: HL.380305

UPC: 196288018872. 6.75x10.5x0.032 inches. Deuteronomy 13:6, John 11:35, John 6:66, Matthew 27:46.

A balm of assurance, the lyrics of this song are a reminder that God not only sees and hears us, but understands our pain through His own human sorrow and suffering on this earth. Inspiring words are joined to lightly contemporary music to create a rich and melodically compelling anthem. A full expressive range is explored as the piece unfolds, bringing layers of meaning and purpose to the promise of God's eternal presence with us.