Oratorio in three parts. Par HAENDEL GEORG FRIEDRICH. In quite characteristic fashion for the times, Handel's opera ; Alessandro looks at various episodes in the life and rule of Alexander the Great (356 323 BC). This legendary warrior and military commander conquered large parts of the world before meeting an untimely end at the age of 32. A central conflict in Handel's opera is Alessandro being in love with two women, Lisaura and Rossane, who compete for his favour. In addition, his claim to be of divine parentage is underlined, occasioning him to demand the subservience of his followers, which meets with vigorous disapproval. Handel composed ; Alessandro for the Royal Academyof Music to a libretto by Paolo Antonio Rolli in the 1725/26 season. The work was premiered at the King's Theatre in London on 5 May 1726. ; Alessandro was the first of five operas for the Royal Academy, operas which saw Handel compose for three of the most famous singers of his time: Francesco Bernardi (called Senesino) Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni. Ortensio Mauro's libretto ; La superbia d'Alessandro, which was performed for the first time in Hanover in 1690 in a musical setting by Agostino Steffani and staged again in the city the following year under the title ; Il zelo di Leonato but with numerous alterations, served as the source text for Handel's ; Alessandro. One of the main aspects Rolli had to consider when preparing the libretto for the London performances was to keep the roles of the famous singers of the Royal Academy well balanced, yet at the same time to engineer a musical contest between the prima donnas Cuzzoni and Bordoni (Lisaura and Rossane) as well. From a business point of view, it made good sense, for such rivalry would surely increase public interest in the opera. It is no longer possible to ascertain which changes Handel made during the following performance series of the 1727/28 season. For the performance series of 1732/33, Handel made substantial revisions to the opera: six numbers were deleted in their entirety, the finale in part as well, and the recitatives were made much shorter, with the parts of Cleone and Leonato omitted / Oratorio / RĂ©pertoire / Choeur Mixte

In Paradisum sets a prayer from the Roman Catholic Burial Service, often used as a movement in settings of the Requiem Mass. The opening emerges from silence and builds in texture until all eight parts are present. There follows a gentle two-part melody accompanied by humming lower parts ('In paradisum'), followed by a majestic, largely homophonic section ('Chorus angelorum'), and a closing section with echoes the opening. The gentle dissonances but approachable part-writing make for an enjoyable four-minute work for intermediate choirs comfortable singing in eight parts. / Choeur SATB A Cappella

There is no rose of such virtue is an anonymous mediaeval text, already well known through beautiful settings by Britten (in his Ceremony of Carols), John Joubert and others. The poem is 'macaronic' (it presents a verse in English, followed by a varying Latin refrain). This new version follows the illustrious examples above by remaining strophic and presenting broadly the same music in a succession of slightly different guises. The first verse is a straightforward four-part setting, the second gives the melody to the tenors and surrounds them with hushed, wordless writing for the other parts, and the third explores a freely canonic relationship between the tenor and soprano lines before carrying the previous verse-endings to a higher, more exalted pitch and mood. The fourth verse then expands its texture in a free climactic passage evoking the songs of praise sung by the angels. This subsides towards the final verse, where the texture of the music attenuates again to four parts, and canonic writing (based on the first four notes of the original melody) permeates all of them. This slightly extended statement leads to a hushed final cadence. Francis Pott (b. 1957) began musical life as a chorister at New College, Oxford. He held open music scholarships at Winchester College and at Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he studied composition with Robin Holloway and Hugh Wood while pursuing piano studies privately in London with the distinguished British artist, Hamish Milne. Throughout the 1990s Francis was John Bennett Lecturer in Music at St Hilda's College, Oxford, and a lay clerk in the Choir of Winchester Cathedral. In 2001 he became Head of London College of Music, University of West London, later leading research across the University's Faculty of Arts and acceding in 2007 to its first Chair in Composition. Francis Pott has become recognised particularly for his sacred choral and organ music. This has been performed in concert and on radio in over three dozen countries worldwide, published by four major UK houses and released extensively on CD. Winner of four national composition awards, in 1997 he received first prize in the piano solo section of the S. S. Prokofiev Composing Competition, Moscow. In 2006 and 2011 he was a nominated finalist in the BASCA/BBC Annual Composer Awards. In summer 2012 he was winner of the international composing competition of the Cheltenham Festival, which sought new piano variations on the arioso song Bist du bei mir, well known in the arrangement by J. S. Bach. Francis lives with his wife and two children on the outskirts of Winchester. An inspiring selection of new works from a range of contemporary composers, the Novello New Choral Series offers pieces for all types of choirs, including sacred and secular works from simple, four-part settings to more expansive, yet accessible, repertoire in an exciting variety of styles. / Choeur Mixte (SATB)

Par HARVEY JONATHAN. Forms of Emptiness by Jonathan Harvey   Forms of Emptiness is a work for mixed choir which sets words from the Buddhist Heart Sutra, in the original Sanskrit, and three poems by E.E. Cummings. The E.E. Cummings poems all have emphasis on the here and now, on 'catching the joy as it flies'. Seeker of truth Follow no path All paths lead where Truth is here Against these vivid flashes of joy and colour is set a chant - the sanskrit of the Heart Sutra - which acts as a ground from which the 'forms of emptiness' briefly emerge, and against which they are comprehended as transient, scarcely real. There are references to other 'sacred styles' as well as that of the chant - to those of Palestrina and Messiaen for instance. Jonathan Harvey  / Répertoire / SATB

Par FREEMAN ALEX. Alex Freeman's A Wilderness of Sea (SSSSAAAATTTTBBBB) draws from four of Shakespeare?s most famous works. It emphasizes a common thread among those works that addresses two of the most universal aspects of human existence: water and impermanence. The recording of the work by Helsinki Chamber Choir conducted by Nils Schweckendick is published by the label BIS - follow the link to listen to it. Duration: c. 15' Alex Freeman (b. 1972) grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. Around the age of 13 he became interested in composing. In 1998 he moved to New York to begin his Doctoral studies at the Juilliard School, studying with Christopher Rouse. The focus of his doctoral document led him to Finland. The recipient of a Fulbright Full Fellowship, he moved to Helsinki in 2001 to research Sibelius's sketches and study composition with Eero HĂ€meenniemi at the Sibelius Academy. Dr. Freeman is currently composing full-time and lives with his wife and children in Finland. / Date parution : 2022-05-31/ RĂ©pertoire / Choeur Mixte

Par VAUGHAN WILLIAMS RALPH. This Fantasia is founded on the following traditional English carols: The Truth Sent From Above (Herefordshire) words and tune; Come All You Worthy Gentlemen (Somerset) words and tune; On Christmas Night (Sussex) words and tune; There Is A Fountain (Herefordshire) tune only; together with fragments of other well-known carol tunes. The work is scored for ordinary full Orchestra with Organ and set of bells (ad lib. ), or String Orchestra with Organ or Piano. Alternatively, it may be accompanied by Organ or Piano alone, played from the Vocal score, with an optional solo Cello part (H212). A chorus part for performance bysolo Baritone and TTBB is also available (W41). The chorus is required to sing in four different ways: 1. Singing the words. 2. Singing with closed lips. 3. Singing 'Ah'. 4. Singing with half-closed lips i. e. with a short 'u' sound as in the word 'but'. Watch Pasadena Master Chorale performing Ralph Vaughan Williams ' Fantasia On Christmas Carols :/ RĂ©pertoire / SATB, Bar Solo et Piano ou Orgue

Noël 2 is an exciting collection of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany music for mixed voice choirs, which follows on from the highly acclaimed Noël! Volume 1 (Catalogue No. NOV310800). The contents range from the Renaissance to the present: from Byrd and Sweelinck, via Bach, familiar settings of traditional and lesser known carols through the ages to Howells and Leighton, and work by today's composers including Richard Rodney Bennett, Eric Whitacre, John Tavener Tarik O'Regan and Richard Allain. Mixed voice choirs of all levels will find here new arrangements of favourite carols as well as stimulating works for the Christmas season, from the easy to learn to the more challenging and unconventional. Selected and edited by David Hill, Choral Advisor to Novello, Chief Conductor of the BBC singers, Musical Director of The Bach Choir, Chief Conductor of The Southern Sinfonia and Music Director of Leeds Philharmonic Society. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate by the University of Southampton in 2002 in recognition of his Services to Music. 'Noël was a welcome addition to the Christmas list for decent standard choirs - Noël 2 adds even more to the repertoire in a handy volume... The main enticements are some fantastic new arrangements of old favourites, a number of works previously only available in single sheets (Whitacre's Lux Arumque among others) and some fantastic new surprises. Adrian Peacock's Venite, Gaudete is a wonderfully original and vibrant setting, Richard Rodney Bennet's I Wonder as I Wander is both reflective and effective, and there are plenty more. Some of the pieces here will challenge your choir, but there's a vast amount to get the Christmas inspiration flowing. ' - Jonathan Wikeley, Music Teacher November 2009 '?an outstanding resource for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany ' Andrew Stewart, Choir and amp - Organ November/December 2010 Noel! 2 Interview With David Hill by Musicroom / Choeur SATB Et Orgue (Ou Piano)

In the bleak midwinter is a setting for four-part choir of the famous poem by Christina Rossetti. This poem came to mind when I was walking down a Cornish lane on a cold, bleak November day, and I began to put the words to music as I walked. I was a little hesitant to write a setting of this text in the light of other much loved versions, but I felt inspired so decided to go for it! An atmosphere of cold, winter stillness is conveyed in this piece with its gentle dissonances and slow, homophonic movement, and the music follows the natural rhythm of the words, resulting in frequent changes of bar-length. Each verse is set to the same music, but in the final verse the music responds to the climax of the poem, with the words 'give my heart' repeated three times, rising in intensity but then falling away again to finish as the piece began, in quiet stillness. A natural shape and line to each phrase should be led by the text, with subtle shading off and no hurrying at the end of lines. Likewise, the poem's punctuation should guide breathing. Overall, a sense of space should prevail but without the tempo dragging. / Choeur Mixte (SATB) A Cappella

Par SCHUBERT FRANZ. Franz Schubert’s popular German Mass of 1827 follows in the footsteps of Michael Haydn’s work Deutsches Hochamt by turning to a German translation of the Ordinary mass. Its homophonic texture and largely syllabic setting of the words make it more accessible to lay choruses than Schubert’s masses in Latin, an advantage reinforced by its diatonic melodic writing and constantly slow tempos. The present edition reproduces the Urtext from the New Schubert Edition and presents the definitive second version for chorus and wind instruments. Since the piano reduction basically follows the choral lines and Schubert’s original organ part, however, the Mass can also be performedwith organ accompaniment. - Urtext from the New Schubert Edition - Standard work in the church music repertoire - Can be accompanied by organ or wind instruments - No vocal soloists necessary/ RĂ©pertoire / Chant

Par PERGOLESI GIOVANNI BATTISTA. In 1732 Giovanni Battista Pergolesi composed a setting of the Vespers in honor of St. Emidius, Naples’s patron saint and protector against earthquakes. All that has survived are the introit Domine ad adjuvandum and three psalm settings: Dixit Dominus, Laudate and Confitebor. Malcolm Bruno’s reconstruction consists of Pergolesi’s Hymnus, Magnificat, several short instrumental interpolations, and the contrafactum of a secular cantata for the Salve Regina, thereby presenting a full cross-section of Pergolesi’s artistic evolution. The reconstructed Vespers ranges from the early Confitebor, with its allusions to Vivaldi, to the late Salve Regina with its reminiscences of thefamous Stabat Mater; from contrapuntal choral writing to operatic arias; and from the magnificently scored Dixit to the almost intimate Laudate. The present edition follows the original sources as closely as possible and contains an appendix with detailed notes on performance practice. Performance material available for hire Effective reconstruction of a full-length work Cross-section of Pergolesi’s sacred music Clear and easy-to-play piano reduction/ RĂ©pertoire / Solistes, Choeur Mixte (SATB) et Orchestre

Kantate Zum 23. Sonntag Nach Trinitatis, Bwv 139, 1724. Par BACH JOHANN SEBASTIAN. Bach's chorale cantata with its opening text 'Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott recht kindlich kann verlassen” (Tis well with him who on the Lord trusts just like a child) BWV 139 was performed for the first time on 12 November 1724 in the main Leipzig church service. The cantata text, based on the hymn of the same name by Johann Christoph Rube (1665-1746), is in praise of trust in God. In the opening chorus, full of depth of feeling, the hymn melody is heard throughout - this is followed by a lively tenor aria 'Gott ist mein Freund” (God is my friend) with a musical depiction of the adversary raging in vain, and in the bass aria 'Das UnglĂŒck schlĂ€gt auf allen Seiten” (Misfortune assails me on every side) Bach presents both drama and Baroque imagery. One of the two solo violin parts for the tenor aria is lost, so our edition offers a reconstruction. The virtuoso violin part of the bass aria was evidently based on a part for violoncello piccolo, now lost. The edition provides for performance by violin or violoncello./ RĂ©pertoire / ChƓur Mixte et Piano

Set of parts: vln I, vln II, vla, vc, db.. Par RUTTER JOHN. for SATB or SSA and strings, with opt. organ Set of parts for John Rutter's much-loved Nativity Carol, one of the composer's earliest pieces. The string accompaniment is compatible with both SATB and SSA versions of Nativity Carol, and this set includes the following string parts: 4 x vln I, 4 x vln II, 3 x vla, 2 x vc, 1 x db. / Date parution : 2022-04-01/ RĂ©pertoire / SATB ou SSA et Cordes, Orgue optionnel

Following the publication of Francis Jackson's organ reduction of Finzi's Requiem da Camera in 2014, Robert Gower, chairman of the Finzi Trust, recitalist and organist of Nottingham Cathedral, has created reductions of the full orchestra accompaniments to two more of Finzi's choral works. These reductions broaden the reach of these works to choirs which do not wish to present the works with orchestra, as with other standards from the sacred repertoire such the Requiems of Fauré and Duruflé. The reductions sympathetically recreate the orchestra scoring for a three-manual organ. Ingeniously, the manual couplings (II to III, II and III to I) are unaltered throughout, with pedal coupled to manuals as appropriate. Detailed registrations are not indicated as these are best left to the performer, taking into account the unique circumstances of the particular instrument, size of choir and acoustic setting at each performance. The scores are user-friendly, in landscape format and with at least one principal vocal line cued throughout, and a cappella choral passages are reproduced in full. The reductions are fully compatible with the published piano vocal scores of the respective works which the singers will use. / Choeur Mixte (SATB) Et Orchestre