Music played an enormous role in the works of William Shakespeare, while his own sonnets, poems and soliloquies have provided continuing inspiration for many composers through the years. The Novello Shakespeare Choral Collection, inspired by the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death in 2016, is an exciting anthology of choral works that are settings of Shakespeare's words. For choirs of all types and abilities, this collection has been edited by David Wordsworth so that all the pieces are fantastic both to sing and hear. The collection features some beautiful settings that have well and truly stood the test of time, such as Thomas Arne's Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind and Henry Leslie's How Sweet The Moonlight Sleeps. More recent settings from 20th century and contemporary composers include Ernest Moeran's Sigh No More, Ladies, Gary Carpenter's Lo, Here, The Gentle Lark and John Tavener's Fear No More and Look In Thy Glass. Not only this, the Shakespeare Choral Collection boasts several works that were specially commissioned, including John Joubert's Be Not Afeard, Richard Sisson's Light Thickens and Pawel Lukaszewki's Weary With Toil, I Haste Me To My Bed. Some pieces have never appeared before in print, such as those by Kevin Olsen, Bernard Hughes and John Gardner. These songs truly are a joy to perform, with some relatively simple arrangements that are purely fun to sing, while some more complex settings that will be thoroughly rewarding for choirs and audiences alike. A total of 26 fantastic works comprise The Novello Shakespeare Choral Collection, which would work as a wonderful concert programme on its own, or could provide a wealth of options for choirs looking to expand their repertoire with a range of unique settings. Also included is a fascinating introduction by editor David Wordsworth, and notes describing each piece. Words written by indisputably the greatest writer in the English language can only be matched with music by composers of talent and renown such as these. The Novello Shakespeare Choral Collection is an essential anthology of stunning settings of beautiful words which will be performed and enjoyed for many years to come. A Summer Sonnet [Olson, Kevin] Be Not Afeard [Joubert, John] Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind [Arne, Thomas] Daffodils [Wertsch, Nancy] Fear No More [Sondheim, Stephen] Fear No More [Tavener, John] Four Rounds To Shakespeare Texts [Gardner, John] Full Fathom Five [Wood, Charles] How Sweet The Moonlight Sleeps [Leslie, Henry] Hymn For Shakespeare's Birthday [Berkeley, Lennox] If We Shadows Have Offended [Hughed, Bernard] It Was A Lover And His Lass [Harris, Matthew] Light Thickens [Sisson, Richard] Lo, Here, The Gentle Lark [Carpenter, Gary] Look In Thy Glass [Tavener, John] O Mistress Mine [Wertsch, Nancy] O, How Much More [Crabtree, Paul] Ophelia's Lament [Mealor, Paul] Orpheus [Weir, Judith] Orpheus With His Lute [Schuman, William] Rosemary [Helldén, Daniel] Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day? [Larsen, Libby] Sigh No More, Ladies [Moeran, Ernest] Tell Me Where Is Fancy Bred [Harris, Matthew] Weary With Toil, I Haste Me To My Bed [Lukaszewski, Pawel] Who Is Silvia? [Harris, Matthew]

The 'Missa brevis in E flat minor? for mixed choir a cappella has been composed in the tradition of the short Mass (without Credo) and can be easily managed by most choirs. Thanks to its conciseness, it is suitable for use in church services, while its delightful harmonic layout and consciously simple melodies (with clear allusions to folk music) also make it perfect for concert performance.'My music is my own and I have never tried to be original. That has always been my motto and I have only tried to use music to express all the feelings which life has to offer. This has led people to describe my music as 'so sad that it sounds like birds who have lost their wings' but also as 'the happiest classical music that we have ever heard'.My compositions are almost all sacred. They express not only my own faith but also my appreciation and respect for the timeless texts that have been used for centuries and centuries.'Mårten Jansson (b. 1965), elected member of the Föreningen svenska tonsättare (the Society of Swedish Composers), graduated from the Royal College of Music, Stockholm (KHM) with an MFA degree in Music Education, Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Voice. For more than ten years he was the music director and conductor of 'Carmen?, one of the most prominent womens' vocal ensembles in Sweden. He currently teaches choral conducting and music theory as well as giving vocal tuition at the Bolandgymnasiet and Musikskolan in his home town of Uppsala. / Choeur Mixte