CMM 32 Music of the Florentine Renaissance, Edited by Frank A. d'Accone. Vol. I Bernardo Pisano (149

Welfare, Sue

Lynskey, Dorian

Sandburg, Carl

This charming collection of carols for upper voices is perfect for choirs looking for fresh and engaging repertoire for Christmas. Several new pieces have been composed especially for the collection: Alan Bullard's jubilant carol 'Ring the Bells'&#x3b; Cecilia McDowall's exquisite lullaby setting of a William Blake text&#x3b; an enchanting piece by Howard Skempton, perfectly crafted in his unique voice&#x3b; and a clever wassail-style carol from Roderick Williams. These appear alongside popular carols by John Rutter and Bob Chilcott in new arrangements for upper voices, and a number of carols set to familiar and lesser-known texts. With pieces largely in two or three parts, and occasional unison, For Him all Stars is sure to delight audiences and inspire both young and adult choirs alike.<BR>An accompaniment for strings for Rutter's 'Love came down at Christmas' is available on hire.<br>

SongStream 2: An American Journey is a second collection of ten songs for youth choirs, largely scored for SAB with some divisi and optional parts. These exciting, accessible, and stylistically varied pieces take you on a journey from Canada through North to Central and South America. They include original pieces and arrangements with a strong regional flavour, among them folk-songs, a spiritual, and new arrangements of popular tunes. Arrangements by editors Peter Hunt and Bob Chilcott appear alongside those by native composers, in a collection that will communicate directly with young singers and freshen any concert programme.<br>

Bob Chilcott