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Rating: 
Summary: The masters do it again!
Review: I had the pleasure of participating in a workshop with David Willcocks, and received this book as part of it. It was first published in 1987, but Sir David had some amusing anecdotes to share about how he and John Rutter, another name to reckon with in choral music circles, put it together.This is what I like about it: * These gentlemen are giants in the English choral music scene, and personify the English choral tradition in everything they do. So it's a pleasure to find that they have included many carols from other countries, as well as the English ones. It's very hard to find non-English-language carols, so this is a nice little collection. * Their 4-part arrangements are imaginative but easy enough to sight-sing. * It also includes a listing of church festivals other than Christmas, with the names and page numbers of carols that would be appropriate for each. * For ease of navigation as you're singing, the verses are in Roman type while the refrains are in italics. * For reasons that are not clear, they have chosen to include the text in the original language in some cases, but not all. The foreign language texts are immediately under the English translations, so you can sing in either language. * At the very end of the book is the order of service for the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, with instructions on the appropriate rank of each person to read, from chorister to bishop. If you are only going to buy one carol book, this and the Oxford Book of Carols are the best ones to consider. The Oxford has more in it, and is hugely more expensive, so I recommend this one! it'll take you several Christmasses to sing your way through it.
Rating:
Summary: The masters do it again!
Review: I had the pleasure of participating in a workshop with David Willcocks, and received this book as part of it. It was first published in 1987, but Sir David had some amusing anecdotes to share about how he and John Rutter, another name to reckon with in choral music circles, put it together. This is what I like about it: • These gentlemen are giants in the English choral music scene, and personify the English choral tradition in everything they do. So it's a pleasure to find that they have included many carols from other countries, as well as the English ones. It's very hard to find non-English-language carols, so this is a nice little collection. • Their 4-part arrangements are imaginative but easy enough to sight-sing. • It also includes a listing of church festivals other than Christmas, with the names and page numbers of carols that would be appropriate for each. • For ease of navigation as you're singing, the verses are in Roman type while the refrains are in italics. • For reasons that are not clear, they have chosen to include the text in the original language in some cases, but not all. The foreign language texts are immediately under the English translations, so you can sing in either language. • At the very end of the book is the order of service for the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, with instructions on the appropriate rank of each person to read, from chorister to bishop. If you are only going to buy one carol book, this and the Oxford Book of Carols are the best ones to consider. The Oxford has more in it, and is hugely more expensive, so I recommend this one! it'll take you several Christmasses to sing your way through it.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing resource for established choirs
Review: This book is a wonderful source for any established choir. The multi-part harmonies are arranged in a unique and expressive way. The song selections range from old latin (Quem Pastores Laudavere), to religious (It came upon a midnight clear), and even encludes variations of Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls.
Rating:
Summary: Carols for Choir is the most beautiful music
Review: This is the first time that I am able to find so many Christmas Carol for Choir which is my favorite music during the whole year. I would like to see more information about the songs contained, and the title of the songs.
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