British Choirs on the Net - Music for Hire

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This a listing of selected books and DVD\Videos about choral music, choirs and choral marketing. If you are a choir who have published a history of your choir or choral music in your area please let me know.

	On Pärt - Paul Hillier & Tonu Tormis A gallery of 35 photos of Arvo Pärt taken between 1958 and 2005, many in full colour. The central theme of the photos tracies the collaboration with ECM and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir for the recordings of Pärt's Te Deum and Kanon Pokajanen. Tormis, a professional photographer with several exhibitions to his credit, is also a baritone in the Estonian choir and the son of composer Veljo Tormis. Paul Hillier's four essays offer a short general introduction to Pärt's music and then discuss some of the more recent works composed since the publication of his book (Arvo Pärt, Oxford University Press, 1997). Published to mark the composer's 70th birthday in September 2005, the text is presented both in English and Estonian. ..more

	The Survival of your Choir - "With a title designed to scare" - so said one reviewer of the original book. Well if that's the case - good! because unless your choir is singing to packed houses, have a constant stream of new members knocking at the door and has a bottomless supply of funds, then you need this book. The quality of choral singing in the UK is high, yet the audiences in many cases are dwindling, the choir members are getting older and in some cases audiences are outnumbered by choir members. Articles and case studies on Concert planning and repertoire, Recruitment, Appointing new conductors, Publicity and press (including online resources and Internet marketing) and Funding matters. To order this handbook and supporting CD please contact Tim Knight.

	Stroud Sings - For their Millennium project and following three years of research, Stroud Choral Society has published ‘Stroud Sings’, a social and musical history from 1834 to 2000. Written by two members, Sue Freck and Sue Edwards, ‘Stroud Sings’, 176 pages, 80,000 words and 90 illustrations, is available through members of the Society - price £10 plus £3.50 p&p. or by e-mail to stroudchoral@btinternet.com. The book can also be purchased at Stroud Choral Society concerts, Ottakars in Gloucester and the Stroud Book Shop in Stroud, Gloucestershire. Click on book cover for more details and review.

	Choral Ikons (DVD) John Tavener has described his works as being like "Ikons in sound" and so it's a neat idea to bring visuals and music together in Choral Ikons. The driving creative force behind his music is his Orthodox Christian faith, and he talks eloquently about it and his belief in universality in the documentary "Manifestations of God". He also discusses the "muses beyond the grave" who gave their names to his Song for Athene and A Parting Gift for Tam Farrow, and offers some fascinating comments on William Blake (two of whose poems are set here). It's an illuminating glimpse into the mind of this erudite, yet musically approachable figure. ..more

	"First Time Bars - A choral singer's handbook. This new book is specially written for people who sing in a choir but who never had much formal music education. Written in a direct, accessible style, it assumes no prior musical knowledge and provides a clear, simple and entertaining introduction to: the basics of music theory; musical notation; singing technique; the history of music; and the choral repertoire. The book is available to order in printed format or for electronic download at: http://www.lulu.com/content/2126943 or for enquiries please email iassersohn@btinternet.com

	Monteverdi Vespro della Beata Vergine (DVD) - John Eliot Gardiner researched this work thoroughly. There is no gimmickry in his rendition, but it feels as if in his mind's eye he had collaborated across the centuries with the ancient composer to produce a truly outstanding performance. We are all familiar with Gardiner's masterly use of early instruments and the careful selection and balancing of soloists voices and this performance makes full use of all of this. The obvious choice of the location for this performance was Venice's San Marco, where Monteverdi spent much of his career. But it is far from obvious how John Eliot Gardiner used the near perfect acoustic space of this church. Every voice and instrument is placed just right to render a superb sound picture. The "Vespers" ranges from powerful full sound of orchestra and singers to intimate love songs. In support of the need of this diversity Gardiner makes the singers change positions to the various balconies and alcoves throughout the performance. This is a truly memorable performance. ..more

	Choral Arranging - This is a very comprehensive treatise on the art of choral arranging. The author is very logical in his approach to the topic and after a very user-friendly introduction on voicing in effetive 4-part harmony, he proceeds to devote individual chapters on a hugely comprehensive list of arranging formats. There are plenty of examples to enhance the understanding of the points made. There is a range of styles included, alongside the suggestions for further study as well as a wonderfully comprehensive listening list in the appendix. This is a complex study area but I believe the author's wealth of experience has paid dividends in making the topic enjoyable as well as rigorous - a difficult balance to strike! I believe this book is a MUST for any would-be arranger! Review ...more

	'Singing from the Heart - The Story of Treorchy Male Choir' (DVD) Takes us through the history, its people and the voices that make Treorchy a world famous Male Choir. Formed in 1883 in a hometown pub in the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales, the voices of Treorchy Male Choir have performed in front of Kings, Queens, Presidents and Prime Ministers. Now, for the first time you too can enjoy a private audience with the voices of the valleys. ...more

	Imogen Holst: Conducting a Choir - A much-loved source of inspiration for countless musicians and students who encountered her over the years of her involvement with the Dartington Summer School of Music and the Aldeburgh Festival. This book conveys her infectious enthusiasm and insight as a choral conductor. Here she sets out, clearly and concisely, a wealth of practical information on the physical business of conducting which will be of particular value to the amateur conductor. She deals with the forming and training of a choir, the presentation and rehearsal of the music, and how to approach public performances and competitions. Her final chapter gives advice on the rehearsal of specific choruses by Purcell, Handel, and Britten. Originally published in 1973, this edition has been corrected and updated by Lowinger Maddison, Archivist for the Holst Foundation. ..more

	Tallis Scholars - Playing Elizabeth's Tune (DVD) - The works of Byrd including: 'Ave Verum Corpus', 'Diffusa Est Gratia', 'Magnificat', 'Ne Irascaris', 'O Lord, Make Thy Servant Elizabeth' and 'Vigilate'. Filmed in Tewkesbury Abbey in candlelight featuring a mass for four voices. ..more Tallis Scholars - Live in Rome (DVD) - A good (and long-awaited) transfer to DVD of the tape of the Tallis Scholar's Roman excursion in 1994 (the 400th anniversary of Palesrina's death). Apart from the well-known qualities of the group, the main selling-point here is the concert venue - Santa Maria Maggiore, a space which Palestrina knew well as he served there as a boy chorister. ..more

	John Jacobson's Riser Choreography (a Director's Guide for Enhancing Choral Performances) ..more The Complete Choral Warm-Up Book ... more

	Haydn Creation (DVD) - Joseph Haydn's musical interpretation of the story of 'The Creation' as told by three Archangels. Live performance from Herkulessaal in Munich. ..more Brahms German Requiem (DVD) - A performance to mark the centenary of Brahms' death in the Musikverein, Vienna, on the 3rd April, 1997. Sung in German with Barbara Bonney & Bryn Terfel, conducted by Claudio Abbado. ..more

Carols for Choirs Click on covers for details/contents

	Anthems from King's (DVD) - Made in Golden Jubilee year to commemorate the close association between the 600 year-old choir of King's College, Cambridge and the British royal family, Anthems from King's is a pure, majestic demonstration of the qualities of this most distinctive of choirs. The programme eschews the choir's traditional role in the country's Christmas celebrations for a robust selection of 19th and 20th century anthems by stalwart British and Irish composers including Davies, Balfour Gardiner and Williams. Under the direction of Stephen Cleobury their voices soar, offering inspiration and balm in equal measure, marvellously served by the unique acoustics of King's College chapel. The standard throughout is sublime but Harris' Bring us, O Lord God and Balfour Gardiner's setting for Compline, Evening Hymn, sound exceptional ..more

	Choral Conducting: Philosophy and Practice - Choral Conducting is a resource for singers, teachers, and choral conductors, and a college-level text for students of choral conducting. It also includes an overview of what is involved in leading a choral group and examines theories of learning and human behaviour and the history of choral music together with conductor's role. The book also discusses issues of the conductor-vocalist relationship, the mechanics of singing, rehearsal strategies, and more. ...more

	Mozart: Requiem (DVD) - A performance of Mozart's Requiem to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the composer's death. The location was Saint Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, the place of Mozart's funeral rites. Recorded on December 5th 1991. ..more Mozart: Coronation Mass (DVD) - Acclaimed conductor Herbert Von Karajan, who helmed the Berlin Philharmonic from 1956 to 1989, is a legendary figure of the modern period of Classical music. On this particular release, Karajan conducts his orchestra, and is joined by stars like opera diva Kathleen Battle, at high mass in St. Peter's Cathedral, Vatican in June 29, 1985. ..more

	Andrew Parrot - The Essential Bach Choir What type of choir did Bach have in mind as he created his cantatas, Passions and Masses? How many singers were at his disposal in Leipzig, and in what ways did he deploy them in his own music? Seeking to understand the very medium of Bach's incomparable choral output, Andrew Parrott investigates a wide range of sources: Bach's own writings, and the scores and parts he used in performance, but also a variety of theoretical, pictorial and archival documents, together with the musical testimony of the composer's forerunners and contemporaries ...more

	J S Bach: Christmas Oratorio (DVD) - The Christmas Oratorio, Bach's six-part cantata cycle, was presented by The Monteverdi Choir under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner at the Heiderkirche in Weimar in December 2000 as the culmination of a year-long pilgrimage. Gardiner's mission had been to perform Bach's complete canon of liturgical cantatas, in appropriate religious settings, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer's death. This is a magical record of a splendid musical occasion. Although the Oratorio is seasonal, the tale and the manner of its telling repay repeated listening regardless of the time of year. The commitment of Gardiner, his singers and musicians is deeply moving and is heightened by the splendid Baroque surroundings ..more

	Choral Masterworks: A Listener's Guide - Michael Steinberg's highly successful listener's guides--The Symphony and The Concerto--have been universally praised for their blend of captivating biography, crystal clear musical analysis, and delightful humor. Now Steinberg follows these two greatly admired volumes with Choral Masterworks: A Listener's Guide, the only such guide available to this most popular of musical forms. Here are more than fifty illuminating essays on the classic choral masterworks, ranging from Handel's Messiah, Bach's Mass in B Minor, and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, to works by Haydn, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and many others. Steinberg spans the entire history of classical music, from such giants of the Romantic era as Verdi and Berlioz, to leading modern composers such as Elgar, Rachmaninoff, Vaughan Williams, and Stravinsky, to contemporary masters such as John Adams and Charles Wuorinen. ...more

	Carl Orff: Carmina Burana/Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (DVD) - A collection of medieval poems set to music by Carl Orff, performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Shinyukai Choir. Singers include: Kathleen Battle, Frank Lopardo and Thomas Allen. Conducted by Seiji Ozawa and directed by Barrie Gavin. Sung in Latin. Plus Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (Choral) ..more J S Bach - St John Passion (DVD) - King's College, Cambridge, Roy Goodman ..more

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