Gibbons: Choral and Organ Music
Gibbons is often better represented in the hymn book than in the serious music of a service - and this CD helps demonstrate why that's a shame. With a mix of verse and full anthems, plus both sets of Mag and Nunc, and a smattering of organ music it gives a good picture of Gibbons' church output. If you like the sound of madrigals, you'll like some of the church music, but there are also works in here to rival more heavy duty compositions - Out of the deep, for example. Both evening services are fun - the contemplative verse settings of the second service and the livelier short service.
Psalters and chant books
A Manual of Plainsong - quite simply the book to have if you intend to introduce a spot of plainsong, whether it's to give some variety in Lent or Advent or simply because of the hypnotic beauty of plainchant. There are detailed directions on singing the music, plus a good collection of psalms, canticles, litany and communion responses. Recommended.
Want to sing psalms well? Here’s the place to start.
The New Cathedral Psalter Chants (81) - the older version of the compact chant book, based on the St Paul's chants of 1878. This the 'one star' version is only worth going for if you are making up an existing set - the '82' version (red) below is cheaper and has a better range of chants.
The New Cathedral Psalter Chants (81) - the older version of the compact chant book, based on the St Paul's chants of 1878. This the 'one star' version is only worth going for if you are making up an existing set - the '82' version (red) below is cheaper and has a better range of chants.
Various Editions of the Parish Psalter... are available from Amazon.co.uk (often from the Marketplace section). Click here to see the possibilities. Although there are listings on Amazon.com they are mostly very expensive - buy from .co.uk - shipping to the US doesn't cost much more.
The Anglican Psalter - Renamed version of the New St Paul’s Cathedral Psalter. Some settings not suitable for congregations, but an excellent psalter for choirs, with some stunning chants, which is well worth having a copy of.
