Book Description

A unique anthology which casts its net far and wide across seven centuries of unaccompanied European choral music, this book is a fascinating selection of thirty pieces, ideal for enterprising choirs looking for something out of the ordinary to enliven their repertoire. Diversity and eclecticism are the hallmarks of this stimulating collection: the pieces range from two to eight voices; from monuments of the Renaissance to miniature canons by Lawes, Schubert, and Brahms; from "Sumer is icumen in" to Stanford and Grieg. This is a truly European anthology, encompassing the music of composers from England, France, Spain, Norway, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. The contents are arranged chronologically, and though they include a few classics of the genre that no such survey can afford to ignore, the majority of pieces are unjustifiably lesser known. All are newly edited from their sources, at original pitch and in original note-values wherever practical; minimal editorial intervention allows this music to breathe afresh. There are notes on each piece, and prose translation for non-English texts.