Royal-School-Of-Church-Music

Music to accompany the Church of England liturgy book including 'A new commandment' 'My God my God' 'We glory in your cross' and the hugely popular 'Easter song of praise'.

Francis Jackson's arrangement of Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis In C arranged for SS and Organ. Dr Francis Jackson CBE is a British organist and composer. He was born in Malton Yorkshire and received his early education as a Chorister at York Minster under his precursor the legendary Sir Edward Bairstow. Jackson succeeded Bairstow as Organist of York Minster in 1946 a post he held until his official retirement in 1982. His extensive output of sacred and secular music includes canticles anthems hymn tunes organ pieces two acclaimed monodramas an overture a concerto a symphony and solo songs. Jackson's creative output has continued since his retirement.

Remember Bethlehem was conceived after a conversation on the works of the late story-telling songsmith Jake Thackray. Thackray’s sometimes bawdy sometimes satirical and often hilarious lyrics are delivered in a lugubrious baritone and underpinned by a strong Yorkshire accent that led him to be dubbed the “North Country Noel Coward”. In his Remember Bethlehem heshows a more tender side and tells a story devoid of expletives and cutting social commentary of a “shabby little country girl” completely broken by the ardours of her journey arriving in Bethlehem as a distrusted foreigner to give birth to baby boy called Jesus. Whatstruck and moved me most about Thackray’s telling of the Nativity Narrative is the way he normalizes Mary. Rather than retrospectively beatifying her - telling her story full in the knowledge of the extraordinary thing she did (as most nativity stories do) – Thackray’s portrayal of her as young afraid and cold makes her achievement all the more astonishing. Indeed so out-of-the-ordinary is the gift given by this apparently ordinary girl that no one and no thing can ever forget it: “Even the stony old hills […] your shaggy old trees […] the sulky old sun Remembers Bethlehem.” My carol of the same name adapts a similar approach to telling Mary’s story. Musically I have only thinly veiled my affection for Peter Warlock’s miniature masterpiece Bethlehem Down and evidence of this can be seen not only in the choice of key triple metre and strophic setting but also in the resemblance of some of the cadential figures. A final strand of influence comes once more from Yorkshire and specifically Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre. My wife is a literature scholar and pointed out to me the parallels between Mary’s plight in Thackray’s story and a scene from the novel in which Jane is lost up on the moors. Through her distrust of man she feels outcast and

A selection of 52 of the finest modern worship songs. These arrangements have been commissioned with an eye to full participation by both choirs and congregations with instrumentalists and soloists too where available.

SATB compatible with A0288 (new edition)-A four-part arrangement of this of popular anthem. Alternatively known as Deep Peace the gentle nature of both the words and melody have made this piece a firm favourite at christenings weddings and funerals.

Taken from Hymn of Praise this is a 4-part arrangement full of joy and majesty. Ideal for general use or at festivals such as Easter Ascension or Christ the King.

An arrangement for unison voice of this classic anthem. Alternatively known as Deep Peace the gentle nature of both the words and melody have made this piece a firm favourite at christenings weddings and funerals.

John Rutter's Lord Make Me An Instrument Of Thy Peace for SATB Choir with Organ accompaniment.

Charles Villiers Stanford's O For A Closer Walk With God is a setting of the words by William Cowper for SATB Choir with Organ accompaniment.

Colin Mawby's setting for Unison Soprano or Treble voices with Organ accompaniment of Psalm 23 'The Lord Is My Shepherd'.