Thomas Attwood: Come Holy Ghost: SATB: Vocal Score

A new engraving of Thomas Attwood's delightful miniature Come Holy Ghost this piece is suitable for Whitsundtide or for general use. Thomas Attwood (1765-1838) is perhaps best known as the composer of such charming miniatures as Come Holy Ghost which is in essence a simple threeverse hymn. Its elegant melody first sung by soprano then by a chorus (or quartet and chorus) is reminiscent of Mozart’s delicate masterpiece Ave verum corpus.This is perhaps unsurprising Attwood took composition lessons from Mozart in Vienna and one of his contemporaries quotes Mozart as saying: ‘He partakes more of my style than anyscholar I ever had; and I predict that he will prove a sound musician.’ Attwood worked closely with the royal family throughout his life. He taught music to the Prince of Wales was appointed composer and eventually organist to the Chapel Royal and organist at St Paul’s Cathedral (he is buried under the organ there). He wrote the anthem I was glad for the coronation of King George IV.

The Novello Book of Classic Anthems brings together some of the finest sacred choruses ever written. The collection includes miniature gems including Edward Elgar’s Ave verum corpus Henry Purcell’s Thou knowest Lord the secrets of our hearts and Thomas Attwood’s Come Holy Ghost and established choral favourites such as Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus Henry Balfour Gardiner’s Evening Hymn and Samuel Sebastian Wesley’s Blessed be the God and Father. It also covers a number of dramatic extended anthems suitable for both church choirs and choral societies such as Edward Naylor’s Vox dicentis: clama John Stainer’s I saw the Lord and Wesley’s Ascribe unto the Lord and twentieth-century classics such as William Harris’s Bring us O Lord God Patrick Hadley’s My beloved spake and Edgar Bainton’s And I saw a new heaven. All the pieces have been re-engraved and some such as Haydn’s The heavens are telling and Brahms’s How lovely are thy dwellings have newly arranged accompaniments specifically designed for the Organ. This collection of nineteen anthems covers a wide range of moods and festivals and offers a delightful concert programme in itself as well as an essential addition to any choir’s library.