SKU: A0.1126904

An arrangement by Philip Le Bas for double wind quintet and double bass of Ravel's short masterpiece, originally for piano and then - brilliantly - orchestrated by him. However, Ravel's horn part presenting the melody at the start is notoriously high and exposed, so the arranger has taken the liberty of giving this to the oboe, instead. Ravel's oboe part, in turn, is very low and exposed in places, and the arranger has once again taken the opportunity to rescore this, along with many other parts. Not that this is any claim to be improving on the master's orchestration, but simply in order to make this beautifully simple piece more accessible, without losing its almost universal appeal!

SKU: A0.1120294

An arrangement (revised 2024) by Philip Le Bas of a popular and simple melody by James Leith Macbeth Bain (1860-1925) - Brother James - with words of Psalm 23 (The Lord's my shepherd) for 3-part choir and piano. There are many existing arrangements, but most tend to be rather fancy (e.g. by Gordon Jacob and Alan Bullard), requiring four competent parts, or else it is simply sung as a congregation hymn. Here it is set for SABar choir so that it becomes more accessible to small parish choirs, who may lack tenors and basses. It has five verses, the second and fourth providing an opportunity either for a cappella or for accompanied part singing. The other verses are varied particularly by the piano, although the ending is also in parts.

SKU: A0.1166020

A simple reduction by Philip Le Bas of How beautiful upon the mountains by John Stainer (1840-1901) from SATB and organ to SABar and organ, to make it more accessible particularly to church choirs with few tenors and basses. This lovely short anthem is very suitable for Advent, but it is also appropriate at other times in the church's year.

Words (from Isaiah 52:7):
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him
that bringeth good tidings,
that publisheth peace;
that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!.

SKU: A0.1127980

The aria Now Vanish Before the Holy Beams from Joseph Haydn's Creation for tenor soloist and SATB choir, with accompaniment here arranged for wind quintet and double bass by Philip Le Bas.

SKU: A0.1127964

Prelude and Mazurka from Act 1 of Leo Delibes' ballet Coppelia, in a new arrangement for wind decet and double bass, plus tenor drum, cymbals and triangle by Philip Le Bas.

SKU: A0.818193

A simple arrangement for SATB choir and organ by Philip Le Bas, with words by J S Dwight. This setting aims to enable choirs to sing this lovely piece of music without the need for excessive length or complexity, while retaining a degree of variety and passion. It has been adapted here (2021) to support choirs with fewer tenors and basses.

SKU: A0.1127914

A new setting by Philip Le Bas of the ancient carol The Seven Joys of Mary (or Joys Seven, or a variety of other possible titles.) This version includes the optional flute and B flat clarinet parts. Since medieval times the number of Joys of Mary has varied between five, seven, ten and twelve, but the the current number of seven has become popular, especially since the basic harmonization of R.R. Terry published in 1833 and the contemporary version for 8-part choir by Stephen Cleobury in the OUP's Carols for Choirs series. (A history of the carol can be found in the New Oxford Book of Carols, edited by H Keyte and A Parrott, p.462f.) The version presented here is kept relatively simple to perform, being scored only for three-part choir (SABar - soprano, alto, baritone) and piano, but with plenty of interest including changes in voicing, changes of rhythm (especially verse 6) and two key changes. The arranger hopes performers and listeners will find it energetic and fun! It should certainly be sung in that spirit! Although often associated with Christmas, it could in fact be performed in any season, including Easter, referring as it does to the whole life, death and resurrection of Christ.

SKU: A0.818183

A popular version of this carol by Karl Leuner (originally called Wiegenlied, written in 1813) and arranged by Charles Macpherson (1870-1927) is published in Carols for Choirs 1 for SATB choir. However, with the lack of tenors and basses in many parish churches, the carol can often lie beyond the ability of many. Hence this arrangement for three-part choir: the range of the baritone part is from low A to high E flat, which should be achievable by most men (or women singing lower parts) in amateur choirs. Being such a beautiful, gentle and touching carol, this arrangement retains its original, simple a cappella nature, although a piano reduction is provided for practice purposes.

SKU: A0.1120365

A new arrangement by Philip Le Bas of a thirteenth century French Christmas carol from Provence harmonized by Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-87, attrib.) and, more famously, by Georges Bizet (1838-75, in his L'Arlesienne Suite of 1872.) In France the melody is still tightly associated with Christmas, and French audiences start singing their own Christmas words whenever they hear the melody (the arranger has heard it himself!) The English translation used here is adapted from a variety of sources. The three kings (or more precisely the magi from St Matthew's gospel) are seen marching towards Bethlehem with their fantastic golden wealth and grandeur. But why are they going to see a low-born baby and why do they worship this child who will die on a cross? The organ sets the scene from the beginning with its marching accompaniment, and the first verse is sung in unison by all three parts. The second begins with a canon, as used by Bizet, and then breaks into harmony. The first section of the third verse is much quieter and legato, sung by the sopranos and altos, using wonderful chromatic harmonies based on another section from Bizet's suite. The lyrics express wonder at the beautiful music heard from the camp of the kings. The second section, sung in differentiated unison then begins to wonder why the kings stoop so low to a baby in a manger. Finally the fourth verse, sung in full harmony, returns to the marching accompaniment and reiterates the amazement of meeting these kings with their mysterious mission. The carol is aimed at parish choirs with limited resources, but a good organist. The melody is well-known, much of it is in unison, and other sections are relatively easy to sing. Care should however should be taken to sing the dotted rhythms accurately - this is what gives the carol its marching character.

SKU: A0.1148465

A new composition by Philip Le Bas for the standard baroque ensemble of treble recorder, (baroque) bassoon and harpsichord in a modern idiom! The inspiration for the work is a poem by G K Chesterton entitled A Christmas Carol (see below), contrasting the tranquility and brilliance of the Christ-child lying on his mother Mary's lap with the weariness of the rest of the world. The music draws on a simple setting the composer wrote of these words (The Christ Child) but disrupts the flow with occasional non-harmonic notes and some surprising key changes, gradually shifting the tonality downwards to a more peaceful ending. A Christmas Carol poem by G.K.Chesterton The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap, His hair was like a light. (O weary, weary were the world, But here is all aright.) The Christ-child lay on Mary's breast His hair was like a star. (O stern and cunning are the kings, But here the true hearts are.) The Christ-child lay on Mary's heart, His hair was like a fire. (O weary, weary is the world, But here the world's desire.) The Christ-child stood on Mary's knee, His hair was like a crown, And all the flowers looked up at Him, And all the stars looked down.

SKU: A0.1127867

Incidental music composed for piano in four parts by Philip Le Bas to accompany the Japanese folk tale (ghost story) Yuki-Onna (Snow Woman). This work developed out of a cross-cultural project initiated at Morley College, London, in early 2019, aiming to create a melodrama for piano solo and spoken voice to be performed in northern Japan later in the year by young students of the piano. It is based on the ghost-story above, which is widely known in Japan. The tale was transcribed and published by Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo) in 1904 as part of his book “Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things�, a collection that has been highly influential in expressing popular Japanese culture over the past century. Synopsis of the tale of Yuki-Onna: Two wood-cutters, Mosaku and his apprentice Minokichi, encounter a terrible snow-storm and take shelter in an empty hut by a river. The storm gets worse and worse, but they both finally fall asleep. When Minokichi wakes, he sees a woman all in white bending over Mosaku breathing bright white smoke onto his face. She then approaches Minokichi. She is very beautiful, but her eyes make him afraid. After a while she says, “I intended to do the same to you as I did to the old man, but I feel pity for you because you are a pretty young man. If you ever tell anybody what you have seen, however, I will kill you too.� And she vanishes into the snow storm. It is then that Minokichi discovers Mosaku dead on the floor of the hut. Years later Minokichi meets a beautiful girl, who calls herself O-Yuki. He falls in love with her and they live together in his house, along with his mother, who fortunately takes a liking to her new “honourable daughter-in-law.� Over the years O-Yuki gives birth to ten children and the villagers all agree that she is a wonderful person. But she is somehow different from them, as she continues to look young and fresh, despite the passing years. Minokichi often thinks of telling O-Yuki about the events of years ago, and eventually, as he is gazing at her beauty one night, he can resist it no more. He begins to tell her about the snow storm and the terrifying snow-woman. To his horror O-Yuki becomes more and more angry, and she finally says: “It was me, it was me,… and I said I would kill you if you ever told anyone! But for these children asleep here, I would do so this very moment! You had better take very good care of them; for if ever they have reason to complain of you, I will treat you as you deserve!� As she screams at him her voice becomes thin, like the crying of the wind, and she melts into a bright white mist spiraling into the roof-beams. At that moment it starts to snow, but O-Yuki is never seen again.

SKU: A0.1127872

Incidental music composed for piano duet (4-hands) in four parts by Philip Le Bas to accompany the Japanese folk tale (ghost story) Yuki-Onna (Snow Woman). This piano duet developed out of a cross-cultural project initiated at Morley College, London, in early 2019, aiming to create a melodrama for piano solo and spoken voice to be performed in northern Japan later in the year by young students of the piano. It is based on the ghost-story above, which is widely known in Japan. The tale was transcribed and published by Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo) in 1904 as part of his book “Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things�, a collection that has been highly influential in expressing popular Japanese culture over the past century. Synopsis of the tale of Yuki-Onna: Two wood-cutters, Mosaku and his apprentice Minokichi, encounter a terrible snow-storm and take shelter in an empty hut by a river. The storm gets worse and worse, but they both finally fall asleep. When Minokichi wakes, he sees a woman all in white bending over Mosaku breathing bright white smoke onto his face. She then approaches Minokichi. She is very beautiful, but her eyes make him afraid. After a while she says, “I intended to do the same to you as I did to the old man, but I feel pity for you because you are a pretty young man. If you ever tell anybody what you have seen, however, I will kill you too.� And she vanishes into the snow storm. It is then that Minokichi discovers Mosaku dead on the floor of the hut. Years later Minokichi meets a beautiful girl, who calls herself O-Yuki. He falls in love with her and they live together in his house, along with his mother, who fortunately takes a liking to her new “honourable daughter-in-law.� Over the years O-Yuki gives birth to ten children and the villagers all agree that she is a wonderful person. But she is somehow different from them, as she continues to look young and fresh, despite the passing years. Minokichi often thinks of telling O-Yuki about the events of years ago, and eventually, as he is gazing at her beauty one night, he can resist it no more. He begins to tell her about the snow storm and the terrifying snow-woman. To his horror O-Yuki becomes more and more angry, and she finally says: “It was me, it was me,… and I said I would kill you if you ever told anyone! But for these children asleep here, I would do so this very moment! You had better take very good care of them; for if ever they have reason to complain of you, I will treat you as you deserve!� As she screams at him her voice becomes thin, like the crying of the wind, and she melts into a bright white mist spiraling into the roof-beams. At that moment it starts to snow, but O-Yuki is never seen again.

SKU: A0.1126909

A short slow waltz for solo piano by Philip Le Bas based on the old English folksong O Waly, Waly. Also see its companion piece: O Waly, Waly - in adversity.