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.
