A new collection of music for Evensong for upper voices has just been published by the Royal School of Church Music. Open thou our lips marks the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer which laid down the order for this Anglican evening service; it is a pattern in daily use by many cathedrals and churches throughout the world.
This new music book takes its title from the start of an evening service which, over the centuries, has become much loved by choristers and congregations alike. 350 years after it came into being, many churches and cathedrals follow this pattern for Evensong in their routine of daily worship; for many establishments the choral version is the main sung service of the day.
Open thou our lips contains sung settings of three integral parts of the service: the Preces and Responses, and the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (or ‘evening canticles’ as they are collectively known). All are published here for the first time, and most have been composed especially for cathedrals where boys’ or girls’ choirs are regularly singing services for which adult voices are not available.
The book contains a settings in a wide variety of styles of music, including unaccompanied Fauxbourdons, unison, and two part with organ settings by a variety of composers, many of whom are directors of music at cathedrals, college chapels and churches around the world, and in charge of choirs of boys and girls. They have been selected and edited by David Halls, Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral, which was the first cathedral in England to introduce a full-time girls’ choir in 1991. He says “Choristers like to sing music which is challenging yet memorable. I’ve aimed to choose pieces which are effective and enjoyable, and many have had the thumbs up from my choristers at Salisbury. My hope is that some if not all of these works will enter the upper voice repertoires of cathedral and church choirs.”
This new collection includes newly published settings from Peter Nardone (Worcester Cathedral), Malcolm Archer (Winchester College Chapel), Timothy Byram-Wigfield (St George’s Chapel, Windsor), Barry Ferguson (formerly at Rochester Cathedral), Sarah MacDonald (Selwyn College, Cambridge), Thomas Hewitt Jones (London), Robert Quinney (Westminster Abbey), Richard Shephard (York) and Peter Aston (Norwich).
Open thou our lips (price £13.50) is available from RSCM Music Direct and may be ordered by telephone, email or online. RSCM affiliated churches and members are entitled to generous discounts.
Open thou our lips may be purchased from RSCM Music Direct:
Price £13.50 (£10.13 RSCM affiliates)
RSCM order number: B0363
Tel: 0845 021 7726
Email: musicdirect@rscm.com
Online: www.rscm.com/shop