The Oxford Book of Easy Flexible Anthems

It is an excellent collection of 66 anthems suitable for the church choir that wants to sing anthems regularly but may sometimes struggle to have a balanced number of parts. Most of these pieces can be sung effectively in unison, and all have suggestions for performance by varied ensembles, so some are most effective as two-part pieces, others SATB or SAB. For church choirs with limited rehearsal time, this book will be valuable. With this collection, you don't have to abandon a particular anthem when your only tenor is away. Flexibility allows omitting or rearranging parts without sacrificing the integrity of the composition. * Part 1 of review by Gordon Appleton, www.rscm.com, June 2017 *
OUP has a great advantage in that it has been able to trawl through its many past publications and reuse them (sometimes in new arrangements) here . . . As editor, composer and arranger, [Alan Bullard] has ensured that what is provided here is both practical and accessible, yet of good quality. It contains a variety of music for the Church's year and a comprehensive liturgical and thematic index. A dedicated website, www.oup.com/flexible, allows many of the anthems to be heard in performance â a useful aid to choir directors and singers . . . This collection is wholeheartedly recommended - but if you need a copy that stays flat on the keyboard music stand, do opt for the spirally bound edition; both this and the ordinary paperback are excellent value. * Part 2 of review by Gordon Appleton, www.rscm.com, June 2017 *
Composer Alan Bullard has assembled sixty-six anthems covering the entire liturgical year and representing a wide swath of traditional English choral repertoire. Selections for Evensong are also included, extending the reach of the collection . . . The result is a highly practical resource for summer choirs or for any time when there is a question as to which singers will actually show up on a Sunday morning. The adaptability of the pieces and the high quality of editorial choices make for a safe collection in less than ideal circumstances. The anthology is also available in a spiral bound edition, particularly attractive for organists and conductors. * The Journal of the Assoc. of Anglican Musicians, May 2017 *
. . . the variety of performance options are all explained carefully in the preface, which also provides details of the associated web page (www.oup.com/flexible) where more details about the original format and publication of each piece are sensibly provided. * Geoffrey Webber, Church Music Quarterly, May 2017 *