World Carols for Choirs (SSA)

Volumes such as this fill a valuable gap in the market. The international dimension also makes of them a labour of love for the editing team. Twenty-nine composers from 27 countries, each writing a carol in his or her own language (and I counted 20 different languages!) with most carols needing their own alternative text in English and a phonetic pronunciation guide - it hardly bears thinking of! Such projects do not seem to daunt the team at OUP, however . . . However, there is also music reflective of American spirituals, African praise songs and Latin rhythms, to name just a few of the world traditions that should make of this volume a stimulating source book for choir directors. * Matthew Greenall, The Singer Oct 06 *
There are 29 pieces, and many of them are very beautiful. It will be a happy day when a wide international selection of repertoire is regularly available for choirs to try, and initiatives like these are, I hope, leading the way. * Paul Ayres, Sheet Music Review Sept 06 *
It's wonderful, too, to be able to access the wealth of material from the ex-East European countries, with delightful arrangements from Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and Slovenia. The UK isn't forgotten - Bob Chilcott offers his own setting of 'Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day' - another must. * Malcolm Goldring, Music Teacher March 06 *