Evening Canticles from the Second Service

Magnus Williamson's excellent new editions of two particulary lovely Elizabethan settings of the Evening Canticles are welcome for myriad reasons, not least because he has selected a pitch one tone higher than the original, rather than the now 'old hat' minor third. Many choristers will appreciate this more pure look to the score, while some may be challenged by the lower range of the alto parts, and the resulting slightly darker sonority invites the choirmaster to explore a wider spectrum of interpretational colour. The practicality of these editions is admirable: both scores are lavishly laid out, easy to read and carefully thought through from the performers' point of view. * Choir and Organ March 05 *