Spirituals for Choirs

An exciting collection of twenty new spiritual arrangements for SATB choirs, specially commissioned for this volume, compiled and edited by Bob Chilcott. Taking a fresh look at these timeless songs, including both familiar favorites and less well-known gems, the ten arrangers bring to these pieces the fruits of their diverse musical backgrounds and experiences. The arrangements feature a wide range of styles, from introspective to ecstatic, with a mixture of large- and small-scale pieces, both unaccompanied and accompanied. Spirituals for Choirs provides singers with an inspirational, moving, and above all, enjoyable repertoire.

Bob Chilcott has a established an international reputation as one of Britain's most versatile and popular composers of choral music. He began his career as a chorister and choral scholar in the choir of King's College, Cambridge, under the leadership of Sir David Wilcocks and Philip Ledger. For twelve years, he was a member of the renowned vocal ensemble The King's Singers, for whom he wrote numerous a cappella and accompanied pieces and arrangements, many of which have been featured on the group's recordings for BMG and EMI Records. It was this experience that led him to full-time composition, fulfilling a growing desire to extend his commitment to young and to amateur choirs through his own brand of accessible music, and to share his deep belief in the communicative and social aspects of music through his work as a pro-active composer. Bob Chilcott currently conducts the 200-voice chorus at the Royal College of Music in London and is in great demand as a guest conductor and leader of choral workshops worldwide.