Oxford Hymn Settings for Organists: Advent and Christmas

Rebecca Groom te Velde earned degrees in organ performance from Seattle Pacific University and the University of Western Ontario, also studying composition and church music. She continued her studies in Germany on a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service. An active performer and clinician on service-playing, she holds the Associate Certificate from the American Guild of Organists. She has published organ music with Oxford University Press and Darcey Press and choral compositions with Santa Barbara Music Publishing. She is organist of First Presbyterian Church, Stillwater, and adjunct instructor of organ at Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.David Blackwell read music and studied the organ at Edinburgh University, where he gained his FRCO, and for many years worked in music publishing, becoming Head of Music Publishing at Oxford University Press. He has published anthems and carols with OUP, is co-editor of Carols for Choirs 5 (2011), and has published organ pieces in Oxford Service Music for Organ (OUP, 2010), compiled and edited by Anne Marsden Thomas. He is also co-writer of OUP's award-winning String Time books.

The principle behind OUP's invaluable collection of seasonal music is spelled out as clearly as one could wish in the Introduction: it sets out to provide "quality music based on well-known hymn tunes for church organists", and in this endeavour it is singularly successful . . . All the pieces are sensibly laid out and registered for an instrument of average resources, and make no more technical demands than a player capable of an assured performance of an Orgalbüchlein prelude should be able to accommodate. . . Forms, and methods of thematic transformation, are imaginatively varied. . . and players may find that the editorial encouragement to interpret pieces in a range of ways extends the usefulness of the volume even further. Overall, this constitutes a welcome and (in the best sense) functional addition to the liturgical organistâs seasonal armoury.

• Adeste, fideles (Fantasia) ; Adeste, fideles (Pastorale) ; Antioch ; Besancon/Carol of the Advent ; Bristol ; Carol ; Conditor alme siderum ; Cradle Song ; Cranham ; Cross of Jesus ; Divinum mysterium/Corde natus ; Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen ; Forest Green ; Gabriel's Message ; Gloria/Iris ; God rest you merry ; Go, tell it on the mountain ; Helmsley ; In dulci jubilo ; Irby ; Little Cornard ; Mendelssohn ; Merton ; Mueller ; Noel ; O Jesulein suss ; Personent hodie ; Picardy ; Psalm 42/Genevan ; St Louis ; St Stephen ; Stille Nacht ; Still, still, still ; The first Nowell ; Veni Emmanuel ; Wachet auf ; Winchester New ; Winchester Old