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 - a useful aid to choir directors and singers . . . This collection is wholeheartedly recommended a 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 *
