Five Mystical Songs: Vocal score Paperback – December 10, 2012

This is a very good, new edition and type-setting of VW's beloved "Five Mystical Songs."It contains two settings (choral and soloist, and soloist only) for: 1. EasterIt contains one setting (choral and soloist) for: 2. I Got Me FlowersIt contains one setting (choral and soloist) for: 3. Love Bade Me WelcomeIt contains one setting (soloist) for: 4. The Call, andIt contains two settings (choral and soloist, and soloist only) for: 5. AntiphonAll of the settings contain piano accompaniment, somewhat smaller than the vocal score, but still readable. Measure numbers are large and clearly marked with abundant tempo markings, and ample articulations and dynamics are also given in the score for the soloist and choir.This is a vast improvement from what I recall of past publishings of this work, updating the type-setting by, shall we say, one hundred years? Richard Sergeant has done many choral groups and soloists a favor with his work by editing the "Five Mystical Songs," and has brought this great RVW work well into the twenty-first century. Many thanks and kudos to Mr Sergeant for this.What shall we see next? How about a new type-set and edited version of VW's "Fantasia on Christmas Carols"? Let's bring RVW into the twenty-first century on this one, too, shall we?Vaughan Williams forever!

A most useful book for future solo performances + choir

I bought this because we were singing it in a concert a few years ago, and the copy I was given by the choir director was to worn to read.

I downloaded and opened it up in Kindle. It was nothing but gibberish. I think what happened is that the score was digitally copied as an image and Kindle is trying to interpret much of the score as printed characters. In any case, it is not usable and I would like to be refunded.

I needed this piece for college choir and this is a very well put together arrangement. It contains all of the movements AND the solo movements.

A small sized score (slightly larger than A4 landscape), so you need good eyesight for performance under bright lights (concert) or dark conditions (church). Accompaniment, solo voice, choral parts, text, notes and dynamics are all typeset well and make it a good vocal score to read in performance as a soloist. The accompaniment is very small and, because the book does not lie particularly flat even after continued use, makes it a difficult score to perform from without a page turner - not recommended for organists/pianist. A major shortcoming is that Vaughan Williams' phrasing marks for the solo voice - a feature of what makes his vocal scores intelligible - are omitted. Strangely, the accompaniment and choral parts have correct phrasing marks - which is odd.

This doesn't work--what should be a 41-page book of sheet music is well over 1000 pages with virtually no printed music and only a few words per page. I am performing this set, but cannot.I am trying to cancel, but can get no help.Please help!

Beautiful music and so very clear printing

It is excellent,just what I wanted.

This is an A5 edition, which means it is a little small, which proves a challenge if reading over a pianist shoulder, but otherwise fine.

If you're a singer, don't waste your time with this; it's impossible to read. The book is A5 (smaller than A4) and to make matters worse they have shrunk the score so the print is smaller than 8pt; about the same size as the Legal Disclaimer on the bottom of Banking ads. Vast white borders all round each page, where they could' have doubled the print size, to make it legible. An awful waste of money.

This is a hardback facsimile copy of the original text. However the facsimile is reduced in size to such an extent that it is not at all suitable for performance purposes. Also, the original from which the facsimile was produced can not have been the best printing, as the print in this copy is quite feint. I have returned this and ordered a paperback of the full size vocal score instead.