Herbert Howells composed his Magnificat And Nunc Dimittis evening canticles for St Paul's Cathedral in 1951, going on to become among his most famous and enduring works. These beautiful canticles were composed by a master of setting the Anglican liturgy, and are arranged for SATB Chorus and Organ Accompaniment. These two wonderful works of choral music are characterised by a unique blend of unison harmonies and disparate melodies that highlight each voice perfectly. The lingering notes, crescendos and subtle dynamic changes were composed with the acoustics of that great cathedral in mind, but they also work equally well in any setting.

Since the introduction of the first girls’ choir at Salisbury Cathedral in 1991,there has been a growing demand for Evensong music for upper voices fromchurches and cathedrals with upper voice choirs.This unique collection, edited by David Halls, provides exciting new settings ofboth Preces and Responses, and the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. It includesmusic in a variety of styles and standards, and includes settings by some of ourleading church music composers, published here for the first time.

The authorship of this work is sometimes attributed to (or shared with) Pergolesi's teacher, Francesco Durante. There are editorial notes included by Clayton Westermann. The Latin text also has an English translation directly underneath, in italics, and the voices are written out on separate staves over a piano reduction of the orchestral part. Includes: Magnificat * Et Misericordia * Deposuit * Suscepit Israel * Sicut Locutus Est * Sicut Erat in Principio.