Novello's Octavo Anthems

typical cover ca.1900

Contents

History

This British series started in 1875, and reached No.700 by 1900 and 1200 by 1940.

Octavo refers to the paper size, which is 10 X 6.5 inches. This size is between modern ISO 216 sizes (adopted in Germany in 1922, in the rest of Europe and U.K. by 1970) B5 (9.84 X 6.93 inches) and A4 (11.27 X 8.27 inches). This is smaller than usual sheet music, which is 31 X 23cm. (12.20 X 9.05 inches). It was chosen by Novello for their cheap editions in the 1850s and has remained the standard for choral music to the present.

Many items were issued additionally in tonic sol-fa notation. A sample of Handel's Halleluja Chorus in this notation can be seen here (section 2.7.1)

Composers were chosen very widely:

Renaissance polyphony: Byrd and Gibbons;
18thc verse anthems: Purcell, Attwood, Greene, Boyce;
18th century oratorios: Bach and Handel;
Viennese Classics: Beethoven, Mozart Haydn;
Early Romantics: Mendelssohn, Spohr;
later Romantics: Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Brahms.

However, the majority of works were by contemporary British composers:
S.S.Wesley, Maunder, Stainer, Ousley, Parry, Stanford etc.
20th century Gardiner, Bairstow, Elgar and others.

Texts were always in English regardless of the original language, suggesting that the audience was mainly from the Anglican and Non-conformist traditions. The series attests to the dedication and high musical standards of the average amateur church choir between 1870 and 1970.

Arrangers and Editors

Publishers

Template

Contents

4.This is the Day which the Lord hath Made (Turle, James).
10. My God, my God, why, O why hast Thou forsaken me : Psalm XXII Mendelssohn.
15. Blessed be the God and Father (Wesley, Samuel Sebastian)
39. The Lord is Loving (Garrett, George Mursell)
42. O Give Thanks unto the Lord (Goss, John)
57. What are these that are arryed in white Robes (Stainer, John)
58. If Ye Then be Risen with Christ (Naylor, John)
60. O Give Thanks unto the Lord (Wesley, Samuel Sebastian)
69. With my whole Heart have I sought thee.[Elvey, George Job]
82. O Clap Your Hands (Stainer, John)
86. The Morning Stars Sang Together (Stainer, John)
89. Behold, I Bring You Good Tidings (Barnby, Joseph)
108. Make me a clean heart, o God : Joseph Barnby.
114. I was glad when they said unto me. Thomas Attwood
125. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem : Jeremiah Clark ;
133. O clap your hands : Dr. Greene.
145. Rejoice in the Lord Alway, Z.49 (Purcell, Henry) -
148. In Thee, O Lord : anthem for four voices ... Psalm xxxi. 1-6 John Weldon ;
154. I Will Mention the Loving-Kindnesses (Sullivan, Arthur)
160. Unto Thee have I Cried (Elvey, George Job)
169. Sing praises to the Lord :Dr. Croft.
176. Out of the deep. Naylor, John.
199. The Daughter of Jairus (Stainer, John)
212. Be Glad, O Ye Righteous (Smart, Henry Thomas)
225. O most merciful! : Ernest Bullock.
264. Who is Like unto Thee (Sullivan, Arthur)
286. Blessed Jesu, Fount of Mercy (Dvořák, Antonín)
296. Behold, I Bring You Good Tidings (Hall, Edward Vine)
307. Christ our Passover (Hall, Edward Vine)
316. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem (Hall, Edward Vine)
324. There were Shepherds (Vincent, Charles)
327. This is the Day which the Lord hath Made (Hall, Edward Vine)
334. Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Anthem (Hall, Edward Vine)
370. Christ the Lord is Risen To-day (Hall, Edward Vine)
398. The Lord is My Strength (Coleridge-Taylor, Samuel)
399. At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing (Hall, Edward Vine)
422. The Lord is Risen (Garrett, George Mursell)
438. Let not your heart be troubled (Foster, Myles Birket)
448. The First Christmas (Barnby, Joseph)
452. The Story of the Cross (Stainer, John)
455. Jesus Christ is Risen Today (King, Oliver)
456. At the Sepulchre (Wareing, Herbert Walter)
460. My Heart was Glad (Carnall, Arthur)
461. The Day of Resurrection (Hall, Edward Vine)
462. This is the Day (Marchant, Arthur William)
468. Why Seek Ye the Living among the Dead? (Foster, Myles Birket)
469. If Ye Then be Risen with Christ (Foster, Myles Birket)
471. Be ye therefore followers of God [Baker, Alfred S.]
472. The Blessing of the Lord. [Bridge, Frederick]
491. Break Forth into Joy (Steane, Bruce)
495. I will lay me down in peace. Edwards, A. C.
499. Hallelujah! Christ is Risen (Steane, Bruce) .
533. Christ is Risen from the Dead (Roberts, John Varley)
534. The First Day of the Week (Steane, Bruce)
538. When Christ, Who is Our Life, Shall Appear (Roberts, John Varley)
558. Not unto us, O Lord (West, John Ebenezer)
559. The Souls of the Righteous (Elvey, George Job)
569. O Come, Let Us Sing (Foster, Myles Birket)
575. I Will Not Leave You Comfortless (Steane, Bruce)
577. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem (Maunder, John Henry)
591. I Will Go unto the Altar of God (Harris, Cuthbert) -
589. Lead, Kindly Light (Evans, David Pughe)
593. The Glory of the God of Israel (Adams II, Thomas)
599. The Souls of the Righteous (Elvey, George Job)
603. Sing unto the Lord (Harris, Cuthbert)
606. When Christ was Born to Earth (Davies, Walford)
607. The Night is Far Spent (Foster, Myles Birket)
612. Now is Come Salvation (Harris, Cuthbert).
620. Ten Thousand times Ten Thousand (Tozer, Ferris)
621. This is the Day (Lemare, Edwin Henry)
623. I am He that Liveth (Adams I, Thomas)
624. Praise the Lord, ye Servants (Steane, Bruce)
625. Far be Sorrow, Tears, and Sighing (Hall, Edward Vine)
643. As the Earth bringeth forth her Bud. [Brewer, A. Herbert ]
643. By the waters of Babylon [Coleridge-Taylor]
655. In Heavenly Love Abiding (Parker, Horatio)
660. Awake, Awake, with Holy Rapture Sing (West, John Ebenezer)
660. When the Sabbath was Past (Foster, Myles Birket)
672. Far from the World, O Lord, I Flee (Parker, Horatio)
678. Thou art gone to the grave (Williams, Charles Lee)
684. The Angel Said unto Them, Fear Not (Brown, Arthur Henry)
685. There Shall Come a Star out of Jacob (Harris, Cuthbert)
695. Now Late on the Sabbath Day (Coleridge-Taylor, Samuel)
696. The Lord Liveth (Marchant, Arthur William)
707. He that dwelleth in the secret place. Booth, Josiah
713. Behold I Have Given You Every Herb (Harris, Cuthbert)
716. Sing and Rejoice, Op.13 No.1 (Harwood, Basil)
718. Now I know that the Lord (Foster, Myles Birket)
729. Alleluia! the Lord Liveth (Harris, Cuthbert)..
740. Save Us, O Lord (Bairstow, Edward Cuthbert)
743. I was glad when they said unto me C. Hubert H. Parry.
744. Be glad and rejoice (Foster, Myles Birket)
748. Come, ye children, and hearken unto me: [Booth, Josiah]
751. Angels, from the Realms of Glory (Hall, Edward Vine)
756. Blessed Be the Lord God of Israel (Barnby, Joseph)
760. I Will Magnify Thee, O Lord (Bell, William Henry)
761. Sing Ye to the Lord (Lloyd, Charles Harford)
762 The Promise which was Made unto the Fathers (Bairstow, Edward Cuthbert)
765. Morn's roseate hues,
773. Hearken unto me, ye holy children [Bell, W. H.]
779. Glory to God in the Highest (Lee, Ernest Markham)
781. I Will Magnify Thee, O God (Lee, Ernest Markham)
781. Sing, O Heavens (Steane, Bruce)
783. Christ the Lord is Risen Again (Hall, Edward Vine)
785. Worthy is the Lamb (Thorne, Edward H.).
788. Jesus Christ is Risen Today (Gaul, Alfred Robert)
789. If Ye then be Risen with Christ (Atkins, Ivor).
804. The Heavens Declare the Glory of God (Macpherson, Charles)
808. Ten Thousand times Ten Thousand (Hall, Edward Vine)
813. Great is the Lord (Sydenham, Edwin Augustus)
814. Christ is Risen from the Dead (Sydenham, Edwin Augustus)
819. If Christ be not Raised (Macpherson, Charles)
821. Withdraw not thou thy mercy (Thomas Attwood)
830. Lord, we leave thy servant sleeping Brahms (Begräbnisgesang).
835. Love Divine, All Love Excelling (Hall, Edward Vine)
867. How long wilt Thou forget me? : Jeremiah Clark ;
871. There Were Shepherds Abiding in the Field (Willan, Healey)
873. The Lord Our Righteousness (Blair, Hugh)
876. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel (Hall, Edward Vine)
881. Come, Let us Join our Cheerful Songs (Hall, Edward Vine)
887. Do Not I Fill Heaven and Earth? (Blair, Hugh)
889. While All Things Were in Quiet Silence (Willan, Healey)
900. O Lord, Thou art My God (Wesley, Samuel Sebastian)
904. Jesu, word of God incarnate (Elgar, Edward)
907. Jesu, meek and lowly (Elgar, Edward)
910. While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night (Hall, Edward Vine)
921. Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain (Hall, Edward Vine)
922. Come, with High and Holy Gladness (Blair, Hugh)
923. Arise, Shine, Op.7b (Cobb, Gerard Francis)
935. A Song of Joy (West, John Ebenezer).
936. Sing, O Daughter of Zion (Wareing, Herbert Walter)
948. As Christ was Raised from the Dead (Wareing, Herbert Walter)
949. This is the Day which the Lord hath Made, Op.21 (Harwood, Basil)
971. Jesus Lives! (Foster, Myles Birket)
989. Be Glad Then, Ye Children of Zion (Hollins, Alfred)
991. Sing Ye to the Lord (Bairstow, Edward Cuthbert)
1008. Evening and Morning (Oakeley, Herbert Stanley)
1015. Hosanna to the Son of David (Gibbons, Orlando)
1053. Ring Out, Wild Bells (Fletcher, Percy Eastman)
1072. O God, who hast prepared. John Mudd
1079. O Lord my God. [Couldrey, Henry Robert.]
1080. I was glad when they said unto meetc. [Couldrey, Henry Robert.]
1089. And the Earth was reaped [Craston, Edward Sharp.]
1092. Saviour, who didst make Thy Dwellings [Adlam, Frank.]
1097. Let Thy Hand be Strengthened (Blow, John)
1110. Out of the Deep, [By Bunnett, Edward .]
1113. Behold, I bring you good Tidings, [Bunnett, Edward]
1117. If we believe that Jesus died, Bunnett, Edward.
1120. Blessed be Thou, Lord God of Israel, [Bunnett, Edward ]
1127. Evening Hymn. [Gardiner, H. Balfour]
1148. O Christ, the heavens' eternal king Eric H. Thiman
1149. Now upon the first Day of the Week. [Monk, William Henry]
1154. O worship the King. Anthem
1155. And I saw a new heaven. Bainton, Edgar L.
1171. God, that madest Earth and Heaven.lbert.]
1192. O Christ who holds the open gate Martin Shaw ;
1200. The Strife is o'er, the Battle done. [Durrant, Frederick Thomas.]
1201. The Lord's Prayer [By Elgar, Edward]
1203. Lift up your heads, ye gates Adams, Thomas
1209. Light out of Darkness (Elgar, Edward)
1223. Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem. [Barnes, Archie Fairbairn.]
1229. All the Ends of the World . Edited by E. Bullock.
1238. Vespers.[Dyson, George]
1239. O be joyful in the Lord. [ Jones, Henry William Hawes.]
A Prayer for the King. [Anthem.] [Dyson, George]
1250. Abide with me. [Churchill, Norman.]
1254. Psalm 150 Organ Arrangement by H. A. Chambers.
1255. Zion hears her Watchmen's Voices: Chorale ... [Bach, arr. G. Sampson]
1256. My Song is Love unknown.[Maslen, Benjamin James.]
1257. Behold, I bring you good Tidings. Anthem, etc. / [By Churchill, Norman.]
1259. Now that the Sun . [Purcell, Henry arr H. A. Chambers.] :
1355. Children of Jerusalem: hymn Thiman, Eric H.
1356. Again the morn of gladness:Thiman, Eric H