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We begin with three by Stewart Wilkinson who has already 6 pieces listed with Renforth Music. All three pieces are suitable for a good high school or community choir. They are The Ballad of the Northern Lights (SATB, Piano), The Huron Carol (SATB), O magnum mysterium (SATB).

We have a new, to us, composer Daniel Rubinoff who also has three new numbers on offer Agnus Dei (SATB), Ave Maria (SATB), and two versions of Drop, Drop Slow Tears (SATB), one version with added cello, the other with tenor saxophone. These pieces are fairly traditional with the occasional more challenging harmony. Suitable for a decent church choir.

Another new composer is Judy Specht whose The Forsaken Merman (SATB, Piano) is definitely worth a look if you have a good high school ensemble or community choir. The ‘different’ story will appeal to many.

Finally, we have a new piece by Matthew and Ben Pauls, which comes in both English and German. Take Thou My Hand (SATB) and in German So nimm denn meine Hände. Simple, fairly straight forward, hymn-like piece with a short tenor solo.

This year is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Lucy Maud Montgomery. Her books are well known and loved all over the world. She also wrote 500 short stories and 500 poems, the latter tending to show a darker side of her nature. One such is Night set by Stephanie Martin for SSATB with cello in which the writer says ‘I walk with solitude as with a friend’ and ‘I welcome this communion of the dark’.