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RSCM music books

RSCM logo The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is producing a range of music resources for Common Worship. You can visit the RSCM's web site at www.rscm.com

Providing music for the new liturgy

To coincide with the publication of Common Worship in 2000, the RSCM published three important volumes of resources for the Church of England's new orders of service, the first of an ongoing series under the General Editorship of John Harper and the fruit of three consultations of parish and cathedral clergy, musicians, liturgists and composers.

The Common Worship Psalter pointed for Anglican Chant has also been published. Simple chants are also to be made available for use with this psalter.

Music for Common Worship I: Music for Sunday Services RCW101
Well over 100 texts from the Church of England's Common Worship have been set to music in the RSCM (Royal School of Church Music) publication "Music for Common Worship 1: Music for Sunday Services". There is a great variety of musical styles and the book includes traditional and modern language versions of the Holy Communion service, varied settings of the principal psalms and canticles for Morning, Evening and Night Prayer, together with a selection of canticles pointed for use with Anglican chant.

It contains an anthology of Psalms and Canticles with four different ways of chanting them: a simple form of plainsong, Anglican chant, 'cantor' chants, and simple chants. Optional refrains are also supplied for those who wish to use them.

All the music is designed to be sung by congregations, although choral arrangements are also included. The range of styles included is very broad. As local churches think afresh about their patterns of worship, this book provides and invaluable guide.

  • Settings of all the principal liturgical texts;
  • Holy Communion (modern and traditional language);
  • Service of the Word, Morning, Evening and Night Prayer (modern and traditional language);
  • Direct and straightforward music - some new, some better known, all tested;
  • Several settings of most texts in a range of musical idioms;
  • Usable by small, medium, and large churches with or without choirs, musicians, or organs.

Music for Common Worship I: Music for Sunday Services
415 pages,  ISBN 0 85402 100 0

Place an order with the Church House Bookshop web site.
This book is also available from the RSCM and all bookshops.

Music for Common Worship II: Music for the President
A volume to complement the President's edition

  • Designed for use with Music for Common Worship I;
  • A supplement with a rich range of music for use by and with the president;
  • Simple traditional tones, simple new tones suitable for even the most modest of singers;
  • Special music for Eucharistic Prayers reflecting the diversity of styles in the Church.

Music for Common Worship II: Music for the President
278 pages, ISBN 0 85402 101 9

Place an order with the Church House Bookshop web site.
This book is also available from the RSCM and all bookshops.

Music for Common Worship III: A Basic Guide
A concise and straightforward handbook

  • Exploring some general principles of music in Common Worship;
  • Considering each service in turn;
  • Giving guidance on the use of musical resources, including materials found in the new resource books and those already in use.

Music for Common Worship III: A Guide to Music for Common Worship
103 pages,  ISBN 0 85402 102 7

Place an order with the Church House Bookshop web site.
This book is also available from the RSCM and all bookshops.

Music copyright and reproduction

If you or your church own at least one published copy of Music for Common Worship I, II or III, pages may be copied for local and temporary use in discussion or teaching, or in your church magazine or news sheet without further permission (see www.rscm.com/mcw/mcw_copyright.htm for full details).

The Common Worship Psalter pointed for use with Anglican chant

The Common Worship Psalter pointed for use with Anglican chant is available in two editions: words only and words with chants. The edition with chants is intended for congregational singing, and chants have being chosen to reflect these needs. Those churches in which the choir sings the psalms on their own will already have their own chant anthologies and will be able to use these with the words-only edition. It is also worth noting that any version of the Psalter is allowed for use within worship in the Church of England.

Music for Common Worship IV: The Common Worship Psalter pointed for use with Anglican Chant (Words Only)
197 page, ISBN 0 85402 111 6

Place an order with the Church House Bookshop web site.
This book is also available from the RSCM and all bookshops.

Music for Common Worship V: The Common Worship Psalter pointed for use with Anglican Chant (With Chants)
248 pages, ISBN 0 85402 112 4

Place an order with the Church House Bookshop web site.
This book is also available from the RSCM and all bookshops.

Further volumes under development

Under development are music for:

  • Daily Prayer;
  • Times and Seasons;
  • New Patterns for Worship;
  • Pastoral Services;
  • Initiation Services.

An ecumenical resource

Though specific to the new liturgy of the Church of England, many of these musical resources will be suitable for wider use in other denominations.