Descants are for Life - FAQ

Where can I pledge for this Kickstarter?

 

The Kickstarter campaign has successfully ended, and we are gathering pledges and arranging for the printing of the books. We will update this page once the book is ready to go on sale.

 

Which hymns are included in this book?

You can find a full index of tunes here and a full index of first lines here.

 

Are they just for sopranos?

22 arrangements have full choir parts - either a harmonisation of the hymn, a fauxbourdon for a middle verse or a last verse arrangement for full choir.

These are all contained in the Lower Voice edition.

(Of course you could get enough Choir editions for the tenors to join in all the descants but we may print a health warning.)

 

What editions are available?

There are three separate volumes:

The Full Music edition contains descants, choir parts and organ parts for all 140 arrangements.

The Choir edition contains the descants and choir parts for all 140 arrangements but without the organ part.

The Lower Voice edition is an extract from the Choir edition of the 22 arrangements with parts for full choir.

 

Can I see or hear any examples of the descants?

A selection of samples are available on this website - click on the dropdown menu under the Kickstarter. The recordings come from a range of sources, including live during services, recorded specially for this project, taken from older CDs (with permission). Some have been taken from old mini-discs, so while the audio quality is poorer, they still serve to provide an idea of what the descants sound like.

 

How difficult are the descants?

Most of the descants are readily performable by most choirs. Some of the full harmony arrangements are more involved, but most will work just a descant and organ part. Hopefully the sample scores and recordings will give an idea of how straightforward (or otherwise) the descants are.

 

Is there an independent organ part?

Yes, each descant comes with its own organ part which will serve (in almost all cases) as a last verse harmonisation, even if the descant is not being sung.

 

Where have the descants been sung before?

The descants have been sung in a number of churches and cathedrals, though mostly around the South West of England, as that is where Paul lives and works.