new anthems for Easter

Two new Easter anthems to tell you about! Consider these choral anthems for Easter and Holy Week. First, The Bitter Cup (SoundForth/Lorenz – click to listen) is a beautiful, somber anthem with a text by Duane Nichols that explores the breadth of emotions experienced by Christ and his followers as Christ drank the bitter cup of God’s wrath, suffered dreadful pain, and was laid in a somber tomb, all in our stead. The text then turns: “But sin could not defeat its foe, nor death retain its prey. Our Lord, the Living One, assumed his rightful seat; exalted to His Father’s side, redemption now complete.” This anthem is scored for SATB choir and piano, with optional cello and guitar, and it received Editors’ Choice from J.W. Pepper. It would work well for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, or as a part of a multi-anthem Easter Sunday. Listen, see a sample, and purchase here.

Second, Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today (Beckenhorst) is a fresh take on a classic Easter hymn. I’ve based this anthem on the traditional tune EASTER HYMN: the piece alternates between syncopated snippets of EASTER HYMN and newly composed phrases. Scored for SATB choir, keyboard, and trumpet solo, this anthem is a regal, festive addition to your Easter service. Click on the SoundCloud banner to listen. (This piece doesn’t appear on the publisher’s website quite yet, so for now, here’s the product page on J.W. Pepper.)