Rehearsal aids
A number of websites provide rehearsal aids to help you practise your part. You can bookmark, favourite or download them to avoid having to come back here each time.
John Fletcher Music
Being out of copyright, access is free, though you still need to sign up.
1. Click here for Purcell's Hail! Bright Cecilia (AKA Ode on St Cecilia's Day)
2. Click here for Handel's Ode on St Cecilia's Day
3. Click here for Handel's Let thy hand be strengthened
To play works 1 & 2, click the appropriate link above, and login if necessary. Then 'Click here for the sound files', then the movement, then the mp3 file for your part, and then the play arrow. You can also download the mp3 file to your computer for easy access each time. NB: you do not need to signup to Dropbox!
Work 3 uses a new player which is simpler to use. Just select a movement, your part, and press play. Again you can download each file to play offline too.
YouTube
There are many performances on YouTube, but only the two Handel works have rehearsal aids available for free on YouTube.
Handel's Ode on St Cecilia's Day
| From harmony, from heavenly harmony | Soprano | Alto | Tenor | Bass |
| The trumpet's loud clangour | Soprano | Alto | Tenor | Bass |
| As from the power of sacred lays | Soprano | Alto | Tenor | Bass |
Handel's Let thy hand be strengthened
| (All movements) | Soprano | Alto 1 | Alto 2 | Tenor | Bass |
Note that from the ⚙ (Settings) menu you can adjust the playback speed to a preset or custom value, to play your line more slowly.
Cyberbass
Only Handel's Let thy hand be strengthened (one of his four Coronation Anthems) is available on Cyberbass.
Click here, scroll down to Anthem number 4 [sic] and click on your part. Use the controls above anthem 3 to play, pause, adjust speed, go back 3 or 10 seconds, and loop between different points (entered in seconds, or you can now convert from minutes & seconds).
Spotify
If you already subscribe to Spotify, it is a good place to find performances (and occasionally parts too.) If you don't subscribe, it's not really worth doing so just for rehearsal aids, as the subscription cost is high and ever-increasing. There are other similar services like Amazon Music too.
Chord Perfect
These pieces are not available on Chord Perfect.
