| A Gaelic Blessing |
Rutter |
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 The Bronze Collection is an anthology of anthems, hymns and psalms, with training notes by John Wardle, RSCM Awards Co-ordinator. It also contains the RSCM Bronze Award model syllabus.
Silver Collection contents are here.
NB Most pieces in both the Bronze and Silver Collections are also available separately.
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| A Prayer of St Richard of Chichester |
White |
| And didst thou travel light |
Shephard |
| Ave Maria |
Lindley |
| Ave verum corpus |
Elgar |
| Away with gloom, away with doubt |
Ferguson |
| Child in the manger |
Sanger |
| Day by day |
How |
| Fairest Lord Jesus |
How |
| From the rising of the sun |
Ouseley |
| Glory, love, and praise and honour |
Eberlin arr. Harris |
| Hide not thou thy face |
Farrant |
| How beautiful upon the mountains |
Stainer |
| I am the bread of life |
Lole |
| I give you a new commandment |
Aston |
| In the heart where love is abiding |
Plainsong arr. Barnard |
| Let all the world in every corner sing |
Halsey |
| Listen |
Nazareth |
| Love one another |
S. S. Wesley |
| Loving God |
Aston |
| May the peace of God the Father |
Jewish melody arr. Harper |
| O for a closer walk with God |
Stanford |
| O mysterium ineffabile |
Lallouette |
| O Holy Spirit, Lord of grace |
Tye |
| Praise, O praise our God and King |
How |
| Sent by the Lord am I |
Trad. arr. Weaver |
| Steal away |
Trad. arr. Weaver |
| The Easter Song of Praise (Exultet) |
Shephard |
| The fruits of the land |
Ogden |
| The Lord’s my shepherd |
Trad. arr. Archer |
| This is the day (Haec dies) |
Morley arr. Greening |
| Thou visitest the earth |
Greene |
| Turn thy face from my sins |
Attwood |
| We cannot measure how you heal |
Scottish Trad. arr. Archer |
In his introduction, John Wardle writes:
'Bronze standard singing awards are available to singers of all ages in RSCM Areas. This is the initial level for external assessment of the skills of singers who have progressed through the early stages of RSCM Voice for Life training. Singers who have received the Dark Blue ribbon or badge should be ready to prepare for this award. In many Areas, this assessment is called the Dean’s award . Successful candidates often receive their award personally from the Dean at an RSCM Festival in the Cathedral.
Bronze standard singing means achieving a personal competence in basic vocal technique, including secure breathing control, reliable intonation, and clarity of diction with pure vowel sounds. Singers will begin to experience more confidence in tackling new music, and a greater awareness of technical matters such as tonality and expressive markings.
In your Bronze award examination, as well as an anthem and a portion of psalmody, you will be expected to sing one or two hymns and to perform at least one verse unaccompanied, to show that you are personally able to maintain reliable pitch and tonality, unsupported, for a short time. A ‘model’ Bronze syllabus, with the assessment criteria, appears at the end of this book. Your local validated syllabus will be based on this model. Enquire for details from your local RSCM committee.
The pieces in this book will give you many opportunities to develop your confidence and musical understanding. Do be aware, though, however large or small your group, of the need for every singer to listen out for the overall blend and balance of voices. Maybe your group has a good balance already of SATB voices, but if not, you will find that many of the SATB pieces printed here can be adapted effectively to be sung as unison or twopart anthems, or as small group songs for upper or mixed voices. Ideas on this are given in the Training Notes. The Voice for Life Choir Trainer’s Book provides extensive material to help prepare singers for all aspects of the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.
As a Bronze standard singer, you may not have much experience of harmony and partsinging, depending on the size and expertise of your group. In your Bronze award examination you will, therefore, be given the choice of performing either your ‘part’ or the melody line (transposed, maybe, if you are an alto or bass). I hope that singing the anthems in this book will encourage and help you, and your fellow-singers, to develop your skills and technique at, or even beyond, Bronze standard, and give you great enjoyment as you offer your ministry of music together.'
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Oxford
