The Chichester Psalms of Leonard Bernstein

A secular work with sacred Hebrew texts and a "hint of Broadway" - commissioned by an Anglican cleric for a British choral festival to be held in a medieval cathedral and written by a popular American composer of Jewish heritage in his own eclectic style - would certainly attract widespread interest. In fact, since its 1965 premiere, Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein has taken its place in the concert repertory as the most frequently performed piece of twentieth-century American choral music. From the series, CMS Sourcebooks in American Music, No. 4. Paperback book, 255 p.