Caritas Dei

Romans 5:5b (alt.) Caritas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris, alleluia: per inhabitantem Spiritum eius in nobis, alleluia. (God's love has been poured into our hearts, alleluia: Through the Holy Spirit indwelling in us, alleluia.) Psalm 103:1 Benedic anima mea Domino et omnia a quae intra me sunt, nomini sancto eius. (Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his Holy...

NORBERG — In memoriam Roy Gordon Norberg, 1944-2019

Last month, Roy Norberg died. Roy was the father of a friend I spent many happy hours with in childhood. I can remember him making sure, when I was visiting for Christmas, that I had a performance opportunity or two; and as I got older and played more instruments and started arranging, he was supportive of my efforts in that direction. He was also an organist, you see, and a much-loved teacher;...

I sing of a maiden

Here is my .PDF of "I sing of a maiden" I sing of a maiden PDF file. Here is the robot clarionet rendition: Text: I sing of a maiden that is makeless; King of all kings to her son she ches. He came all so still where his mother was As dew in April that falleth on the grass: He came all so still to his mother's bower, As dew in April that falleth on the flower. He came all so still where his...

This Endris Night

If you're looking for a relatively straightforward SATB carol, you might enjoy my setting of This Endris Night: This endris night, I saw a sight, A star as bright as day, And ever among this maiden sung, Lully, by by, lullay. 1. This lovely lady sat and sang, and to her child did say, My son, my brother, my father dear, why liest thou thus in hay? My sweet bird, though it betide, thou not be...

Good Friday

Here's my setting of 'Good Friday' by Christina Rossetti: Am I a stone and not a sheep That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy Cross, To number drop by drop Thy Blood's slow loss, And yet not weep? Not so those women loved Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee; Not so fallen Peter weeping bitterly; Not so the thief was moved; Not so the Sun and Moon Which hid their faces in a starless sky, A...

The Passion

I chose this poem by George Herbert for Station X in my Stations of the Cross, "Jesus is Stripped". To have our clothing removed, particularly forcibly, is so vulnerable; but in asking Jesus to fill the emptiness of his heart and drive out sin, Herbert mirrors that vulnerability. Or so it seems to me, anyway... The Passion Since blood is fittest, Lord, to write Thy sorrows in, and bloody fight;...

Ave Verum Corpus

Here is my setting of the Ave Verum Corpus: Ave Verum Corpus PDF file Ave, verum corpus natum de Maria Virgine: vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine: cuius latus perforatum unda fluxit sanguine: esto nobis praegustatum, in mortis examine. O dulcis, O pie, O Jesu, Fili Mariae. Miserere mei. Amen. In English: Hail the true body, born of the Virgin Mary: You who truly suffered and were...

Faithful Cross

Here's another movement from my Stations of the Cross -- not really suitable for today's feast of Ascension, but I didn't want to wait until Holy Cross Day to post it. Eventually I'll do a Latin setting of this text. In the meantime, this SATB a cappella version is richer in texture than my SA and organ setting from 2010. Faithful Cross, above all other, One and only noble tree: None in foliage,...

Ave Maria

It was Refreshment Sunday today, and we had at least one of my favourite Marian hymns. Here's my setting of the Ave Maria, then, played by robots: Ave Maria PDF for download. This is part of my Stations of the Cross, premiered in Aberdeen on 7th March; but I'm releasing it online now. Other pieces from the Stations that will work as stand-alone pieces will also be released in due course. As...

There Is No Rose

Here is my setting of an anonymous text from around 1420: It was wonderful to compose this for the Cathedral Singers of Ontario, who I've sung with for many years on their visits to the UK, and to sing it with them at Canterbury Cathedral early this month. 1. There is no rose of such virtue As is the rose that bare Jesu; Alleluia. 2. For in this rose contained was Heaven and earth in little...