Category: compositions

Winter Stars

Byartsyhonker August 31, 2017 1 Comment
It's not winter yet! But here's a winter poem, by Sara Teasdale, which I've set to music: I went out at night alone; The young blood flowing beyond the sea Seemed to have drenched my spirit’s wings— I bore my sorrow heavily. But when I lifted up my head From shadows shaken on the snow, I saw Orion in the east Burn steadily as long ago. From windows in my father’s house, Dreaming my dreams...

Double Chant in E minor

Byartsyhonker July 31, 2017 1 Comment
I've just spent a week singing Evensong in Lincoln Cathedral, with the guest choir for the week: the Cathedral Singers of Ontario. We had a lovely welcome from the cathedral and indeed the city of Lincoln had much to offer, without being overwhelming. I always enjoy singing with CSO, and learn a lot. In addition, my mother is here to visit from Canada, and we have been having some time catching...

Round Me Falls the Night

Byartsyhonker May 31, 2017 0 Comments
I've long enjoyed William Romanis's hymn text, "Round Me Falls the Night" -- so I decided to set it as an anthem. Originally I used TTBB voicing, but on balance, I like the SATB version better. I think it could be just the thing for a quieter Evensong service, or for Compline. Robot clarionets: PDF Round Me Falls the Night SATB Round me falls the night; Saviour, be my Light: Through the hours in...

Sleep Songs: Wordless Lullabies for the Sleepless

Byartsyhonker April 5, 2017 0 Comments
Would you like to be sung to sleep? Or, if sleep really is unattainable, how about some soothing, calming music, music without words, to listen to while you are awake? Megan Ihnen is commissioning over 25 composers, including yours truly, to compose wordless lulllabies for the sleepless, which she will then record. I'm very pleased to be involved. I saw her quote-tweet Shaya Lyon, who said, "On...

O Sweet and Blessed Country

Byartsyhonker March 30, 2017 0 Comments
Another short piece, really just an SATB setting (with some light divisi) of one verse of a hymn, Jerusalem the Golden (not to be confused with Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, which is also beautiful). But it's a verse which is often changed in modern hymnals, which I think a great shame: O sweet and blessèd country, Shall I ever see thy face? O sweet and blessèd country, Shall I ever win thy grace?...

Art House: a hymn for Easter

Byartsyhonker March 7, 2017 1 Comment
I know, I know, it isn't Easter yet, we've only just started Lent, and it's probably too late for most people to use this hymn this year. But I liked the text, by Ally Barrett, very much: Life comes to an upper room, 
breaking through the fear and gloom;
 walls and door-locks are no bar: 
Jesus meets us where we are. 
Life dispels the doubt of grief 
bringing hope and new belief;...

Talvilaulu — Song of the Winter

Byartsyhonker December 21, 2016 0 Comments
In 2015, I had the enjoyable experience of attending the Anglo Nordic Baltic Theological Conference, in Turku, Finland. Participants presented informal papers by day, and in the evening there was food, sauna, talk and not a little bit of wine. One thing led to another, and I ended up asking Rupert Moreton, of Lingua Fennica, whether there was any public domain poetry he'd like to translate and...

Yantantessera

Byartsyhonker November 30, 2016 0 Comments
I'm very pleased to make available my setting of TJA Thurman's poem, "Yantantessera". One fine dark night with a fine dark sky And fine-sliced moon so bright, A Cat leapt forth with a fine black coat And paws of moonlit white; If I should ask you to say her name I'm sure you'd tell me that She's Yantantessera, Tessera, Tessera, Tessera Tessera, Cat. She had no humans, she had no home, She had no...

Double Chant in C Major

Byartsyhonker October 30, 2016 0 Comments
Last Sunday one of my psalm chants was sung in Guildford Cathedral, by the University of London Church Choir. I wrote it for Psalm 119 vv 1-16, but as Anglican chant is meant to be flexible you could use whatever words you like. Accordingly, the copy over on CPDL doesn't include the text. If you can't read the PDF there is a midi file, though it's a bit slow. As usual, this is under a Creative...

Deland 87 87 97

Byartsyhonker September 24, 2016 0 Comments
This one is a bit out of season, but I always find that Lent comes awfully quickly. The words are by Reverend Ally Barrett, who has written a number of new hymn texts to familiar tunes. I like Picardy as a tune very much, but it strikes me as a bit static for words which are, ultimately, about the transformation of the dust of our lives through Christ's redemption. So I wrote a different tune,...