Tag: choral music

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...

Sonnet 27

Byartsyhonker February 26, 2016 0 Comments
The Fourth Choir had a composing competition, which I entered. I didn't make their shortlist, so here is my setting of Shakespeare's Sonnet 27. The words, of course: Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, The dear repose for limbs with travel tired; But then begins a journey in my head, To work my mind, when body's work's expired: For then my thoughts (from far where I abide) Intend a zealous...

Advent — Christina Rosetti

Byartsyhonker December 4, 2015 0 Comments
We're well into December and there is so much going on that is very focused on Christmas; yet this is still Advent, a season of preparation. Advent is my SATB setting of Christina Rosetti's poem by the same name: 'Come,' Thou dost say to Angels, To blessed Spirits, 'Come': 'Come,' to the lambs of Thine own flock, Thy little ones, 'Come home.' 'Come,' from the many-mansioned house The gracious...

Christmas Carols with the London Gallery Quire

Byartsyhonker November 27, 2015 0 Comments
Wednesday 2nd December 2015 7.00pm Christmas Carols with the London Gallery Quire Tickets £6 on the door St George's German Lutheran Church 55Alie Street London E1 8EB (Located at the junction of Alie St and Leman St – 2 mins walk from Aldgate East tube) If you come along to this concert you will not only get to hear me play the serpent, but you'll be at the premiere of my setting of "The...

Song of Easter

Byartsyhonker October 7, 2015 0 Comments
Here's one I wrote earlier, but haven't yet posted. It has more instrumentation than my music usually does! The sheet music is available from the Choral Public Domain Library, and is under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license, as usual. Words by T Thurman: When I was young I feared my growing old lest, being old, I should want youth again, or lest the growing old should cause me...

Magnificat

Byartsyhonker May 31, 2015 0 Comments
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth is transferred from 31st May to 1st June this year, because Trinity Sunday is more important; but we did get some words to Mary by Athelstan Riley in one of our hymns this morning: "Thou Bearer of the eternal Word, Most gracious, magnify the Lord." I note that Athelstan Riley died in 1945, which means his words become public domain this year (or next? I get...

Patreon, one year on

Byartsyhonker February 9, 2015 0 Comments
It's a little over a year since I first set up a page on Patreon, with a view to getting paid for some of my composing. I've been promising to write a post about my experiences, and I'm finding the "what" and the "why" aren't easy to consider separately. But I'll have a go at discussing the "what" in this post, and the "why" in the next. Patreon is a platform for distributed, or crowd-funded,...

Nunc dimittis

Byartsyhonker February 2, 2015 0 Comments
Today is Candlemas. Yesterday I preached at Christ Church Wanstead for the occasion; today I put the finishing touches on my setting of the Nunc dimittis. It's SATB a capella, and a bit crunchy in places; being a bit calmer than some settings, it would be particularly appropriate for use during a service of sung Compline. I've put it up at CPDL as usual but it won't be visible there for another...

Transfiguration — Demo recording

Byartsyhonker January 8, 2015 0 Comments
"Transfiguration-Mariawald-Abbey" by Master of St Severin - Victoria and Albert Museum, . Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. Some time ago I set Thomas Thurman's poem, "Transfiguration", as a flexible anthem. It can be sung unison and organ, but if there are more voices can expand to soprano and alto, or even soprano, alto and baritone. I've finally gotten around to doing a...

Jubilate Amen

Byartsyhonker October 20, 2014 0 Comments
Just a simple sleepy little piece, this -- almost a hymn rather than an anthem, and almost not a hymn in that it straddles the line between describing worship and participating -- to some words by Thomas Moore: Hark! the vesper hymn is stealing o'er the waters soft and clear; nearer yet and nearer pealing and now bursts upon the ear: Jubilate amen! Farther now, now farther stealing soft it fades...