Tag: church music

Waving

Byartsyhonker March 18, 2017 3 Comments
The past week has been a little less silly than some, but still busy. The West Gallery course at Benslow last weekend was great fun, but hard work: we really could have done with another four or six singers, which would have resulted in me singing less and being able to pay more attention to conducting clearly; at times, I felt like I was a bit "wave arms around until music stops" rather than...

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;...

Footdee

Byartsyhonker February 3, 2017 0 Comments
This is a hymn I wrote last time I was in Aberdeen; or was it last time but one? I'm not sure; but I know I was looking at the sea when I wrote it. I've used a paraphrase of verses from Psalm 107 (the bit that starts" they that go down to the sea in ships") by Isaac Watts, but of course as with any hymn tune you could use a different set of Long Metre words and they'd fit. PDF with text of first...

What I learned from Morten Lauridsen

Byartsyhonker November 9, 2016 0 Comments
Last week, American composer Morten Lauridsen was composer-in-residence at the University of Aberdeen, where I am studying choral composition. Over the course of the week I heard him speak at the Composers' Forum and at two concerts, as well as having a 45-minute personal tutorial. Dr Lauridsen and I come from very different backgrounds musically. He has been an academic for his entire career,...

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,...

Waterworks Corner

Byartsyhonker July 31, 2016 0 Comments
Here's one I wrote the other month -- premiered by the London Gallery Quire at St Andrew's Leytonstone on 2nd July. There is a version for West Gallery available from the London Gallery Quire website -- it's LGQ 533 -- but I've also put a version for organ on the Choral Public Domain Library as usual. Here are some robots singing it: 1 Lord, thou wilt hear me when I pray, I am for ever thine; I...

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...

Harringey, now with recording.

Byartsyhonker October 13, 2015 2 Comments
Back in 2012 I set these words by Doug Chaplin: From the Jordan to the desert, from the crowd to barren place, Spirit-driven, Satan-tempted, Lord, you sought the Father’s grace: show us now your pow’r, in weakness, presence in the empty space. Out of Egypt with God’s people, freedom brings its testing stress: what is right and what is truthful, how the name of God confess? Jesus, be our...

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...