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...

O Nata Lux

I've had my head down a lot recently with PhD work but here is one I wrote earlier: an a cappella SSA setting of O nata lux. It's traditionally a text used for the Transfiguration -- 6th August, but the readings also come up at the last Sunday before Lent. No recording yet, but there is a .pdf: O nata lux PDF and, as usual, robot flutes: O nata lux de lumine, Jesu redemptor saeculi, Dignare...

Vintry

I've actually finished a fair amount of music this month: a setting of the beginning of Psalm 19, which was one of the pieces featured in my MPhil upgrade (which I passed, hurrah!), and also a setting of "There Is No Rose of Such Virtue" to have its world premiere in January, all being well. Obviously I can't put something I've promised as a world premiere online before then; and in the meantme,...

Another Double Psalm Chant

I was asked to compose a psalm chant for Psalm 91, for the University of London Church Choir to sing on our tour to Ripon Cathedral last week. I can't share the recording with you yet, as I haven't heard it; but I hope to be able to eventually. In the meantime, the PDF and midi file are on the Choral Public Domain Library as usual. Also as usual, it's under a Creative Commons Attribution...

Waterbeach

I'm singing in Ely Cathedral this week, and staying in a guest house in Waterbeach, so I wrote a hymn tune today. Here are the words, by Nathaniel Cotton: 1. Affliction is a stormy deep, Where wave resounds to wave; Though o'er my head the billows roll, I know the Lord can save. 2. The hand that now withholds my joys Can reinstate my peace: And He who bade the tempest roar, Can bid that tempest...

Fall, Leaves, Fall

Here's a little piece for the autumn, a setting of Emily Brontë's poem "Fall, Leaves, Fall" for AATTBarB or SATTBarB a cappella; I'm thinking about doing an upper voices only arrangement, too, but I haven't done anything about it just yet. I know, I know, it isn't autumn yet! But it is the time of year when some choirs are thinking about what they will programme for the next year. Fall, leaves,...

Music for Lent 1: Angelis suis

(If I've done this correctly it should post on Wednesday night, UK time...) Ready or not, Lent is upon us. In January, Sally Martin-Brown asked me if I had anything suitable for the University of London Church Choir visit to Jerusalem. I had a rummage through my notebooks, sure I'd started something at some point, and sure enough, there was a sort of skeleton of this piece, the Latin version of...

Colwall 87 87 887 (Lo, in the wilderness a voice)

I have a new project, Cecilia's List, where (among other things) I make weekly recommendations for music composed by women and other underrepresented groups that's suitable for church use. I've only really just gotten started, and so I still have a lot of music to look through and add. This week I've had a bit of a struggle trying to find something suitable for Advent II, which is very much John...

I would not paint — a picture —

I was delighted to be asked to write a piece for the Chapel Choir of King's College, Aberdeen, for them to sing on St Cecilia's Day this year. I chose this text by Emily Dickinson at the suggestion of Catherine Fox: I would not paint — a picture — I'd rather be the One It's bright impossibility To dwell — delicious — on — And wonder how the fingers feel Whose rare — celestial — stir...