Gloria

This new setting of the Gloria is for SATB chorus (with some divisions) with brass and timpani.  Its first performance took place on 26th June 2010 at Emmanuel Church, Wylde Green, Birmingham.  Sutton Coldfield Chamber Choir were accompanied by Cambridge Heath Brass. 

The piece  explores both the joyful and the reflective nature of the words, and is set mainly in 7/8 time, culminating in a fugal section, and a return of the original words.

To see and hear edited highlights of this performance, please click here.

Noel!  

A new setting of the traditional English carol, ‘The First Nowell’.  This was first performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, to whom it is dedicated. It can also be performed with piano or organ accompaniment.  It is published by OUP, and the orchestral parts are available on hire.

Click here to hear an MP3 sample of this piece, with organ accompaniment.

Further details can be found on the OUP website.

Noel! has also been performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, the Northern Sinfonia Chorus and Orchestra, and has been recorded by Glenalmond College Choir.  Recently it has been featured by the Nidaros Cathedral Choir in Trondheim, Norway on their latest CD, ‘I Wish’.

To hear an extract with orchestral accompaniment, please go to the music downloads page.

In the Bleak Midwinter and Love came down at Christmas

These are new settings of two well known texts by Christina Rossetti.  written in 2008, they were initially performed by Sutton Coldfield Chamber Choir, with piano accompaniment.  However I was asked to provide orchestrations for subsequent performances by the CBSO Chorus and the RLPO Choir respectively at their Christmas Concerts in 2009.  Both pieces are unpublished, and available for performance by contacting me here.  Also please let me know if you would like to hear a recording of either of these works.

Please click on any of the following links to see sample pages of these pieces:

Love came down at Christmas (Vocal Score)

Love came down at Christmas (Orchestral Score)

In the bleak midwinter (Vocal Score)

In the bleak midwinter (Orchestral Score)

Rise up, Shepherd

I originally arranged this traditional American spiritual for a school choir many years ago, little thinking that it would ever be published.  I adapted it a little, with the addition of an oboe obbligato part for my chamber choir to sing at a Christmas concert in Birmingham.  I later included it in a bundle of stuff I sent to Ian Tracey, chorusmaster of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, and much to my surprise it was selected for inclusion in their Christmas concerts.  They subsequently recorded it on their Spirit of Christmas CD, which is available for download over the Internet. 

Rise up, Shepherd received performances at the Sage, Gateshead at Christmas 2008, as well as five performances by our own CBSC and Orchestra in Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

It is a very simple piece to perform, and the scoring is quite light, with single woodwind, horn, harp and strings, but it can be performed equally well with piano accompaniment and an optional part for oboe (or flute). In fact I’ve just heard a recording of the piece by The Master Singers from Eau Claire, WI, USA,  which uses just oboe and harp as an accompaniment, and is very effective.

Further details are on the OUP Website, which includes an extract from the printed vocal score and an MP3 sample (with oboe and piano accompaniment).

I’ve also been granted permission to include an extract of a performance with orchestra by Wellshire Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado, USA, which makes use of the orchestral accompaniment. This formed part of their Festival of Carols, presented in December 2008. The Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra are conducted by Dr Michael Pohlenz.

This extract will be found on the music downloads page.

The Sleepy Shepherd Boy

This piece was also written for a specific group, the City of Birmingham Junior Youth Chorus, and their conductor, Shirley Court.  It received its first performances at the CBSO Christmas concerts in 2007.  It is a lighthearted piece about a day-dreaming shepherd boy who falls asleep counting his own sheep and dreams about the first Christmas.  It is mainly in unison, with a short section in two parts towards the end.  The accompaniment is for piano, or lightly scored orchestra.  As this piece has not currently been published, please click here to request further information, and I will be happy to make a vocal or orchestral score available to you.  To hear this piece, please select it on the music downloads page.

Click here to see a sample page from the vocal score.

See amid the Winter’s Snow

See amid the Winter’s Snow is a completely new setting of the familiar words by Edward Caswell.  It is written for SATB choir with piano or orchestral accompaniment (parts available on hire from OUP).  It was first performed at the CBSO Christmas concerts in 2006.  More recently the Nidaros Cathedral Choir in Trondheim have programmed the piece in their Christmas concerts in Norway and Sweden in 2009.

It is simple and direct in style, and like Noel! includes sections for divided tenors and basses.  For sample pages of the vocal score, click here.  Further details of this piece can be found on the OUP website.

To hear this piece, please select it on the music downloads page.

Little lamb, who made thee?

This simple a cappella setting of Blake’s poem was written for the Sutton Coldfield Chamber Choir.  Click on Little Lamb to see the vocal score.   I can send a more legible score, either as a .pdf or a Sibelius file if you request one here.  As this piece has not currently been published, you are welcome to make use of it: all I ask is that you let me know if you do!

And Glory Shone

Another new setting of familiar words is And glory shone, written for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, and performed at their Christmas concerts in 2007 and, with a modified orchestration, by the Nidaros Cathedral Boys Choir in Norway in 2009.

This lively setting, in 7/8 time, of ‘While shepherds watched’ has not been published, but is available either in its full version, or in a slightly simplified version for choir and piano or organ by contacting me here.

Please click here to hear a short extract.

Christmas Candles

This is a lighthearted piece, my first ever commission!  It was written for John Bayley and the Solihull Chandos Choir, and received its first performance on 14th December at Christ Church, Solihull, West Midlands.  I was asked to incorporate a children’s choir, and the words were written by Jean Lewis,who sings soprano in the choir.  The newly formed Solihull Youth Choirs also took part in this performance, and the accompanist was Darren Hogg.

To hear it please click on this link: Christmas Candles - 1st perfce.mp3.

A Christmas Poem

I was invited to write a piece for the a church in Toccoa, Georgia, USA for performance at Christmas 2009.  Larry Earhart, Minister of Music at the First Baptist Church, sent me a poem written by Henry Fields, a former pastor at the church.  It received its first performance there in December, with organ accompaniment, and in St Martin’s-in-the-Bullring Church, Birmingham by the Sutton Coldfield Chamber Choir, accompanied by a small chamber group.

To see sample page of score, click A Christmas Poem (orch.).pdf.

...or the vocal score:  A Christmas Poem, VS.pdf

Silent Night

No - this is not a new tune to these familiar words!  I was asked by Michael Pohlenz, Director of Music at Wellshire Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado, to arrange Grüber’s well known carol for choir and congregation, using a small orchestra, including harp and organ.  In particular this needed to be a version with plenty for the congregation to do, rather than an elaborate choral setting.  I hope that my simple arrangement, which included a 3-part descant in the last verse, fitted the bill - I believe it was incorporated into their Christmas Eve service.

To see sample page of score, click Silent Night arrangement.pdf.