Majestic Ride

Intended for performance in the period leading up to Holy Week, ‘Majestic Ride’ links together three new settings of hymns associated with Palm Sunday - ‘All glory, laud and honour’, ‘My song is love unknown’ and ‘Ride on, ride on in majesty!’, drawing on biblical texts to put them into context. The music, in an accessible style, is by turns joyful and reflective, in keeping with the words.

‘Majestic Ride’ received its first performance on 26th March 2011 in Birmingham Cathedral. The Sutton Coldfield Chamber Choir were accompanied by Bernard Salter (organ) and conducted by the composer.  To listen to an extract, comprising the ‘Children’s Hosannas’ section, click on this link.

To hear the whole Palm Sunday sequence of three songs, linked together by a short narration, recorded on 31st March 2012 at All Saints Church, West Bromwich, please click here.

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.

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!

A Christmas Poem

I was invited to write a piece for 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.

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 2010 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.

The piece was also performed by Wootton Bassett Choral Society in December 2011.

Further information about the above pieces can be obtained from the composer.  Please click on this link.

Star of the East

This is another new setting of familiar words - “Brightest and best of the sons of the morning”. It was written for mixed choir (SATB, with some subdivisions), and was given its first performance in December 2011 by the Sutton Coldfield Chamber Choir, with Bernard Salter (organ). The accompaniment is suitable for either piano or organ, and an orchestral accompaniment could be made available with a little notice.

Go, tell it on the mountain

This was an arrangement originally made for school choirs, but which has been taken up by one or two adult choirs, including St Ann’s Hospice Festival Choir, who recently gave a performance in the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, conducted by John Pomphrey. The accompaniment is for piano, with optional violin and string bass, and is quite light and jazzy in style.

NEW HYMN SETTINGS FOR HOLY WEEK

Majestic Ride is a choral sequence for Holy Week, comprising three new settings of familiar hymns - ‘All glory, laud and honour’, ‘My song is love unknown’ and ‘Ride on, ride on in majesty’.  Please click here and here for video clips of a recent performance.