For choir (SSATB) and Organ.Published 2004.Commissioned by St Catharine's College Cambridge for the 300th anniversary of the consecration of the chapel.First performance: Dr Edward Wickham Max Pappenheinz(organ scholar) and the St Catharine's Chapel Choir 25th November 2004.Conducting and organ score.

For unaccompanied SSATB choir.Published 2002.Texts Psalm 98 and Psalm 67 — alternative canticles.Commissioned by Christ Church Cathedral Choir.First performance: November 2002.Conducting score.

The harmonic turns and piano configurations in La vie ant?rieure ??? the ???former life??? ??? seem almost exuberantly lyrical. At the beginning the archaic sounds and words of the male choir conjure up a dream world that is soon flooded with the power of the waves and the rich polyphonic harmony of the choir and the piano. With the outcry ???C???est l? que j???ai v?cu!??? [I have lived there] which expresses the fervent yearning to return to a past life the collective desperately reinforces the longing for the past. Once more the women???s choir conjures up this lost paradise in an undulating soft sound before the desolate sadness is pierced by the power of the music of the piano postlude creating a moment that is completely in the present.

Cecilia McDowall's I Know That My Redeemer Liveth for SSA(A)TB unaccompanied. This attractive motet was written for performance alongside Brahms's Requiem following the precedent of Handel's famous setting of the same text being sung at the premiere of the Brahms in 1868. The gracefully sculpted music clothes the text with touching melodies expressive harmonies and varied sonorities.

For Passion in 1680 Dieterich Buxtehude composed his largest work in the style of an oratorio the cantata cycle Membra Jesu nostri and he dedicated it to his friend the Swedish Court Music Director Gustav Düben. In each of the seven separate cantatas which in principle follow the scheme ?instrumental introduction ? choral movement with biblical texts ? vocal soli (aria) with a sacred text from the Middle Ages ? repetition of the choral movement ? the feet knees hands side chest heart and face of the crucified Christ are interpreted allegorically. The original scoring for strings in No. VI ('Ad Cor') consists of a consort of five gambas. If this group of instruments isnot available then violins I/II can be substituted for gamba I/II and the gamba V parts can be played by the violone (the music for these substitute parts is contained in each respective parts) so that in this case only two gambas (III IV) are needed. For such a performance only two copies of the Gamba performance score (Carus 36.013/16) are required.

This gentle arrangement of Will L. Thompson's words and melody (1880) is ideal for upper-voice choirs of all levels of experience. The melody is sympathetically treated with simple Vocal harmonizations alongside unison singing and the accompaniment creates a lush bed of sound over which the voices resonate.

From Heaven Distilled a Clemency is the third movement of Triptych a cantata for choir and string orchestra. The aspirational text is underpinned by rhythmically-driving strings allowing the voices to soar excitedly overheard.

Instrumentation: SSATB a cappella Format: Sheet Music Details: 12 madrigals for 5 voices (Italian/German) Contents: Contents: Ch'ami la vita mia; A che tormi il ben mio; Non si levav' ancor; E dicea luna; S'andasse amor a caccia; O com' e gran martire; Ch'io non t'ami; Anima mia perdona; Che se tu se il cor mio; O Mirtillo; Era l'anima mia gia presso; M'e pi' dolce il penar

For SSATB unaccompanied This five-voice work is an unusual and interesting piece of moderate difficulty and well worth investigation for any concert programme. Includes an English singing translation.

Sleepsong is a rich Celtic-inspired song for choirs looking to test their abilities with a new and exciting challenge.Released by Secret Garden in 2005 the song was written by Brendan Graham and Rolf Løvland who also penned the Westlife hit You Raise Me Up. This beautiful and peaceful choral version has been arranged by Desmond Earley for six part chorus with Soprano solo. It was first performed by UCD Choral Scholars on April 19 2012.The piece is perfect for choruses looking to take their singing forward with specific directions for staggered breathing throughout offering an added challenge forensembles. Although designed to be sung A Cappella the arrangement includes a piano reduction for easy rehearsal.

This full-sounding choral work with a driving, rhythmic intensity may be performed a cappella or with the piano doubling the voices. ABA form makes for quick learning. Secular text is perfect for school chorals . . . and a great festival work, too. Note: The SSAB edition is excellent for choirs with few men. / Choeur Mixte (SSATB) A Cappella

Music runs through the story of Arion which begins with a singing competition in Sicily. Arion wins the prize and this puts his life in danger: his newfound wealth excites the greed of the sailors who are supposed to be bringing him back to Corinth and they threaten to kill him. They allow Arion to sing one last song and the power of his singing attracts dolphins to the ship.  At the end of his song he jumps overboard and one of the dolphins carries him to safety.  So Arion’s musical gift gets him into trouble but it is also his salvation.   The idea of being rescued by a music-loving dolphin is very appealing. In Robert Graves’account of the myth the dolphin could not bear to be parted from Arion and accompanied him back to court where “it soon succumbed to a life of luxury.”  However Herodotus says that after his rescue and return to Corinth Arion failed to return the dolphin to the sea and it died there.  Apollo placed the dolphin among the stars and next to it Arion’s lyre in recognition of his musical skill.  This is one of the mythical explanations of the origins of the constellations Delphinus and Lyra. It seems natural to sing a story that has singing at its heart. When I was asked by the Nicholas Berwin Charitable Trust to write a choral work for Making Music something that would be within reach of many choirs and involve children this story struck me as ideal: the men of the chorus could be the bloodthirsty sailors and the women could create an atmosphere of mystery for the arrival of the dolphins represented by children’s voices. There would be one solo voice: Arion the marvellous singer. Andrew Fardell the conductor who was advisor to this commission had suggested that I might use the same instrumentation as a popular arrangement of Orff’s Carmina Burana a work that as well as using children’s chorus features a solo countertenor. I thought the magical otherworldly quality of this

Composer's notes:The Fool is a time-honoured Orthodox religious figure: a Saint the highest of all who discards everything for Christ's sake. He discards all convention all decency all wealth actual and spiritual and turns himself into a figure of fun - defying all acceptable behaviour - and all religious decency. He stands in the square and lets down his trousers - he stuffs himself with food on Good Friday - he gets drunk - he 'appears'to fornicate wildly. There is a faint possibility (in not the highest of 'Fools') of gaining worldly popularity by such flagrant denial of all moral behaviour. Can such behaviour be too interesting? The true fool however embraces all of this and also (unseen) shrinks before the face of his God. By his behaviour he plucks out all hypocrisy false piety and corruption. He is a figure much needed in our times!!! The way I have tried to tacklethis extraordinary subject is to show him in seven stages from an obscene huge fat traditional clown who is drunk fornicating etc. through a stumbling frail agonized figure to a sallow-faced gaunt business man in a formalsuit staring at an empty glass. Having first revered him then mocked him the 'people' while they get drunk and jabber away at 'Christmas' and at the Feast of Feasts 'Easter' are no longer aware of him. But the audience seeshim - a tiny ragged scrap of mortality lying in a corner and faintly so faintly the voice of the Fool the true Fool for Christ's sake sings above the ribald crowd. 'He has given His life'. The Gogmagogs are the 'people' 'priests' 'singers' etc. and one male singer who can 'create' or 'uncreate' this vast role (singing and acting miming etc.) John Tavener Arranged for SSATBB chorus. Date of composition 2000. Chorus part only.