Think on Me SATB

John Tavener's Coplas composed in 1970 for unaccompanied SATB Choir.'Coplas is a short anthem for voices and tape. It belongs to a much larger work called 'Last Rites' which I have beenthinking about for about a year. It is based on the mystical idea of St. John of the Cross which obsesses me - 'the more I live the more I must die.' Hence the deliberately static nature of Coplas.In once sense Coplas is aprolonged decoration of the 'et sepultus est' cadence from the Crucifixus in Bach's Mass in B minor. In another sense I think of it not so much as my music but a way of listening to Bach's music.' - JohnTavener

This work of verbal and musical caricature for SATB soli chorus and piano reduction was composed in memory of Gerard Hoffnung. The composer writes: We think that the present public appetite for horror could be best ridiculed by using oratorio form to present actions too horrific to be staged... The framework is that of the nuptial cantata with a collection of noble dramatis personae from all periods.

Gustav Mahler's Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen expertly arranged for Baritone solo and 8-part Choir (SSAATTBarB) by Bo Holten (2010). Text by Friedrich Rückert. Programme note Gustav Mahler: Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (arr.: Holten 2010) is an arrangement for baritone soloist and 8-part choir of one of Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder. There is already an often performed arrangement for 16-voice choir by Clytus Gottwald which Holten has himself conducted a few times. But Holten does not really think that Gottwald does justice toMahler’s song; among other things it lacks a soloist who can express the “Ich” that is so central to the text. Holten takes his cue from Mahler’s piano setting but with Mahler’s own sublime orchestral setting firmly in mind. The choir thus functions as an (orchestral) accompaniment for the soloist. Holten has taken pains to stay as close to the model as possible within the constraints of what in fact can be sung by a choir. And he has striven to function solely as an arranger and as far as possible to avoid mixing his own personality with Mahler’s.(Klaus Møller-Jørgensen 2012)

The text comes from the pen of the seventeenth-century Welsh poet Henry Vaughan a leading metaphysical voice during the Commonwealth period (1649-1660) when the republican government of Oliver Cromwell banned the Anglican Church. Christ's Nativity was commissioned by the Cathedral Choral Society of Washington D.C. with support from the Richard Wayne Dirksen Memorial Endowment Fund. The selected lyrics by Welsh poet Henry Vaughan fascinated me immensely and therfore prompted me to think about a specific musical environment for the piece best suited for merging the music into this wonderful poetic landscape. This poetry brings about a strong mixture of the Evangelicalmystery of Christ's Nativity mystically evoked by Nature and at the same time reveals the optimism and drama of an ordinary individual that any human being can easily identify with.

Morton Gould's Hosanna Amen from 'Quotations' for Double Chorus of Mixed Voices and Wind Orchestra. Piano reduction.This work was commissioned by L. Anthony Fisher for the New York Choral Society Robert DeComier conductor and first performed by them on January 28 1983 at Carnegie Hall.The composer after thinking over the possible approaches to a choral work found the ide of platitudes common sayings and poetic referenmces challanging and stimulating. As 'Quotations' evolved he found that these sayings evoked nostalgic momories of his own childhood in Richmond Hill New York where he was reared on such aphorisms as 'theearly bird catches the worm ' 'a stitch in time saves nine ' 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.'After setting the scene in Richmond Hill the piece begins with Hallelujah Amen the common shout for joy and closing whisper of all religions. An antiphonal series of platitudes follows and then moves to more complex secular litanies the 'ballads ' or stories of young love and old age and the precariousness of life which have been told and retold through the ages. In the last movement the religious litany resumes with 'ashes to ashes dust to dust' echoing the earlier prosaic motif 'here today gone tomorrow ' or as Gould finally writes 'time's up!'

The classic La Paloma Habanera which was the source material for Bizet's Habanera from Carmen. Born on January 20 1809 in Lanciego in the province of Álava. His publisher in Paris urged him to universalize his name from Iradier to Yradier. He is known primarily for his habaneras especially the one titled La Paloma written around 1860 after a visit to Cuba. La Paloma was extremely popular in both Spain and America (especially Mexico) where it was responsible for the great popularity achieved by the habanera. Another of Iradier's compositions is El Arreglito an habanera used by Georges Bizet in his opera Carmen.Bizet thinking it was a folk song took the melody of El Arreglito and created what is known today as the Habanera from Carmen: the song L'amour est un oiseau rebelle

Morton Gould's Ballads from 'Quotations' for Double Chorus of Mixed Voices and Wind Orchestra. Piano reduction.This work was commissioned by L. Anthony Fisher for the New York Choral Society Robert DeComier conductor and first performed by them on January 28 1983 at Carnegie Hall.The composer after thinking over the possible approaches to a choral work found the ide of platitudes common sayings and poetic referenmces challanging and stimulating. As 'Quotations' evolved he found that these sayings evoked nostalgic momories of his own childhood in Richmond Hill New York where he was reared on such aphorisms as 'the earlybird catches the worm ' 'a stitch in time saves nine ' 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.'After setting the scene in Richmond Hill the piece begins with Hallelujah Amen the common shout for joy and closing whisper of all religions. An antiphonal series of platitudes follows and then moves to more complex secular litanies the 'ballads ' or stories of young love and old age and the precariousness of life which have been told and retold through the ages. In the last movement the religious litany resumes with 'ashes to ashes dust to dust' echoing the earlier prosaic motif 'here today gone tomorrow ' or as Gould finally writes 'time's up!'

Morton Gould's Postscript from 'Quotations' for Double Chorus of Mixed Voices and Wind Orchestra. Piano reduction.This work was commissioned by L. Anthony Fisher for the New York Choral Society Robert DeComier conductor and first performed by them on January 28 1983 at Carnegie Hall.The composer after thinking over the possible approaches to a choral work found the ide of platitudes common sayings and poetic referenmces challanging and stimulating. As 'Quotations' evolved he found that these sayings evoked nostalgic momories of his own childhood in Richmond Hill New York where he was reared on such aphorisms as 'the earlybird catches the worm ' 'a stitch in time saves nine ' 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.'After setting the scene in Richmond Hill the piece begins with Hallelujah Amen the common shout for joy and closing whisper of all religions. An antiphonal series of platitudes follows and then moves to more complex secular litanies the 'ballads ' or stories of young love and old age and the precariousness of life which have been told and retold through the ages. In the last movement the religious litany resumes with 'ashes to ashes dust to dust' echoing the earlier prosaic motif 'here today gone tomorrow ' or as Gould finally writes 'time's up!'

Novello New Choral Series-Craig McLeish writes of The Negro Speaks of Rivers; Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was the first black American to earn his living from writing. He was an innovator of jazz poetry becoming part of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s. He wrote plays short stories novels and his poetry was widely read. He was also a journalist columnist and lecturer. The Negro Speaks of Rivers was perhaps his earliest published work written when only 17 and while travelling by train to Mexico to visit his father. As the train crossed the Mississippi he suddenly began thinking about how rivers had impacted on Negro history particularly in the fight against slavery.The four rivers mentioned in the poem lent themselves to using musical influences from those particular regions. However I have tried to keep these links fairly tenuous to avoid overt pastiche. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to work with Congolese musicians. These sessions led to the intricate rhythms in The Congo. The Mississippi mentions New Orleans so a jazz fugue seemed the most appropriate compositional device to weave into the texture. The spirit of The Nile was gauged from many hours listening avidly to Egyptian music.Craig McLeish began his musical life as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral. As a bass guitarist conductor musical arranger and composer he has worked with a wide variety of groups in several genres and scored a hit with the cult pop band ‘Fat & Frantic’. He is musical director of Young Voices UK and conducts several youth and community choirs in and around Milton Keynes. Listen to an excerpt from Craig McLeish's The Negro Speaks Of Rivers:  

SATB-Feature your best soloists with this 2015 chart-topper by Ed Sheeran. This a cappella setting has a heartwarming message that will captivate everyone!

The Phantom Of The Opera is a unique production and has become one of the most popular stage musicals ever with its recognisable songs and gripping drama. This brilliant choral medley has been expertly arranged by Ed Lojeski and contains The Phantom Of the Opera Think Of Me Angel Of Music All I Ask Of You Wishing You Were Somewhere Here Again and The Point Of No Return all set for SATB chorus and Piano accompaniment.

The Manchester Carols is an inspired collaboration between composer Sasha Johnson Manning and Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. A collection of 12 carols linked with a gentle entertaining narration which reshape and modernise the Christmas story. Its creators wanted to write something that is relevant to and reflects modern society and which acknowledges the fact that even though someone might not subscribe to the religion behind the Nativity story they can still appreciate it as an inspiring magical tale. The carols are for everyone believers or not. Duffy uses the Christmas story as a metaphor for human experience giving usup-close and personal insights into the central characters of the nativity – Mary Joseph a newborn baby and a ‘golden youth’ (aka the Angel Gabriel). As Duffy herself says: 'I think the story is wonderful. There’s a lot we can take from it on a human level even if we don’t take the divine element.' There are hints too of the darker grittier side of the Nativity story – refugees poverty giving birth on the road; and looking further forward there are hints of Jesus’ fate on the cross. These carols were written in Manchester in 2007 and first performed by children from several Manchester schools at The Royal Northern College of Music (and again in 2008). All of us who worked on them – librettist composer artist conductor teachers musicians and singers – live and work in that great city. And so these are and will forever be  The Manchester Carols'.

Morton Gould's Hallelujah Amen from 'Quotations' for Double Chorus of Mixed Voices and Wind Orchestra. Piano reduction.This work was commissioned by L. Anthony Fisher for the New York Choral Society Robert DeComier conductor and first performed by them on January 28 1983 at Carnegie Hall.The composer after thinking over the possible approaches to a choral work found the ide of platitudes common sayings and poetic referenmces challanging and stimulating. As 'Quotations' evolved he found that these sayings evoked nostalgic momories of his own childhood in Richmond Hill New York where he was reared on such aphorisms as 'theearly bird catches the worm ' 'a stitch in time saves nine ' 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.'After setting the scene in Richmond Hill the piece begins with Hallelujah Amen the common shout for joy and closing whisper of all religions. An antiphonal series of platitudes follows and then moves to more complex secular litanies the 'ballads ' or stories of young love and old age and the precariousness of life which have been told and retold through the ages. In the last movement the religious litany resumes with 'ashes to ashes dust to dust' echoing the earlier prosaic motif 'here today gone tomorrow ' or as Gould finally writes 'time's up!'