A Teasdale Triptych is a set of three miniatures. Each aims to crystallize the meaning of Sara Teasdale’s exquisite words and trace the journey on which the poems take the reader. The piece was commissioned by the San Francisco Choral Artists. It is dedicated to the singers of the group, and to their director, Magen Solomon. […]
A request by Artistic Director Susan Glass for a new choral work addressing climate change resulted in the creation of “Planet Earth Lullaby.” Composer Rich Campbell contemplated and determined the piece would be both an alarm for help and a call to action. For over a century the internationally recognized distress signal has been the […]
This TE DEUM setting, originally written in 1997, has been slightly revised in 2016. A chamber orchestration (strings, flute, oboe, trumpet, timpani, organ and optional harp) is in preparation and is expected to be available in Fall 2017.
An English translation of the poem “Friede auf Erden” by Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (1825-1898) is set for SSATB choir unaccompanied. Referencing the Christmas story, this setting brings to life the text with lush harmonies freely changing key centers as the story progresses. Each of the four stanzas ends with a variation on the musical material […]
The words of this carol/motet are well-known from Britten’s teenage tour-de-force, but that double-chorus setting is out of the reach of most church choirs. The powerful text, alternating English and Latin in the style of medieval carols, warrants an additional, simpler setting. The work is suitable for concert performance, as well as for liturgical use […]
Kyries for Worship Services is a 4 piece set of Kyie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie Eleison responses written for SATB voices. The first is in a minor key. The rest are in various church modes. This format is typically used in Protestant services after a Prayer of Confession. ISMN 979-0-9025253-0-5
This Spiritual is one of the most well-known and beloved in the entire canon of Slave Songs , and has universal appeal — with it’s simple melody, and heartfelt lyrics — pleading for deliverance from earthly oppression in the same manner that Elijah was taken to his Heavenly Home. Perfectly appropriate for inclusion in a […]
Voiced for SSAB with optional organ. A combination of Latin, English, and Greek text. The Improperia, also known as the Reproaches, are a series of antiphons and responses used on Good Friday that remind us of the atrocity of our sin. God had repeatedly saved us and we repeatedly rejected Him. Here I have put […]
This original anthem is suitable for all occasions and offers a gentle, contemporary setting of the text used by Anton Bruckner in his well-known composition of the same name composed in 1869. “This place was made by God, a priceless sacrament; it is without reproach.” Genesis 28:16 Exodus 3:5.
A 17th-century riddle poem, “I Saw a Peacock With a Fiery Tail” at first seems fantastical: A peacock with a fiery tail! I saw a comet drop down hail! Full of evocative text painting, this choral setting reveals the sense of the poem by dividing each line between the two choirs and then reordering the […]
This gorgeously heartfelt Spiritual gently asks the listener, exactly “where they were”, on the dark day when Jesus Christ was brutally crucified… and points an unflinching finger at themselves; a witness to the degrading torture and death that He endured, to expiate the world’s sins. In the entire canon of liturgical hymnody, very few pieces […]
(Choral SATB, divisi) When Shiloh Came is a Christmas poem by Marie Radcliffe Butler, published in 1877, associating the coming of the baby Jesus with initiating the hope of the Gospels. The birth of this work started with notes of E, F and A. Starting as a minimalist, dissonant piece, it turned out to be […]
This composition won first prize in the Longfellow Choral Composition Competition in 2011. I have enjoyed Longfellow’s poetry for many years–“Excelsior” in particular. However, I’ve never managed to develop a huge amount of sympathy for the poem’s protagonist. Here we have a youth who ignores the advice of everyone around him that his journey was […]
“Snowflakes” is a short, peaceful, wintry song for a cappella SATB chorus, with lyrics by Linda A. Copp. The piece was commissioned by Cantabile Chamber Chorale, directed by Rebecca Scott, for performance in their 2003-04 season. This piece is a great choice for high school and college, and the “Quartet Pack” option makes it ideal for a […]
“Are Friends Delight or Pain?” is a brief a cappella double-choir movement (SATB + SATB, ~1’45”) excerpted from Cycle of Friends, setting Emily Dickinson’s epigram with concentrated intensity. The entire piece rests on a single sustained E—a pedal point whose meaning keeps shifting as the harmony moves through changing modes and colors.
Are you a square? Can you easily retrieve a gas bill from 1979? Do you pine for the return of spats? Do you chew each mouthful forty times while letting the bottle “breathe”? And when you watch TV, do you recoil from all murders except those committed on the village green? If so, these rounds […]
Kling No Klokka is a Norwegian folksong, about church bells ringing out at Christmastime. The words are in Norwegian, and the setting is for four-part choir (SATB), with organ or piano accompaniment. This arrangement was made for the Boys’ Choir at Trondheim Cathedral in Norway, the Nidarosdomens Guttekor, and their conductor, Bjørn Moe, and will […]
This anthem is a setting of an early 20th Century hymn text. It utilizes metaphors in nature to describe a life of good character and is suitable for worship. It is free of gender specific language, and therefore speaks to all people of good will. The music is somewhat reminiscent of early 20th Century church […]
AT THE CROSS is a simple arrangement of the beloved hymn with fresh and poignant harmonies. Set for SATB choir with piano accompaniment, it is moderately easy but rewarding of good musicianship. The light, delicate accompaniment directs the focus onto the text while providing the perfect amount of color and interest. It allows a choir […]
Sonnet LV was commissioned by the San Francisco Choral Artists. It is dedicated to the singers of the group, and to their director, Magen Solomon. It is a sonnet addressing a lover, professing that they will live in the poem far longer than any monument or statue will exist on earth.
“Misericordias Domini” was written for Grace Lutheran Church in Hockessin, DE and premiered during the Advent season on December 7th, 2014. The text comes from Psalm 89 and has been set by several composers including Orlando di Lasso and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Although settings of this text are usually used during Advent, this setting is […]
“Winds of May” took First Place in the Morningside College Choral Competition. It is one of two settings by Madelyn Byrne of poems from James Joyce’s Chamber Music. The other setting, “Rain Has Fallen“, is also available from Swirly Music. The composer writes: Chamber Music, is an early work by James Joyce. It is a […]
Majestic Ride is a choral sequence for the beginning of Holy Week. It consists of three new hymn settings, linked by optional solo/choral passages and narration drawn from the Bible, centred mainly on the events of Palm Sunday. The three hymns are ‘All glory, laud and honour’, ‘My song is love unknown’ and ‘Ride […]
This arrangement opens by lining out the plainsong chant over a drone. Then, in succeeding verses we hear it in organum before more complex harmonies and rhythms are added. Finally all voices sing the melody in canon before a concluding fantasia.
“It’s a beautiful, wonderful world, A world of wonder for all to share; Let us walk together, hand in hand, Spreading peace and friendship throughout the land…” Inspired by a visit to botanical gardens in California, this song is intended to reflect the beauty of nature around us, and to suggest that we should live […]
This setting of the Anglican communion/mass service – Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei – is simple and tuneful. The writing is in the tradition of the great English composers of the 20th century. The Gloria is available as a separate anthem through Swirly. It can be performed as a general-purpose anthem or during the […]
KONIKONECO (SATB chorus) is a traditional call-and-response song of the Teso people, who live in eastern Uganda and in western Kenya. The lyrics, from the Ateso language combined with borrowings from other languages and dialects, roughly translates as “Let us celebrate our schools, our learning, and our empowerment.” The piano accompaniment suggests the arpeggios typical […]
This setting is ideally suited for a good chamber choir with a high soprano soloist. Julie Myers’ beautiful poem suggests to the composer a journey from darkness to light, from despair to hope, and this is reflected in the music, which should be performed simply, but with expressiveness and conviction.
This Spiritual has one of the most beautiful melodies in the entire canon, and is appropriate for inclusion in a worship service, or concert setting. The yearning and exalted words and simple melody, are as timely today as when this song was first composed.
An uplifting, secular piece about our planet’s place in the universe. Its energy and relatively low difficulty level make this 3-minute piece something to consider for a high school or community group. You and I Share a single place A private universe Tiny point in space. Complex world of water, stone, and air… Necessary water, […]
This setting of the Gloria text in English is excerpted from a longer Anglican communion/mass service — Communion Service in D — also published on Swirly (including settings of the Hosanna, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei). The Gloria is a simple, tuneful arrangement that can be performed as a general-purpose anthem or during the Christmas season. […]
An attractive and accessible setting of the Rite Two Holy Communion Liturgy from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church. Intended primarily for use in churches where congregation and choir sing the service together, it could be used by congregation alone, as the melody line does not rise high. Ideally, though, an […]
These Biblical texts are often associated with the Advent season of the Christian calendar. It is also sung anytime of the year at “Evensong” in Episcopal and Anglican traditions. The accompaniment is a traditional Woodwind Quintet. The composer knows of no other choral piece that uses this instrumental combination to accompany a choral work. If there are none, then, […]
In the poem “Psalm of the Sky,” Rabbi Rachel Barenblat reimagines “The Lord is My Shepherd” (Psalm 23) in a contemporary context. Performers may highlight the many instances of text painting and create contrast between moments of gentleness, boldness, and carefree movement. The last verse of Psalm 23 is included in Hebrew as a coda […]
Hodie/Today on Earth was commissioned by Garrison Keillor and “A Prairie Home Companion” in 2012. Based on the 15th century antiphon Hodie Christus Natus Est, the piece is a joyful Christmas song. It was written for the DiGiallonardo Sisters and the All-Star Shoe Band, and received its premiere on ” A Prairie Home Companion” on […]
This setting of the classic Christmas carol begins with a quiet and intimate first verse that broadens out into an angelic, celebratory interlude section culminating in an exciting fanfare. The second verse features a soaring duet between tenor melody and soprano descant, but devolves into chaos as the text reflects on the world’s “babel sounds,” but […]
The Noble Art of Music sets two Martin Luther quotations as a bright, uplifting choral fanfare celebrating the joy of singing. Commissioned by the San Francisco Choral Artists, it unfolds in clear panels—urgent, then stately, before opening into a broad final statement—making a crisp, welcoming opener for almost any program. “As long as we live, […]
The Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York has a “Poetry in Motion” series that puts posters of poetry in subway cars. I was on the 1 train on Manhattan’s West Side one day when I saw the poem “Heaven,” by Patrick Phillips. I was immediately captured by the simple beauty of Patrick’s poem, and the […]
Tre Madrigali Amorosi are settings of poems by Torquato Tasso (1544-1595), a favorite poet of Italian madrigal composers of the sixteenth century. The set was written for the Saint Mary’s University Chamber Singers, who premiered the works on their tour of France in March, 2013, with the composer conducting and Chun Chim (David) Leung, violin. […]
The Vocális Chamber Choir commissioned Songs of Crystal for their 15th anniversary. The traditional gift for a fifteenth anniversary is crystal, so for this commission Mallonee linked four poems by Sara Teasdale and created a set that explores each of the four seasons.
Apple Pie is a novel, fun, upbeat and humorous tale of two friends searching for their favorite dessert. It was the winner of the Wasatch Chorale Ars Nova Composition Competition; their call for scores asked for a piece suitable for an afternoon family concert. With a rollicking piano part moving it along, the chorus tells […]
Christus Factus Est was commissioned by Marion Jacob to be premiered at her senior recital on May 15th, 2010. Although the musical content of the piece does not come straight from the original Christus Factus Est chant, several of the original motives can be heard quoted in places such as the opening soprano line and […]
This setting of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ stately, mixed-meter hymn tune uses shimmering tone clusters to depict the textual themes of light and fire in the first two verses. The third verse emphasizes themes of humility and service in an earthy a cappella setting, after which a building organ interlude leads into a towering and majestic […]
In this fresh, sparkling take on a beloved hymn tune, a perpetual motion accompaniment drives a whirlwind celebration of beauty in the world around us and our ability to perceive it.
