Completed and premiered in 1996, Cycle of Friends is a lush, emotional journey through five texts taken from such diverse sources as Tang Dynasty poetry of China, Sappho and Emily Dickinson, each dealing in its own way with the universal theme of friendship.
Cycle of Friends was commissioned and premiered by the Music Group of Philadelphia, Seán Deibler conductor, in Philadelphia in May of 1996.
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A brief, delightful and whimsical setting of a text by American poet Gertrude Stein. It may be learned quickly. It is almost entirely built on a round, which underscores the poem’s wordplay. For 3-part treble choir, with piano accompaniment. Secular.
Based on traditional hymns and chants, these three brief anthems present the seasonal texts in a new and compelling way. “Savior of the nations, come!” and “Creator of the stars of night” are easy and very accessible. “Come thou redeemer of the world,” while more advanced, with close harmonies and disparate key changes, repays 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 voice of the English-speaking working classes is preserved in the rich body of song that developed in the centuries leading up to the Industrial Revolution and in the years surrounding the Great Depression. The songs abound with hope, despair, delight, passion and humour. This original collection of 12 folk-inspired rounds borrows lyrics from English […]
Three short poems by Sara Teasdale – 1) Grey Eyes, 2) Did You Never, 3) Nightfall – from her collection Flame and Shadow, are the basis of this set of choral songs, all bearing on a relationship, including tender, poignant, and playful emotions.
Without doubt, children of all ages enjoy singing rounds. The rounds they learn are likely to be the old worthies of past centuries: “Sumer is icumen in”, “Fie, Nay, Prithee, John” or “Well Rung, Tom!” This original collection balances the standard repertoire with a variety of easy, feel-good rounds: the sweet, the comic and the […]
A lyrical carol for SATB choir, this Christmas piece imagines sunrise on the first Christmas morning. “O Gift of Glorious Sunrise” was premiered in Buffalo, NY in December 2015 by the Vocalis Chamber Choir (James Burritt conducting).
Due Sonetti de Petrarca are settings of sonnets by Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) (1304-1374), great Italian scholar and poet and one of the earliest humanists. The set was written for the Saint Mary’s University Chamber Singers, who premiered the works on their tour of France in March, 2009, with the composer conducting.
Walk With Me is a charming, romantic invitation to share the simple activities of life with one’s companion of the heart. The text reflects the passage of time — spending a day, or metaphorically, a lifetime, alongside the beloved. While this piece is basically tonal, a few surprising and challenging modulations maintain a certain freshness […]
