This lively arrangement in 7/4 meter re-fashions Lowry’s familiar hymn into a rhythmically-charged spiritual, using an unequal four beats per measure to carry the listener along on a joyous spiritual journey along the celestial river.
This inspirational piece for treble voices begins and ends with a canon. Originally written for a high school girl’s choir, it is appropriate for younger singers as well as professionals.
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 setting of the Offertory for the Third Sunday of Easter (Psalm 145:2) uses the Latin form of:Praise the Lord, O my soul:I will praise the Lord throughout my life;I will sing to my God for as long as I live,alleluia
The sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Britain form a golden age of round-singing; even the nineteenth provided some fine examples. These twelve rounds, set to texts by Shakespeare, Skelton, Swift, Dryden, Johnson, Carroll and Synge, are of varying difficulty and may require rehearsal. Keeping as they do to the style of the period, they […]
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 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 […]
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.
This new setting of the traditional Latin prayer features traditional harmonies and a simple unhurried rhythm, providing ample space for prayer and contemplation of the one blessed among women.
Originally written for a Portuguese children’s choir, this simple a cappella setting could equally be performed by an adult women’s choir. It is mostly in two parts (SA), but there is an optional 3rd part towards the end of the piece. The first few measures may be sung as a solo. Translation: “Not unto us, […]
A two part mixed voice anthem with keyboard accompaniment. The text is from the Biblical verse, 2 Samuel 18:33 which records King David’s reaction to the news that his son Absolom, who had rebelled against him, had been killed. When David heard that Absalom was slain He went up to his chamber over the gate […]
“Community of Unity” is an exciting and uplifting piece written specifically for civic and municipal events. Beginning with a lyrical, unison verse, the soundscape opens up to a chorus in 2 part harmony. A driving, rhythmic piano accompaniment propels the piece throughout. There is a 4 measure a cappella section near the end, and two […]
This popular spiritual has been arranged for SATB and piano duet (4 hands, one piano). Uplifting AND fun to sing, with a very exciting accompaniment. There are multiple optional, short solos. A great time will be had by all!
Anselm of Canterbury (c. 1033 – 21 April 1109), a benedictine abbot and philosopher and theologian, left significant writings, some of great complexity. Others, like this simple prayer, convey a deep longing for a closeness to God. This setting was composed for joint performance by the Caritas Chamber Choir (Canterbury, UK) and the Saint Mary’s […]
“Coney Island,” was written by Pulitzer prize winning American poet Sara Teasdale (1884-1933) and was first published in 1911 in the collection “Helen of Troy and Other Poems.”. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she lived for many years in New York City. My immigrant great-grandparents settled in Brooklyn, New York, in the 1890’s, and lived […]
This award winning setting of “Psalm 150” uses an inclusive language version of this beloved Psalm. Many congregations prefer not to use male pronoun references to God, and in this instance, “his” and “him” as well as the word “Lord” are replaced simply with “God”. The organ part is of particular interest, as it was […]
O Lux is at once reminiscent of Renaissance motets and at home in the contemporary canon. The lyrical and ultimately transcendent piece features a cascading theme that is layered canonically. The piece has been performed by both high school and professional choirs.
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 […]
“We Will Shine Like The Sun” is an uptempo, 2 part piece for treble voices. The empowering text inspires imagination with optimistic lyrics that are ideal for young singers. The score includes a driving piano accompaniment, a clapping section, and an optional tambourine part. The rousing ending makes it especially suitable as a program opener […]
A short call to worship for SATB choir with optional organ accompaniment. Composed for the installation of The Reverend Kenneth Crawford at the Parish of St. James the Great, Darlington, England, July, 2014.
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 […]
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 […]
I. Curiosity (Why are…?) II. Desperation (How do I? How do you?) III. Contemplation (I Wonder Why) PROGRAM NOTE Search was commissioned by the Young People’s Chorus of New York City for the Radio Radiance program. The text was assembled by the composer from the suggestions Google makes when one types a question word into […]
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 […]
This setting of the traditional Harvest hymn, “We plough the fields and scatter”, is written in popular style, a little syncopated. The choir parts are mainly in Unison, with short passages in harmony (SATB). There is also a simple Unison part for the audience/congregation to join in (“All good gifts around us”), and simple percussion […]
“Voices Taking Flight” is an uptempo and energetic piece written for youthful male voices. It is rhythmic, dynamic, and contains accessible harmonies throughout. It’s a lively concert opener, appropriate for civic & community events and ideal for adding movement & choreography. The lyrics are empowering and inspiring. The ranges of each part are limited, making […]
This setting of Charles Baudelaire’s iconic poem captures the “luxury” and “voluptuousness” of Edna St. Vincent Millay’s radiant translation. The six-part texture allows for thick, evocative chords in Dole’s jazz-influenced harmonic world. Slowly evolving chord progressions paint a picture of a person truly in love with another, asking that they go on a long journey […]
“Prelude and Cherubic Hymn” was commissioned by the John F. Kennedy School in Berlin, to mark the 25th anniversary of their annual Advent services held in Berlin Cathedral. It was performed by joint choirs, drawn from students, parents and faculty, and choir members of the American Church in Berlin on 29 November 2017. The piece […]
“Puzzle” is a 2-part, SA choral piece for children’s choir/ elementary choir. There is also a combined choir (SATB) version. Lyrics by Linda Trott Dickman. How can we resolve our disagreements? “Puzzle” suggests there is a way. The text begins “How to get along together / it’s a puzzle / Will we understand each other […]
Choral elegy in memory of friend and fellow musician Haskell Fitz-Simons. The text speaks of lost opportunities to tell those in our lives how dear they are to us while they are still here.
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 […]
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 […]
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 delightful piece sets a whimsical poem by the American poet, Susan Kinsolving, about steps taken internationally to make the world a better place. Sanford Dole’s Dance Steps has artistic merit…no one can doubt the artistic merit of Dole’s entertaining piece. I was not looking forward to enduring Susan Kinsolving’s absurdist text, printed in the […]
“Winter Stars” was written by Pulitzer Prize winning American poet Sara Teasdale (1884-1933) and was first published in 1920 in the collection “Flame & Shadow.” She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, found acclaim while living in New York City, and became disillusioned in her later years. Perhaps she was writing this poem with World […]
This setting of the traditional “Hail Mary” prayer takes a new approach, employing a lullaby rhythm in F minor. The voices become a haunting plea for forgiveness and intercession. The piano accompaniment provides support for the singers while still maintaining its own voice.
ROC-010 Confitemini Domino The Latin text “Confitemini Domino” – “Give thanks to the Lord” — appears in several Psalms and has been set to music across centuries – from early composers like Giovanni Gabrieli, Heinrich Schütz, and Jean-Baptiste Lully to modern masters like Knut Nystedt. This setting for SATB chorus (with brief soprano/bass divisi) is […]
Sim Shalom is a solemn Hebrew prayer in D minor accompanied by piano or organ. It is ideal for a worship setting and has often been used for that purpose, though the lyrical choral refrain and soprano/tenor solos can work well for any choir that would prefer to focus on just a few phrases of […]
“O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” was written for John Patrick Cardinal Foley, the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. It received its first performance on February 11th, 2011 in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican by the Saint Mary’s University Chamber Singers, with the composer conducting.
Short choral blessing (text from the Old Testament) written as part of 2001-2003 Composer Residency at San Francisco’s National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi. Premiered by resident ensemble, Schola Cantorum SF
