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Salisbury Fauxbourdons first performance


It has been confirmed that the first performance of my setting of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis will be performed in Salisbury Cathedral at Evensong on Wednesday 5th April 2017. A fauxbourdon setting is one in which the choir sing plainsong verses, and some verses that are harmonised for full choir – in my setting the plainsong still runs through the tenor part, which proved a challenge when harmonising the long repeated reciting notes!

You can view a sample score and pre-order copies (in stock from May 2017) by clicking here.

Salisbury Cathedral

Seasonal Music

With Lent, Holy Week and Easter not that far away (at least, not for those of us planning music!), visitors to my website might be interested in two short and simple pieces that are available freely here:

Were you there?
Were you there?

Were you there? Suitable for use during Passiontide (the period immediately before Easter, when Christians focus on the Crucifixion of Jesus), it is an arrangement of the American Spiritual melody for 2 voices, and adaptable for use by many different combinations to suit your singers. More information…

Easter Anthems
Easter Anthems

Easter Anthems The Easter Anthems are traditionally sung at Mattins during Eastertide, but are equally suitable for being sung at any other service during that time. This is a setting to a single Anglican Chant with the text pointed accordingly. More information…

If you are looking for something more substantial for a Lent or Passiontide service, then you may be interested in looking at Teach me, O Lord which places more demands on the singers and organist. It was first performed in Salisbury Cathedral in Passiontide 2011, on the day that The Right Reverend Nicholas Holtam was announced as the new Bishop of Salisbury, and sung in front of the entire Chapter and packed cathedral during Evensong. More information…

Recorded in Canterbury Cathedral on Thursday 29th March 2012, sung by the choir of St Stephen’s Church, Canterbury.

London Première of Lullay mine liking

On Tuesday 31st December, my Christmas anthem ‘Lullay, mine liking’ is being performed for the first time in London, at Evensong in Westminster Abbey. This follows a performance in Canterbury at the Carol Service in St Stephen’s Church on Sunday 22nd December. Anyone is welcome to attend either event and it would be lovely to speak to you afterwards if you make yourself known to me.

O Magnum Mysterium in Cambridge

On Thursday 12th December at 7.30pm, my setting of O Magnum Mysterium is being sung in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge as part of ‘Christmas at the Fitzwilliam with Granta Chorale’ in Gallery 3.

Tickets: £17.50 (£14.50 concessions and Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum), including interval glass of wine. Available from City Centre Box Office, Wheeler Street, Cambridge. Tel: 01223 357851

See other forthcoming performances.

Music for Passiontide and Easter

Visitors to my website might be interested in two short and simple pieces that are available freely here:

Were you there?
Were you there?

Were you there?

Suitable for use during Passiontide (the period immediately before Easter, when Christians focus on the Crucifixion of Jesus), it is an arrangement of the American Spiritual melody for 2 voices, and adaptable for use by many different combinations to suit your singers. More information…

Easter Anthems
Easter Anthems

Easter Anthems

The Easter Anthems are traditionally sung at Mattins during Eastertide, but are equally suitable for being sung at any other service during that time. This is a setting to a single Anglican Chant with the text pointed accordingly. More information…

Performance of ‘Hail, gladdening light’ in Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral at dusk
Canterbury Cathedral at dusk

On Thursday 25th October 2012, my composition Hail, gladdening light will be performed as the anthem at Evensong in Canterbury Cathedral, sung by the choir of St Stephen’s Church, Canterbury.

A recording of the performance will be available here shortly afterwards.

To purchase copies of Hail, gladdening light, please order online.

New composition to be premièred in Portsmouth Cathedral

Portsmouth Cathedral
Portsmouth Cathedral

On Saturday 4th August, my latest composition Hail, gladdening light will be premièred in Portsmouth Cathedral during Choral Evensong. The service begins at 5pm and anyone is welcome to join the congregation. If you do come to hear my piece, please come and speak to me afterwards – I look forward to meeting some of you there!

A recording will be uploaded to this website over the summer, and scores will be available to purchase in the autumn – do keep an eye on this website for more information, or why not follow me on Twitter?

American Première

The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Houston, Texas, USA
The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Houston, Texas, USA

UPDATE: You can see and hear the performance on their video stream here – helpfully it’s the first 2 minutes so easy to find!

On 2nd May, my anthem Spiritus Domine super me, which was written several years ago for the induction of the present Rector of St Stephen’s Church, Canterbury, will be sung at the Mass of Ordination for Bishop-elect George A. Sheltz in the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, Texas, USA.

 

Two forthcoming performances

Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral

Over the coming weeks there are two performances of my anthem ‘Teach me, O Lord’.

The first is in Canterbury Cathedral on Thursday 29th March, sung by the Choir of St Stephen’s Church, Canterbury as the anthem during Choral Evensong. The service begins at 5.30pm and anyone wishing to attend is advised to be seating by 5.15. This is a service – part of the daily cycle of worship in the Cathedral – so there is no charge to attend.

The second performance is in a concert by the newly formed choir, Cantus Amoris, a newly formed choir of high quality singers based in the south of England. The concert is part of the Eastbourne Festival and tickets are available here in advance, or on the door if you want to risk it!

It would be lovely to meet anyone attending either of these performances.

Composition Première in Salisbury Cathedral

Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral

St Stephen’s Church Choir will be performing an original composition by Stephen Barker when they sing in Salisbury Cathedral in April.

The anthem – Teach me, O Lord – sets selected verses from Psalm 119 as appointed for the Offertory on the Fifth Sunday of Lent interspersed with a refrain and concluding with a prayer from the Common Worship Psalter.

Music staff at Salisbury Cathedral saw a first draft of the composition last week and were pleased to approve it.

You can hear Teach me, O Lord during Choral Evensong on Tuesday 12th April in Salisbury Cathedral. It is hoped to make a recording available on this website shortly afterwards.

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