Concert Music: Choral and Vocal Works

Choral Music
Vocal Music

Choral Music

Various holiday music.

See Holiday Music: Choral and Vocal Works

Various pieces for SSAA chorus, including:

• "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
  This arrangement of the familiar folk song is a soothing lullaby, scored for SSAA chorus (or children's choir) accompanied by flute, oboe, and piano;  Ca. 4 mins.
• "How Far Is It to Bethlehem?"
  A gently flowing arrangement of a traditional English carol, accompanied by piano;  Words by Frances Chesterton;  Ca. 3 mins.
• "Wassail!"
  A lively arrangement of the traditional Gloucestershire Wassail, accompanied by piano;  Ca. 2 mins.

(Note:  I'm in the process of composing more holiday carols for SSAA chorus with piano accompaniment, and plan to create a set of them.)

Various arrangements of choral music, including:

An orchestration of Randall Thompson's "The Happy Shore"
This arrangement of Thompson's popular choral piece was made by special permission of E.C. Schirmer Publishing, and is scored for a chamber wind ensemble consisting of:  2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 clarinets in Bb, 2 horns, 2 bassoons, and percussion (timpani and glockenspiel).  

Vocal Music Various individual songs, including:

The House Was Quiet and the World Was Calm
A song for alto solo with piano accompaniment;  Text by Wallace Stevens (1879-1955);  Ca. 3 mins.

On the Morning of Christ's Nativity

A neo-Baroque song cycle for baritone solo with piano accompaniment; Ca. 10 mins.;  Text:  Four excerpts from John Milton's "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity" (1629):

• "This is the month, and this the happy morn,"
• "It was the winter wild,"
• "But peaceful was the night," and
• "Ring out, ye crystal spheres"

A Garland of Songs

A set of seven songs for soprano or tenor solo with piano accompaniment:

• "Whilst Cynthia Sang"  (Text: Anon.);  Ca. 3 mins.  
• "When My Amelia Smiles"  (Text: Anon.);  Ca. 2 mins.  
• "Stripped of Their Green"  *  (Text by Peter Anthony Motteux, 1663- 1718);  Ca. 4 mins.  
• "A Choir of Bright Beauties"  *  (Text by John Dryden, 1631-1700);  Ca. 2 mins.  
• "Sing, All Ye Muses"  (Text: Anon.);  Ca. 2 mins.  
• "Scarce Had the Rising Sun"  (Text: Anon.);  Ca. 2 mins.  
• "In Meadows Fair"  (Text by Paul Wobus, 1949);  Ca. 2 mins.  

* The accompaniments to these two songs also exist in a full-orchestra version, scored for 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (2nd doubling English horn), 2 clarinets in Bb and A, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets in Bb and C, 3 trombones, percussion (2 players on the following instruments:  timpani, triangle, mark tree, cymbals, bass drum, glockenspiel, xylophone, and chimes), harp, keyboard (celesta and harpsichord), and strings (8, 6, 4, 4, 2)

Songs of Love and Nature

A set of seven songs for soprano solo with piano accompaniment:

• "Sweet Is the Budding Spring of Love"  (Text by John Hippisley, d. 1748);  Ca. 2 mins.
• "If the Swain We Sigh for"  (Text by Kane O'Hara, 1711-1782)  Ca. 1 min.
• "O'er the Smooth Enameled Green"  (Text by John Milton, 1608-1674, from "Arcades");  Ca. 1 min.
• "When a Cruel Long Winter"  (Text from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream");  Ca. 1 min.
• "When Damon Languished at My Feet"  (Text by Edward Moore, 1712- 1757);  Ca. 2 mins.
• "Solitude"  (Text by Katherine Philips, 1631-1664);  Ca. 1 min.
• "Ye Happy Swains"  (Text: Anon. 17th cent.);  Ca. 1 min.

Lord, the Gifts Thy Grace Has Given

A cantata for two soprano soloists, accompanied by piano;  Text by Paul Wobus (1941);  Ca. 8 mins.

We Thank Thee, Lord, that We May Meet

A cantata for soprano and tenor soloists accompanied by flute, violin, and cello;  Text by Paul Wobus (1940); Ca. 13 mins.  

Four Canons

A set of short canons written for four equal voices:

• "The Lord Is My Shepherd"  (Psalm 23:1-3)
• "Serve the Lord with Gladness"   (Psalm 100:2)
• "The Lord is in His Holy Temple"  (Habakkuk 2:20)
• "My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord"  (Luke 1:46, 47)