There are few Things that have as powerful an impact on our ensembles as the standing formations of the singers. This will directly impact the speed at which the ensemble learns new repertoire and polishes the same. Standing formation impacts balance, the...

One of the Things we find with our choir is  that during the middle or the year (our New Zealand winter) , we're often plagued with choir members getting sick, wintery bitter weather (so nobody wants to leave their warm homes), or members taking trip...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my Choral Clarity blog]    We've just spent many months learning notes and rhythms, memorizing lyrics, working on balance and blend, shape, and internalizing meaning. But now it ...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   You work on a song in choir week after week, but slowly Things seem to get worse. You worry about getting the words right, you can’t seem to re...

This is a post with tips for beginning composers. Before being a full-time choral composer, I'm a fan of choral music. I want to constantly discover new Things. So, I'm going to write down what I wish I had known when I started in this profe...

(A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog Choral Clarity) Prior to my first day of teaching high school, I was given advice from the person who had just hired me. He told me exactly what I should do on the first day.  He ...

This is a setting of a poem by The Reverend Doctor Malcolm Guite, Chaplain of Girton College Cambridge,with his permission. The poem is a response to the 8th "O Antiphon" for Advent O Virgin of virgins, how shAll this be? For neither before thee was an...  moreThis is a setting of a poem by The Reverend Doctor Malcolm Guite, Chaplain of Girton College Cambridge,with his permission. The poem is a response to the 8th "O Antiphon" for Advent O Virgin of virgins, how shAll this be? For neither before thee was any like thee, nor shAll there be after. Daughters of Jerusalem, why marvel ye at me? The thing which ye behold is a divine mystery. Who are the daughters of Jerusalem, Who glimpse you still as you transform their seeing? Whom have you cAlled to this mysterium, And bathed in the blithe fountain of your being? Daughters of sorrow, daughters of despair, The cast-aside, the overlooked, the spurned The broken girls who scarcely breathe a prayer The ones whose love has never been returned. O Maid amongst the maidens, turn your face, For when we glimpse you we are not alone, O look us out of grief and into grace, Lift us in love mAde stronger than our own, Summon the spring in our worst wilderness, And make us fruitful in your fruitfulness.  less

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]Many choir leAders have a strong style and particular choice of repertoire. They lead large, thriving choirs which have a strong vision. Other choir leAders...

With music ranging from'The Bare Necessities' to Monteverdi, Spectra Musica's concert on 1st April will be packed with it's usual eclectic mix thanks to dynamic MD Peter Leech. Be at St.Luke and St.Teresa's church Wincanton Somerset at 7.30pm on 1st April...

Motet by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, ita desiderat anima mea ad Te, Deus. Like as the hart desireth the waterbrook So longeth my soul after thee o God