Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus Ex Maria virgine, gaudete! Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is born Of the Virgin Mary — rejoice! Tempus adest gratiæ Hoc quod optabamus, The Time of grace has come— what we wished for, Carmina lætitiæ Devote...  moreGaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus Ex Maria virgine, gaudete! Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is born Of the Virgin Mary — rejoice! Tempus adest gratiæ Hoc quod optabamus, The Time of grace has come— what we wished for, Carmina lætitiæ Devote reddamus. songs of joy Let us render in faith. Deus homo factus est Natura mirante, God has become man, As nature marvels Mundus renovatus est A Christo regnante. The world has been renewed By Christ who reigns Ezechielis porta Clausa pertransitur, We pass through the closed gate of Ezekiel Unde lux est orta Salus invenitur. From the place whence light has risen, Salvation is found. Ergo nostra concio Psallat iam in lustro; Therefore let our gathering Now sing brightly Benedicat Domino: Salus Regi nostro. Let it give praise to the Lord: Salvation to our King.  less

This was written as an ironic parody response to that Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer song we sing every year! (Rudolphus Rubrinasus syndrome!) (Note: the score has a slightly more ornamented piano part than this performance)

Zulu song of liberation with additional verse of peace in English Aya ngena = They Come In, Aya phuma = They get out, Aya didizela = They're in a state of confusion, Aya sab' amagwala = The cowards are scared. Peace we bring you why must evr...  moreZulu song of liberation with additional verse of peace in English Aya ngena = They Come In, Aya phuma = They get out, Aya didizela = They're in a state of confusion, Aya sab' amagwala = The cowards are scared. Peace we bring you why must evr'ybody keep on fighting when hunger needs to be fought leave your guns now fight with ploughshares leave your guns now  

The 50s song Mister Sandman by Pat Ballard, which I arranged, on request, for our local choir. After a few concerts, I thought it would also be fun to sing it all myself (multitracking), so here it is. I have now published the score; see below

► Complete playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKXwvyq1q-ei686IXjKeI2OkaKuiOb5WE Open a'cappella concert, 29 January 2019, Hall of the Main Building of the Gdańsk University of Technology Performer: Academic Choir of the Gdańsk University...  more► Complete playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKXwvyq1q-ei686IXjKeI2OkaKuiOb5WE Open a'cappella concert, 29 January 2019, Hall of the Main Building of the Gdańsk University of Technology Performer: Academic Choir of the Gdańsk University of Technology (AChPG) Conductor: Mariusz Mróz Audio and editing: Bartłomiej 'Przymrozek' Mróz, Jan Cychnerski -------------------------------------------------- FB: https://facebook.com/achpg www: https://chor.pg.edu.pl/en  

Many years before Lloyd Webber's "Cats" I created my own setting for TS Eliot's "Song of the Jellicles" (from Old Possum's book of practical cats) The estate of T S Eliot would not let me use the poem itself as a choral piece. So this is the choral ...  moreMany years before Lloyd Webber's "Cats" I created my own setting for TS Eliot's "Song of the Jellicles" (from Old Possum's book of practical cats) The estate of T S Eliot would not let me use the poem itself as a choral piece. So this is the choral version of the Jellicle music as a drinking song for SATB choir, with new words by Jill Mitchell called "Praise to the Vine"  

La Folia (literally "madness") was a Portuguese dance from the renaissance, and it has been used by many composers in the ensuing centuries. This version is for voices and guitar. It introduces the theme as a repeated verse on voice 1 and then adds a co...  moreLa Folia (literally "madness") was a Portuguese dance from the renaissance, and it has been used by many composers in the ensuing centuries. This version is for voices and guitar. It introduces the theme as a repeated verse on voice 1 and then adds a couple of vocalize additions above and below it. The pdf file contains the score and a separate guitar part. The sound sample is performed by the composer. Let's sing la Folia Oh let's sing la Folia Oh let's sing la Folia as in the Baroque Time Oh let's sing la Folia Oh let's sing la Folia It spans all the centuries up to now (la la la) (cu cu cu!)  less

This setting of the 98th Psalm (Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.) comes originally from my cantata “The Manchester Magnificat”, based on Audrey Vaughan’s poems about the religious and social history of the city. The oratorio was...  moreThis setting of the 98th Psalm (Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.) comes originally from my cantata “The Manchester Magnificat”, based on Audrey Vaughan’s poems about the religious and social history of the city. The oratorio was first performed in Manchester Cathedral in 1994. This psalm forms the climax of the whole cantata and provides an expression of opTimism after the tragedies of the previous sections. In this “extracted” version, the tragic surroundings of the history remain in the background and the purebubbling joy of the psalm itself shines forth. Enjoy the complex rhythms and let your hair down! This performance by Daniel Shaw's Composer's Choir (based in Connecticut) is a brilliant rendition of the piece and will, I hope, encourage other church choirs and concert choirs to consider including it in their repertoire.  less

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

On Christmas Eve morning 2017, I was approached by a member of our congregation who said he had been inspired by the Holy Ghost to write some words and that he would like me to set them to music. To begin with I wasn't sure, since they seemed somewhat re...  moreOn Christmas Eve morning 2017, I was approached by a member of our congregation who said he had been inspired by the Holy Ghost to write some words and that he would like me to set them to music. To begin with I wasn't sure, since they seemed somewhat repetitive, but as the day progressed to the early afternoon I found that I was also inspired (I even missed lunch!). The piece varies in mode from D Dorian to A Aeolian. The performance is by me (multi-tracking).