Motet by Thomas Tomkins - one of the greatest emotional expressions of the late Renaissance. Absalom, son of King David, was a handsome prince and considered by some to be worthy of the throne of Israel, even before David's death. One day, as Absalom w...  moreMotet by Thomas Tomkins - one of the greatest emotional expressions of the late Renaissance. Absalom, son of King David, was a handsome prince and considered by some to be worthy of the throne of Israel, even before David's death. One day, as Absalom went riding, a tree's branches caught his luxuriant hair and he hung there helpless. He was slain by his enemies. King David was inconsolable. Performed by the dwsChorale, a multitracking one-man choir  

A performance with a few extra (silly!) musical ideas by the dwsChorale Sumer is icumen in Lhude sing cuccu Groweþ sed and bloweþ med and springþ þe wde nu Sing cuccu Awe bleteþ after lomb lhouþ after calue cu Bulluc sterteþ bucke uerteþ muri...  moreA performance with a few extra (silly!) musical ideas by the dwsChorale Sumer is icumen in Lhude sing cuccu Groweþ sed and bloweþ med and springþ þe wde nu Sing cuccu Awe bleteþ after lomb lhouþ after calue cu Bulluc sterteþ bucke uerteþ murie sing cuccu Cuccu cuccu Wel singes þu cuccu ne swik þu nauer nu Sing cuccu nu Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu Sing cuccu nu Summer has arrived, Loudly sing, cuckoo! The seed is growing and the meadow is blooming, and the wood is coming into leaf now, Sing, cuckoo! The ewe is bleating after her lamb, The cow is lowing after her calf; The bullock is prancing, The billy-goat farting Sing merrily, cuckoo! Cuckoo, cuckoo, You sing well, cuckoo, Never stop now. Sing, cuckoo, now; sing, cuckoo; Sing, cuckoo; sing, cuckoo, now!  less

Robin Adair arranged for SATB choir (sung, transposed down in this video, by the one-man multitrack choir dwsChorale) [Note: a few textual errors have crept into the performance - but the score has the correct words] The original tune was composed...  moreRobin Adair arranged for SATB choir (sung, transposed down in this video, by the one-man multitrack choir dwsChorale) [Note: a few textual errors have crept into the performance - but the score has the correct words] The original tune was composed with the words Eibhlin a Ruin (Ellen Aroon or Eileen Aroon) by the Irish bard Carroll O'Daly (14th Century), although it was later attributed to the 18th century Irish composer Charles Coffey (this was presumably an arrangement of the original). The words of "Robin Adair" itself are understood to be by Lady Caroline Keppel, who was in love with a surgeon by that name. (This seems more likely than the theory that Robert Burns wrote it, although Burns certainly knew Keppel's lyrics and made his own parodies upon the words). Some later versions of the melody contain "Scotch snaps" but this version follows the simplest melodic line, without the Scotch snaps - possibly O'Daly's original tune? - and with quite romantic choral harmonies.  less

Devon folk song arranged for mixed choir The words of the song can be found in many places on the Net, some more accurate than others. All of the places are in Devon, except Callington, which is in Cornwall, but it is likely to be the correct place sin...  moreDevon folk song arranged for mixed choir The words of the song can be found in many places on the Net, some more accurate than others. All of the places are in Devon, except Callington, which is in Cornwall, but it is likely to be the correct place since it is so close to the centre of the events - ie towns and villages North and West of Dartmoor. (The Yetties' version of the song refers to "North Looe", but this is very unlikely to be correct, since Looe is much further into Cornwall). In this the version I finally decided upon "North Lew" (a compromise between Quoditch's version and the Yetties' version):  less

Litany to the Holy Spirit is my setting of the whole of Robert Herrick's poem by that name (as opposed to other well-known settings which only use a few verses). The whole poem deserves to be set in its entirety since the full story can be told and He...  moreLitany to the Holy Spirit is my setting of the whole of Robert Herrick's poem by that name (as opposed to other well-known settings which only use a few verses). The whole poem deserves to be set in its entirety since the full story can be told and Herrick's feelings come out all the more.  

My Love - a hypnotic and yearning quasi-canon for three equal (alto) voices, with an ostinato guitar motif.

A jolly parody of Shakespeare's song by the same name but using my Bell Dance as the melody to represent mobile phones (or cell phones as they say in the USA). These pretty city folk walk down supermarket aisles chatting to each other on their mobile p...  moreA jolly parody of Shakespeare's song by the same name but using my Bell Dance as the melody to represent mobile phones (or cell phones as they say in the USA). These pretty city folk walk down supermarket aisles chatting to each other on their mobile phones instead through the green corn fields of Shakespeare's original  

Music by Frederick Loewe Words by Alan Jay Lerner Performed by David Warin Solomons and the dwsChorale with Stephen Hughes on honky tonk piano [ALFRED] The Lord above gave man an arm of iron So he could do his job and never shirk The Lord above ...  moreMusic by Frederick Loewe Words by Alan Jay Lerner Performed by David Warin Solomons and the dwsChorale with Stephen Hughes on honky tonk piano [ALFRED] The Lord above gave man an arm of iron So he could do his job and never shirk The Lord above gave man an arm of iron, but! With a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck Someone else'll do the blinkin' work [ENSEMBLE] With a little bit, with a little bit With a little bit of luck you'll never work etc  

In this version the recording is taken partly from the first performance (which had good bits in it but wasn't perfect) and partly from an electronic version created by Mike Roberts. The joins are barely noticeable! The Hubbard Saga was written speciall...  moreIn this version the recording is taken partly from the first performance (which had good bits in it but wasn't perfect) and partly from an electronic version created by Mike Roberts. The joins are barely noticeable! The Hubbard Saga was written specially for Sale Festival 2001 and follows the antique antics of the fabulous dog of Old Mother Hubbard. The children's chorus echoes the barking of the dog whilst the adult choir takes us through the story. Then the children -- one by one tell us the story behind the poem itself. The forces are: Children's choir (in 2 parts) Adult choir (SATB) Flute Clarinet String quartet Chorus part http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/8121318?aff_id=175705 Full score http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/8121304?aff_id=175705 parts also available for rental at http://www.classicalmusicnow.com/rentalcat.htm  less

Patapan is a traditional song from the Burgundy region in France. It’s also known in English as Willie Take Your Little Drum. It was written by Bernard de la Monnoye around 1700. My English version here is a singing translation, so feel free to sing ...  morePatapan is a traditional song from the Burgundy region in France. It’s also known in English as Willie Take Your Little Drum. It was written by Bernard de la Monnoye around 1700. My English version here is a singing translation, so feel free to sing along in English :-) Guillaume prends ton tambourin Toi, prends ta flûte, Robin; Au son de ces instruments "Turelurelu, patapatapan" Au son de ces instruments Je dirai Noel gaîment. Willie take your little drum With your flute oh Robin come With the sound of flute and drum tootle tootle toot, bing a bang a boom with the flute and with the drum I will say Nowell with joy. C'était la mode autrefois De louer le Roi des rois Au son de ces instruments "Turelurelu, patapatapan" Au son de ces instruments Il nous en faut faire autant. In the goodly olden days The king of kings we'd praise with the drum and with the flute tootle tootle toot, bing a bang a boom, with the flute and with the drum we should do alike just so  less