"Let's sing, it's Spring!" is dedicated to my uncle and aunt, James and Daphne Shaw, and their amazing clan, the "Bowen Island Shaws." I have given this song the sub-title: "A Crazy Choral Etude for Rolled Rs and Perfect 5ths." It is meant, no pun inte...  more"Let's sing, it's Spring!" is dedicated to my uncle and aunt, James and Daphne Shaw, and their amazing clan, the "Bowen Island Shaws." I have given this song the sub-title: "A Crazy Choral Etude for Rolled Rs and Perfect 5ths." It is meant, no pun intended, to be a musical lark, great fun for a choir to sing, rolling Rs like crazy, with no holding back. NB: One day I woke up to the realization that I had independently written four choral works, each of which had evoked a different season, and so it seemed natural to group them together into a choral suite that I have called "The Ottawa Four Seasons Suite." "Let's sing, it's Spring!", with its rousing coda section, works perfectly as the closing number of this suite. Also of note, in early 2018, I applied to be a participant at one of the Vancouver Chamber Choir's Interplay workshops funded by the SOCAN Foundation and to my delight I was accepted. "Let's sing, it's Spring!" was one of the pieces that this amazing choir sight read for me on the sp...    less

This brand new version of Good King Wenceslas is dedicated to my uncle Duncan Shaw of Vancouver. His "retirement project" - developing his own theory of gravity - has been a huge inspiration in my own compositional journey late in life. Some background...  moreThis brand new version of Good King Wenceslas is dedicated to my uncle Duncan Shaw of Vancouver. His "retirement project" - developing his own theory of gravity - has been a huge inspiration in my own compositional journey late in life. Some background: I have sung the traditional version of Good King Wenceslas since I was a kid. I fell in love with the lyrics and the story, but have always been puzzled by the way it was arranged, in particular the way that the "las" of Wenceslas lands on the downbeat. When I was young, I thought the lyrics were actually "Good King Wences last looked out!" All to say that I got inspired to create a totally different version. I used the 19th century poem by John Mason Neale, but I wanted to create a different "feel" to the story, to take it back in time to its origins in the Middle Ages - hence the medieval feel to much of the piece. I also felt that since the Wenceslas story is all about a journey, a setting in 3/4 time would create a better sense of that feeling, ra...    less

World premiere recording, by a brand new singing group: Quartetto al Volo! If you like this song, I invite you to donate to the work of OCISO (Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization) and their support programs for refugees and immigrants to Cana...  moreWorld premiere recording, by a brand new singing group: Quartetto al Volo! If you like this song, I invite you to donate to the work of OCISO (Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization) and their support programs for refugees and immigrants to Canada: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/ociso-ottawa-community-immigrant-services-organization/ Background. In the 1970s I visited Poland twice and fell in love with Polish choral music -- and Lulajże Jezuniu became one of my favourite Christmas carols in any language. While flying from Ottawa to Vancouver in December 2017, I felt inspired and arranged most of this piece while at 30,000 feet! I must have been quite a sight conducting away in my aisle seat, with my head phones plugged into my computer. I have dedicated Lulajże Jezuniu to the late Adam and Helena Kmiotek, who showed me such generosity of spirit as my hosts in Szczecin during my second Polish trip. NB: choirs interested in obtaining copies of the TTBB score can contact me at Rain...    less

I have dedicated this song to health care workers and other courageous COVID-19 workers around the world. THANK YOU! "Where then could pain find a hold?" is a musical plea for reconciliation addressed to those (individuals, groups, nations) who find t...  moreI have dedicated this song to health care workers and other courageous COVID-19 workers around the world. THANK YOU! "Where then could pain find a hold?" is a musical plea for reconciliation addressed to those (individuals, groups, nations) who find themselves in conflict. I would like to acknowledge pianist Fred Hersch whose magical playing of Billy Joel's "And so it goes" in the middle of an Ottawa winter inspired me to start working on this piece. I would like to thank my Ottawa singing friends in the "Ad hoc Chorale" for testing out this piece in one of our informal workshops and offering valuable comments. I would also like to acknowledge the a cappella choir that I sing in, The Stairwell Carollers, and our director Pierre Massie, for their musical inspiration these past 27 years. And with deepest appreciation to my brother Adam Rain and my friend Geneviève Lajoie for their invaluable support throughout my composing journey. NB: choirs interested in obtaining copies of the score can conta...    less

This song is a wedding present for my daughter Salima and my son-in-law Tarik Talundzic. As a boy chorister I can remember singing Healey Willan's setting of "Rise up, my love", a true gem. The beautiful imagery of this text drew me to write my own s...  moreThis song is a wedding present for my daughter Salima and my son-in-law Tarik Talundzic. As a boy chorister I can remember singing Healey Willan's setting of "Rise up, my love", a true gem. The beautiful imagery of this text drew me to write my own setting. Sincere thanks to Matthew Curtis (choraltracks.com) for recording "Rise up, my love, my fair one." If you would like to obtain the sheet music for this song, please contact: info@leadingnote.com. I would like to acknowledge the a cappella choir that I sing in, The Stairwell Carollers, and our director Pierre Massie, for their musical inspiration these past 26 years. I would also like to thank my friends in our "Ad hoc Chorale" for testing out this piece in one of our informal workshops and offering valuable comments. And with deepest appreciation to my brother Adam Rain and my friend Geneviève Lajoie for their invaluable support throughout my composing journey.  less

"Barso Re" ("Let It Rain") by A. R. Rahman, text by Gulzar, arr. Ethan Perry. From the soundtrack of the 2007 film "Guru." Originally performed by Shreya Ghoshal. Recorded live on June 17, 2016, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florid...  more"Barso Re" ("Let It Rain") by A. R. Rahman, text by Gulzar, arr. Ethan Perry. From the soundtrack of the 2007 film "Guru." Originally performed by Shreya Ghoshal. Recorded live on June 17, 2016, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Concert Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peterson.  

"Demain, dès l'aube" is dedicated to my dear friend Lillian Holowka and her partner Donald Bergen, who died less than a year apart in 2013 and 2014. Victor Hugo's heart-wrenching 1847 poem describes a walk he plans to take tomorrow morning ("Demain, dè...  more"Demain, dès l'aube" is dedicated to my dear friend Lillian Holowka and her partner Donald Bergen, who died less than a year apart in 2013 and 2014. Victor Hugo's heart-wrenching 1847 poem describes a walk he plans to take tomorrow morning ("Demain, dès l'aube") through the countryside to his daughter Léopoldine's grave four years after her tragic death in a boating accident, which also took the life of her husband Charles who had tried to save her. Sincere thanks to Matthew Curtis (choraltracks.com) for recording "Demain, dès l'aube." To purchase the sheet music for this song, please contact: info@leadingnote.com. I would like to acknowledge the a cappella choir that I sing in, The Stairwell Carollers, and our director Pierre Massie, for their musical inspiration these past 26 years. I would also like to thank my friends in our "Ad hoc Chorale" for testing out this piece in one of our informal workshops and offering valuable comments. And with deepest appreciation to my brother Adam Rain and m...    less

I dedicate this piece to my friends in the composer/singer collective, the Ad hoc Chorale, who tested out this piece in one of our informal workshops and offered valuable comments. "How heavy lies the heart" has drawn inspiration from the traditional F...  moreI dedicate this piece to my friends in the composer/singer collective, the Ad hoc Chorale, who tested out this piece in one of our informal workshops and offered valuable comments. "How heavy lies the heart" has drawn inspiration from the traditional French Christmas carol, "Quelle est cette odeur agréable", which John Gay also set as a boisterous drinking song in the Beggar's Opera, "Fill every glass, for wine inspires us!" In addition, the song draws inspiration from Josquin's Missa Pange Lingua. In early 2018, I applied to be a participant at one of the Vancouver Chamber Choir's Interplay workshops funded by the SOCAN Foundation and to my delight I was accepted. "How heavy lies the heart" was one of the pieces that this amazing choir sight read for me on the spot. VCC director Jon Washburn and choir members then provided me with valuable feedback, for which I am very grateful. I would also like to acknowledge the a cappella choir that I sing in, The Stairwell Carollers, and our director Pierre M...    less

SATB a cappella setting of a Gaelic prayer by Ian Assersohn. London Choral Sinfonia conducted by Michael Waldron

Erik Satie's Sarabande No. 1 is one of my favourite piano pieces. For a long time, I felt there was an a cappella choral piece hiding within it, in plain sight. One day I got inspired and gave it a try. Creating a choral adaptation of a piano piece ha...  moreErik Satie's Sarabande No. 1 is one of my favourite piano pieces. For a long time, I felt there was an a cappella choral piece hiding within it, in plain sight. One day I got inspired and gave it a try. Creating a choral adaptation of a piano piece has its challenges. I tried to keep faithful to Satie's original musical inspiration and created lyrics to go with my arrangement that evoke an early summer morning, one of my favourite times of the year. Several months later, I applied to be a participant at one of the Vancouver Chamber Choir's Interplay workshops funded by the SOCAN Foundation and to my delight I was accepted. "As dawn breaks" was one of the pieces that this amazing choir sight read for me on the spot. VCC director Jon Washburn and choir members then provided me with valuable feedback, for which I am very grateful. NB: One day I woke up to the realization that I had independently written four choral works, each of which had evoked a different season, and so it seemed natural to group ...    less