New music for Pentecost: Sweet Spirit Comfort Me
St Paul’s Cathedral had another composition competition. I only found out about it around ten days before the deadline but decided it was worth at least looking at the suggested texts and having a go...
View Article“I walked in darkness”: an anthem for Epiphany
I wrote this one for a competition at St Paul’s Cathedral. They didn’t get back to me, so I’m assuming that someone else won. The words are by Thomas Thurman, and were written at my request. I like his...
View ArticlePied Beauty
A few weeks ago I spied a call for scores with a theme of nature, one or two parts and accompanied by piano. I asked on Twitter for suitable texts, preferably not too church-y because the context...
View ArticleThe Message of the Wind
I have a new choral work up on the Choral Public Domain Library: The Message of the Wind. This was written for the Nicola Dando Choral Composition Prize, which this year had five set texts; in the end,...
View ArticleBenedictus
Some of my favourite words in the New Testament are from the Benedictus: said or sung at Morning Prayer in the Anglican tradition, this canticle is the song of Zechariah at the birth of his son, John...
View ArticleI Am
I wrote this, like “The Message of the Wind“, for the Nicola Dando Choral Composition Prize. The judges didn’t choose it but I still like it. The poem, written by John Clare, seems to have a few...
View ArticleChrist Has No Body Now on Earth But Ours
I wrote this in 2009 for the Rev Dr Catherine Dowland Pillinger. Before she was ordained she was the Head of Student Services at Trinity College of Music. She was a great support to me while there,...
View ArticlePied Beauty — recording
@pmphillips suggested this text to me when I was looking for something a bit creation-y for a unison/2-part community songbook. I didn’t set it for that project, but instead in SATB. It’s short and...
View ArticleSweet Spirit, Comfort Me
I wrote this in 2012 for a competition at St Paul’s. Clerical error on my part meant I wasn’t even in with a chance! But I am happy with what I wrote. Thanks to Matthew Curtis I now have a recording on...
View ArticleJubilate Amen
Just a simple sleepy little piece, this — almost a hymn rather than an anthem, and almost not a hymn in that it straddles the line between describing worship and participating — to some words by Thomas...
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Nunc dimittis
Today is Candlemas. Yesterday I preached at Christ Church Wanstead for the occasion; today I put the finishing touches on my setting of the Nunc dimittis. It’s SATB a capella, and a bit crunchy in...
View Article“I walked in darkness”: an anthem for Epiphany
I wrote this one for a competition at St Paul’s Cathedral. They didn’t get back to me, so I’m assuming that someone else won. The words are by Thomas Thurman, and were written at my request. I like his...
View ArticlePied Beauty
A few weeks ago I spied a call for scores with a theme of nature, one or two parts and accompanied by piano. I asked on Twitter for suitable texts, preferably not too church-y because the context...
View ArticleThe Contrite Heart
Looking for texts to set (I am always looking for texts to set) I stumbled over this one by William Cowper. It looks to me to be a response to Psalm 51: The Lord will happiness divine On contrite...
View ArticlePied Beauty
A few weeks ago I spied a call for scores with a theme of nature, one or two parts and accompanied by piano. I asked on Twitter for suitable texts, preferably not too church-y because the context...
View ArticleThe Message of the Wind
I have a new choral work up on the Choral Public Domain Library: The Message of the Wind. This was written for the Nicola Dando Choral Composition Prize, which this year had five set texts; in the end,...
View ArticleBenedictus
Some of my favourite words in the New Testament are from the Benedictus: said or sung at Morning Prayer in the Anglican tradition, this canticle is the song of Zechariah at the birth of his son, John...
View ArticleI Am
I wrote this, like “The Message of the Wind“, for the Nicola Dando Choral Composition Prize. The judges didn’t choose it but I still like it. The poem, written by John Clare, seems to have a few...
View ArticleChrist Has No Body Now on Earth But Ours
I wrote this in 2009 for the Rev Dr Catherine Dowland Pillinger. Before she was ordained she was the Head of Student Services at Trinity College of Music. She was a great support to me while there,...
View ArticlePied Beauty — recording
@pmphillips suggested this text to me when I was looking for something a bit creation-y for a unison/2-part community songbook. I didn’t set it for that project, but instead in SATB. It’s short and...
View Article
