Choral Music

For David Crown and the Somerville College Choir, Oxford. Written in 2014.

Inspired by seeing the solar eclipse of 1999 in the UK when at the moment of total eclipse the corona seemed to shine brighter than ever. The words are the last spoken by Goethe.

First performed by the Morley College Chamber Choir, conductor Dr Robert Hanson, June 2003.

Written for my singing groups who had little or no knowledge of music and little knowledge of singing either! I realised that they would like to hear themselves sing in a Russian style but finding no approriate music around for elementary SATB I wrote this work. It is written in transliterated Russian, and English. Easy but very effective!

First Performance Deddington Church, Oxfordshire 4 December 2011 Choros conducted by Janet Lincé.

"a very moving work"  - audience member.

Available on the CD Advent Calendar by Somerville College Choir under David Crown

The video below is of a performance by Wychwood Chorale conducted by David Crown, 31st March 2012.

For North Cotswold Chamber Choir, conductor Ashley Stafford.

First performed by the Morley College Chamber Choir, conductor Dr Robert Hanson, June 2003.

...profoundly haunting.... Leicester Echo.

First performed by the Birmingham Conservatoire Choir, conductor Julian Pike, at Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham, February 1998.

This is a beautiful and often surprising piece which ought to appeal to the large audience already captured by Taverner and Pärt, yet offers a more complex and thought-provoking experience. Calum MacDonald, Tempo (C.U.P) July 1998.