Paul Mealor: De Profundis Context Paul Mealor was born in North Wales, 1975, and as a young child he studied composition with William Mathias. He attended the University of York, and studied under John Pickard and Nicola LeFanu. For fourteen years now, Mealor has taught composition at the University of Aberdeen. Mealor Read more…
Howard Goodall: The Lord is my Shepherd Context Known for his choral music and his music for television, English composer Howard Goodall CBE is a household name. After studying music at Christ Church, Oxford, Goodall has since been a professional composer and broadcaster. His work for television includes theme tunes Read more…
Eric Whitacre: Sleep Context Composed in 2000 and premiered in 2001, Eric Whitacre’s popular choral work Sleep came from a very personal commission request. In 1999, Whitacre was approached by Julia Armstrong, a mezzo-soprano living in Texas. She proposed a commission for a new work from Whitacre to be performed Read more…
Nathan Jones: I Would Live in Your Love Context The lyrics from Nathan Jones’ choral work I Would Live in Your Love are taken from Sara Teasdale’s poem of the same name. The poem was originally featured in Teasdale’s collection of poetry Helen of Troy of Other Poems, which was Read more…
Eric Whitacre: i carry your heart The Text Composed in 2016, Eric Whitacre’s choral work i carry your heart has become another popular piece in choral repertoire. Based on the E. E. Cummings (1894-1962) poem of the same name, the text of the song is as follows: i carry your Read more…
Robert Nathaniel Dett: The Chariot Jubilee Context Robert Nathaniel Dett composed The Chariot Jubilee in 1919 after a commission came from Howard Lyman and the Syracuse University Chorus. The Chariot Jubilee is thought to be the first ever symphonic work based solely on Negro spirituals. After the premiere the orchestral Read more…
Morton Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium Context Morton Lauridsen is known today as one of the leading choral composers, due to his extensive collection of works, recordings and awards he’s picked up along the way. By far the most popular piece to come from Lauridsen’s pen is his setting of O Magnum Mysterium. Morton Read more…
John Rutter: A Gaelic Blessing Context Commissioned by the Chancel Choir of the First United Methodist Church in Omaha, Nebraska in 1978, John Rutter’s A Gaelic Blessing is one of his most popular works. Written for SATB choir, A Gaelic Blessing is primarily known for the repeated chants of the Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Hallelujah Chorus Context George Frideric Handel’s Messiah has remained one of the composer’s most beloved works. Incredibly, Handel completed this 260-page oratorio in just 24 days during the summer of 1741. The scriptural text was compiled by Charles Jennens, with the source being the King James Bible. Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder Messiah Part II Context George Frideric Handel’s Messiah has remained one of the composer’s most beloved works. Incredibly, Handel completed this 260-page oratorio in just 24 days during the summer of 1741. The scriptural text was compiled by Charles Jennens, with Read more…