Paul Mealor: I Am the Gentle Light 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 Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Let all the angels of God worship Him 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 Read more…
Pēteris Vasks: The Fruit of Silence Context Pēteris Vasks composed the haunting choral work, The Fruit of Silence in 2013. Commissioned by the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the piece was premiered in 2013 at the event. Based on the words of Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, also known more commonly as Mother Teresa, Read more…
Judith Weir: Stars, Night, Music and Light Context Judith Weir was born in 1954 in Cambridge, and at a young age she began learning the oboe. Weir in her youth performed regularly with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. She studied composition whilst at school with none other than John Read more…
Henry Purcell: Hear My Prayer, O Lord Context Composed between 1681-82, Henry Purcell’s choral anthem Hear My Prayer, O Lord was most likely set for the Chapel Royal. Often assumed to be part of a larger unfinished work due to the blank pages at the end of the autograph score, Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Lift Up Your Heads 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 the source Read more…
Ola Gjeilo: Ubi Caritas Context Ola Gjeilo was born in 1978, in Sandvika, Norway. From an early age he was exposed to a range of different genres of music, but he took a special liking to both jazz and classical choral music. Gjeilo began playing piano, and gravitated towards jazz improvisation. Gjeilo mainly learned Read more…
Hubert Parry: I Was Glad Context Hubert Parry (1848-1918) was at the height of his fame by the start of the 20th century. He held a Professorship at Oxford from 1900, as well as being knighted two years previously in 1898. It was during this mature period of Parry’s life Read more…
James MacMillan: A Child’s Prayer Context Scottish composer James MacMillan (b.1959) composed the choral work A Child’s Prayer in memory of the victims in the Dunblane tragedy of 1996. The massacre took place in March 1996, where a shooter entered a primary school and shot sixteen children and their teacher, Read more…
Benjamin Britten: Jubilate Deo Context Jubilate Deo was composed in 1961 at the request of H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh. This joyful work is based on Psalm 100, with Britten using the English translation. This four-part choral work also features a prominent organ part. Jubilate Deo was first heard in Read more…