Eric Whitacre: The Seal Lullaby Context Shortly after attending the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in 2004, Eric Whitacre was soon contacted by a big film studio asking for a meeting. The studio were looking into creating a new classic animated film based on Rudyard Kipling’s The White Seal. After reading Read more…
Gabriel Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine Context Gabriel Fauré was born in 1845 in the south of France, and was the fifth son of six children. Out of his siblings, Gabriel was the only to pursue a career in music, as his four brothers went into journalism, and his sister became Read more…
Edward Elgar: The Music Makers Context Edward Elgar is fondly remembered as one of the forefront English composers of the late 19th/early 20th century. His music is often incorporated into international concerts, with some of his most famous compositions including Pomp and Circumstance Marches, Enigma Variations and his Cello Concerto. Whilst all of these works Read more…
Karl Jenkins: Adiemus Context Karl Jenkins composed his “new age” song Adiemus as part of the Adiemus project, which was officially released on Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary in 1995. Jenkins collaborated with vocalists Miriam Stockley and Mary Carewe for the original recording. The work also features a group of vocalists Read more…
Samuel Barber: Sure on this Shining Night Context Although perhaps most well-known for his orchestral works and concertos, Samuel Barber is also celebrated for his huge input into vocal and choral music. Barber composed over 100 works for voice and piano, with a majority still unpublished. Sure on this Shining 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…
Christopher Tin: Sogno di Volare Context Award-winning American composer Christopher Tin is perhaps best-known for his film and video game music. His output shows that he is a talented orchestral and choral composer, with his influences spanning both Eastern and Western musics. Tin has won two Grammy Awards for his 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…
Steven Stucky: Lulajże, Jezuniu Context Steven Stucky (1949-2016) was a Pulitzer Prize winning American composer who wrote music for a range of different ensembles. He is perhaps most well-known for his orchestral works such as Dreamwaltzes (1986), Jeu de timbres (2003) and Rhapsodies for Orchestra (2018). Stucky also wrote a Read more…
Libby Larsen: A Lover’s Journey Context Commissioned by The King’s Singers, Libby Larsen’s six-part male vocal suite A Lover’s Journey tells the story of love. A Lover’s Journey is set into four separate songs, with Larsen using text from William Shakespeare and James Joyce. The work was premiered on Valentine’s Read more…